No driver has won more races than James Hinchcliffe on the IndyCar circuit so far in 2013, and the Oakville, Ont., native is among the favourites for this weekend as the circuit prepares for a double-shot of events at the Honda Indy Toronto.
The Honda Indy Toronto will be two separate races this year, with the drivers doing a standing start on Saturday and then a rolling start on Sunday.
And Hinchcliffe will be looking to start off his weekend with a bang on Saturday by winning the first race and giving himself a boost in the IndyCar standings — he was at 10/1 on the wagering odds menu Thursday afternoon.
Watch Honda Indy Toronto pre-race qualifying Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET live on Sportsnet 360 | Broadcast schedule
It’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, however, that’s pegged as the 5/1 favourite for Saturday’s race on the IndyCar odds at the sportsbooks, and he’s the defending champion at the event. Hunter-Reay, Charlie Kimball, Mike Conway, Tony Kanaan, and Oriol Servia were the top five drivers at last year’s Honda Indy Toronto, while Hinchcliffe had to settle for a 22nd-place result after mechanical issues forced him to retire after only 33 laps.
Will Power, who was 15th in Toronto last year, is at 6/1 odds at the sportsbooks, with Scott Dixon at 13/2 odds, Helio Castroneves at 7/1 odds, Dario Franchitti at 9/1 odds, and Kanaan joining Hinchcliffe at 10/1 odds. Alex Tagliani of Montreal sits at 40/1 odds.
Of those favourites, Franchitti has the most career IndyCar wins in Toronto, winning on the course in each of 2011, 2009 and 1999. Power won in Toronto in 2010 and 2007.
Despite Hinchcliffe’s circuit-leading three victories so far in 2013 he’s only in fifth place in the IndyCar standings heading into the Toronto races this weekend. Castroneves is in first place with 356 points, followed by Hunter-Reay (333), Marco Andretti (301) and Dixon (291). Hinchcliffe has picked up 272 points through the first 11 races this year.
Simon Pagenaud — seventh in the standings right now — is at 12/1 on the IndyCar odds for Saturday’s race at the sportsbooks, with Andretti at 14/1 and Conway set at 15/1. Justin Wilson (20/1) and Takuma Sato (25/1) round out the second tier of contenders.
Race 1 of the Honda Indy Toronto gets underway at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon, with Race 2 getting going at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. Qualifying is Friday and Saturday.
