JAMES HINCHCLIFFE CANADIAN RACING LEGEND

Our editor caught up with Canadian Racing legend James Hinchcliffe to find out what's he's been up to since retiring from his full-time seat in the NTT INDYCAR Series.

What have you been up to since retiring from being a full-time driver in the NTT INDYCAR series?

Lots! Obviously first and foremost I’ve been part of the NBC team covering all the IndyCar races. That has been an absolute blast and something I had always wanted to pursue after my full-time driving days were done. I’m really lucky to get to work with that crew. Then I’ve added on some other commentary gigs with F1TV covering a handful of those races, which has been a blast. Been working with partbers of mine like Canadian Tire and CSN Collision Centres on various events. Outside of that I’ve been working on a few side projects, I’m a partner in a company that helps manage young drivers, which has been a lot of fun. Also a few other things that I can’t share quite yet but hopefully can soon!

What do you miss most about competing in the Honda Indy Toronto?

The fans. It was always so cool to get to race at home and see all the support from the crowd. Canadians are so great at supporting their athletes and it was always such a rush to feel that energy on race day.

Do you have a favourite memory from the Honda Indy Toronto?

For sure the podiums. I had such bad luck in that event for the first half of my career, but then the back half was much nicer! Backto-back podiums in ‘16 and ‘17 were definitely career highlights for me.

What advice would you give aspiring Canadian drivers?

It sounds cliche, but never give up. This is a tough, tough sport. It’s not fair and it’s easy to get despondent and want to give up. But the drivers who keep pushing and keep hustling eventually put themselves into a position to prove what they can do.

Where can Canadians catch up with you now?

Well I try to stay active on social media, so you can find me there. And hopefully everyone is tuning in to watch the IndyCar races!

For our visiting American friends, is there a Canadian food they should be sure to try?

Well is has to be poutine, doesn’t it?!