James Hinchcliffe has had quite the week.
After sustaining a concussion from flying debris that knocked him on the head during the Grand Prix of Indianapolis earlier this month, the Oakville, Ont. native’s status for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” was uncertain until he was cleared and managed to squeak in two practice sessions before he had to go out there and compete for the pole position of the Indianapolis 500.
Programming alert: Catch coverage of the 98th Indianapolis 500 beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m. PT on City, with an encore telecast of the race at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE | Full TV schedule
Despite the lack of preparation, Hinchcliffe managed to grab the second spot on the starting grid, beginning the race just to the right of back-to-back pole winner Ed Carpenter.
Of course, with this being a 500-mile race, starting in the first row doesn’t necessarily guarantee a podium finish and given last year’s record 68 lead changes and eventual-winner Tony Kanaan’s triumph with seven laps remaining, the racing is sure to be unpredictable with a lot of exciting (and dangerous) passing attempts.
With that said, Hinchcliffe’s front-centre position is still a very strong place to start from and can carry him to a podium finish the same way it did rookie Carlos Munoz last year, whose first IndyCar experience was the big race.
Right now, Hinchcliffe is sitting in 21st place in the drivers standings with 56 points but, with the Indy 500 worth double the points normally allotted, a podium finish could suddenly catapult him back into the championship hunt.
The top-three drivers leading the standings — Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Simon Pagenaud — are starting the race third, 19th and fifth, respectively, and will be looking towards the podium to allow them to take complete control over the rest of the field.
NASCAR star Kurt Busch is making his IndyCar debut in the race and is attempting the “Double” by participating in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. This feat has only ever been attempted by four other men — John Andretti (1994), Davy Jones (1995), Robby Gordon (1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004) and Tony Stewart (1999, 2001). Busch is in starting spot No. 12 for the Indy 500 and No. 7 for the Coca-Cola 600.
Also of note, Canadian racing legend Jacques Villeneuve has returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in 19 years and will be starting 27th. Villeneuve became the only Canadian to ever win this famed race in 1995 at the age of 24, overcoming a two-lap mid-race penalty. That season, Villeneuve would go on to win the Champ Car title before moving over to Formula One, where he won the world championship in 1997.
Alex Tagliani rounds out the Canadian contingent in Indianapolis, starting 24th.
Track Info
With four corners banked at nine degrees, 12 minutes, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway drives more like a road course than an oval. But each of the corners is different, with weather influencing the car’s characteristics. The straightaways are 5/8ths of a mile long.
Past winners
- 2013 – Tony Kanaan
- 2012 – Dario Franchitti
- 2011 – Dan Wheldon
- 2010 – Dario Franchitti
- 2009 – Helio Castroneves
