James Hinchcliffe was a natural in front of the camera the very first time he stepped into a broadcast booth more than a decade ago. 1 staffing priority wasnt hiring. Because its so easy to get sucked into a more corporate environment. I think its a more family friendly way to go racing. Kiels team president role essentially was split between Ward and other managers. James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) May 23, 2022 "It was a real conversation, something we were looking into, but ultimately it was always going to come down to the fact that I wasn't going to get. "Our first date, 12-13 years after we met or whatever, literally we were like crying laughing for half the dinner," said Hinchcliffe. And Danica certainly took on a whole new level of fame and notoriety once Go Daddy started marketing her the way they did, Hinchcliffe said. Hinchcliffe was scheduled to compete in the GMR Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the Genesys 600. The 34-year-old Canadian said he is not retiring and will explore other types of racing. James Hinchcliffe's hobbies are Reading, photography, learning, traveling . On May 22, 2016, Hinchcliffe won the pole position for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, a year after his near-fatal crash at the track. A FaceTime conversation in September 2015 led to Facebook messages, then text messages. Challenge accepted.. Hinchcliffe is married to Canadian actress Rebecca Dalton. ", "And the first thing he said when he woke up?" I'm sure there's a script in there somewhere. Sort of. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star It's weird having a conversation with her about her, but it's not her. His guidance, his laugh and his love are three things I have, and will always, cherish. "I felt so comfortable and I just knew that I was absolutely doing the right thing. INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) "By the time he was 12, he was going to be an IndyCar driver and there was no doubt in his mind whatsoever that he was going to make it," said Jeremy Hinchcliffe. Schmidt and Peterson would continue as owners while McLaren through its sporting director, former CART and IRL driver Gil de Ferran would run the team. [10] He finished seventh in the race. He finished eighth in the sprint race and 13th in the feature in his first race at Zandvoort, then had a stunning weekend in Brno. "You can make a joke about anything. ", "I know her as one thing," said Hinchcliffe. "I personally have known James, Jeremy (his father), Arlene (his . ", After their platonic prom date, the pair did not speak to one another again until Hinchcliffe nearly died during an accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2015. "I'm not driving anymore, but calling all the Indy car races, calling all the sports car races in between," Hinchcliffe told PEOPLE. "I think one of the things that attracted me to it in the first place was, there's something about the rush of live TV. Hate making mistakes.. Its been a time of tremendous growth for the team, and most of that growth has come since the end of last season, Ward told NBC Sports as many of the new team members scurried past him with fresh parts and data during a break from preseason testing at The Thermal Club in Southern California last month. Progress always comes painfully slow, but then when you look back over a larger period of time, youre like, Oh hey, weve done a hell of a lot. . We still have time, he said. He loved bonding with the crew guys, meeting fans, entertaining friends. "Sometimes I think we reconnected just so these two could find each other," said Dalton, looking at her dog in her boyfriend's lap. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet. In the 11 years that followed, I lived out my dream in a way that a nine-year-old kid, sitting in a kart for the first time, could never have imagined.. She's been named as a finalist for Indy's Best and Brightest for Technology. James Hinchcliffe's birth sign is Sagittarius. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger, was the message Hinchcliffe posted on Twitter. During the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship on lap 12, he went veered down, making wheel-to-wheel contact with Wade Cunningham, which caused the latter to spin and collect various drivers, that would lead to various chain reactions, causing the death of Dan Wheldon. On February 19, 2020, Andretti Autosport announced they have signed Hinchcliffe to a three-race deal for the 2020 season which will be his second stint with the team. "It was a strictly platonic date because, frankly, I was terrified of her," said Hinchcliffe. Republication or distribution of this content is James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) December 16, 2021 Sam Flood, executive producer and president of NBC Sports, called Hinchcliffe "one of the most dynamic personalities in motorsports." But the fact of the matter is, the modern-day racing driver has a lot more responsibilities than just driving a race car. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 7, his future teammate, Jimmie Johnson, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I got to rock up with her on my arm. We'll sometimes talk about it and refer to that person as the character's name. New hires have come from Fortune 500 companies, major brands and other professional sports an eclectic roster of past employers that includes Disney, SalesForce, the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Rays, Republic Airways and Boeing Defense, Space & Security (to name a few). "Apparently, the way he tells the story, maybe I drove a little spiritedly on to the street and into the driveway," said Hinchcliffe. He also added the adorable hashtag, "#BeckyGetsHinched.". But also building a machine of a race team that can develop all year round, not sort of go racing in the season and do development in the offseason. James Hinchcliffe is special that way. Getting Zak more plugged into the team has been a fantastic side effect of this change, Ward said. Just like the U.S. business world since the Great Resignation of 2020-21, one of the loudest narratives in racing has been the difficulty of hiring and keeping strong personnel since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the worlds workforce. Long-time IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe announced he is "stepping away from full-time IndyCar competition" on social media Tuesday. "There's no way. Focusing on more diversity through a Path to the Pits internship program that identifies future talent, Scott has been struck by the interest from youth. Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE Digital covering sports. In April 2011, Hinchcliffe signed with Newman/Haas Racing to compete in the remainder of 2011 IndyCar Series, excluding the Twin Ring Motegi race, after missing the first race of the season at St. Petersburg. Its really exciting to be part of a group that still has ties to everyone being very hungry and ambitious and could do all sorts of roles and do whatever needed to be done. ', Peyton Manning Says David Beckham Can Throw a Spiral: 'I Was Very Impressed', NASCAR Driver Kyle Larson Says He Is 'Open' to Racing Indianapolis 500: 'When the Time Is Right', 'DWTS' Alum Cody Rigsby Is Rooting for Shangela to Win Season 31's Mirrorball: A 'Groundbreaking Choice', Eli Manning Says He's a 'Little Bit Better' at Pickleball Than Brother Peyton: 'It Gets Very Competitive', NASCAR's Chase Elliott Says He's Glad 'No One Got Hurt' During Ross Chastain's Risky Racing Move. He won three of those after joining Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2015. Every time he was asked, Schmidt would say the same thing: We have a contract.. In the wall, knocked unconscious with a piece of suspension piercing his leg, James wreck left him fighting for his life. Hinchcliffe then collected a top ten on the Streets of So Paulo in Brazil. Thats exciting. On January 26, 2021, Andretti Autosport announced that Hinchcliffe would drive the No 29 car full time for the 2021 season. I think we want people who want to be with the team, so its not so much about trying to headhunt people, he said. [8] He remained hospitalized during the race and Ryan Briscoe took Hinchcliffe's position for the race. And that was awesome for a nerd like me. His fame outside of the paddock comes not just from his success during his near-decade in IndyCar, nor a famous last name, or even his results -- good and. Following the Indy 500 was the Firestone Twin 275s in Texas. That helps winnow down the applicant pool for hiring by an executive team that includes Ward, competition director Billy Vincent, operations director Max Neyron, performance director Nick Snyder, marketing vice president Mo Murray and general manager Brian Barnhart (Murray and Barnhardt also have joined within the last few months). I think that also helps to diversify the portfolio of talent that we have internally and the ability to learn from one another and grow as a team.. And even if a lawsuit was successful and thats debatable legal fees and court costs would eat up a lot of whatever he might win. Arrow McLaren SP sided with two young, relatively unproven drivers over veteran James Hinchcliffe for their 2020 campaign. It doesnt happen overnight. [3] At the 2012 Indianapolis 500, Hinchcliffe qualified 2nd overall while carrying a pair of gloves inside his driving suit, that belonged to the late Greg Moore, whom Hinchcliffe considers the main reason why he got into racing. He's still always learning about his new career, though, he said. You can tell by these announcements that were constantly pushing to win races and the McLaren association is specifically for that, said Schmidt, a quadriplegic as the result of an Indy Racing League crash at Walt Disney Worlds Mickyard in 2000. Im excited to see how it goes.. For the 25-year-old Elliott, the series offers him an opportunity to do something that he's only done once before, race against his father Bill. pic.twitter.com/lge1w0SqJX, James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) April 27, 2021. But then Brian is a great resource for me, for the team. Desperate, he asked the friend of a friend from an acting class they all took together. On race day, Hinchcliffe overtook pole-sitter Ryan Briscoe on the first lap, and ended up leading five of the 200 laps on his way to a creditable 6th-place finish. Jeremy Hinchcliffe and Arelene Hinchcliffe are his parents. Canadian actress Rebecca Dalton, married to husband James Hinchcliffe, stars in A Tiny Home Christmas. As his second season in the IZOD IndyCar Series makes a turn for his hometown race, the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, Hinchcliffe remains hopeful that the sponsor that helped elevate Patrick to mainstream fame will work some of its magic on him. Example video title will go here for this video, Cost of Care: Dealing with medical bills and healthcare costs. 1 Score given by guest judge Pitbull. Selina Hinchcliffe He was the reason I fell in love with racing, the reason I got into Karting as a kid, he was my first sponsor, my manager, my biggest cheerleader., Love my lid this year with a little something extra on it. Unfortunately for the race car driver, he doesn't think he'll be able to use the same pre-show ritual he had during Dancing with the Stars: "Tequila.". Hinchcliffe took on the role of being a spokesperson, promoter . 1. Whether its grabbing a badass mechanic out of World of Outlaws and introducing them to IndyCar. Death Notice for Today February 11. He won one race at Portland and scored two other podiums, but was only able to finish 10th in the overall standings. This season, for instance, Penske driver Josef Newgarden won the IndyCar championship and teammate Simon Pagenaud won the Indianapolis 500. He moved on to McMaster University after that. Weve got intense bits of the season. He loved the track. James Hinchcliffes father Jeremy has watched as his sons career has blossomed at every level. Maybe one day I'll write it.". Ward said the schedule was among the reasons that engineer Ryan Kelly chose to join Rossis car after multiple seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. About two months before the start of the IndyCar season, Jeremy Hinchcliffe died on February 10 after fighting an undisclosed illness, and James wanted to celebrate his father while, in a way, still having him at the race track every week. Afterward, Gade and SPM parted ways. 5 car, filling the open seat left by Simon Pagenaud. [4] Later, in Brazil for the So Paulo Indy 300, Hinchcliffe won the race, with a last turn overtake under Takuma Sato, breaking the winning sequence of Will Power. He worked as an IndyCar on NBC analyst and pit reporter during the 2020 season. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/04/indycar-james-hinchcliffe-father-helmet-design-mustache, 11 questions with 45-year-old Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR's 7-time champ turned IndyCar rookie, IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi on the 'wild experience' of sneezing while driving 200 mph, IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe celebrates return to Andretti Autosport with perfect 'Friends' joke, 6-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon talks going for No. The road to the Indy 500 passed in a blur of weekends at racetracks, of missed school dances and teenage parties, of parents and siblings sacrificing their time and money to achieve one young mans goal. And its especially true during a season with the kind of expansion that Arrow McLaren has undertaken for the 2023 season. Its more about were happy and want people to know, and word spreads that this is a place thats trying to be good to its people and gunning for the very top. He has consistently said that his team, Arrow McLaren SP Racing (a.k.a. Official Facebook Page for NTT IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe So hes really between a rock and a hard place.. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. "I asked Becky to come with me as a friend because I would never have had the guts to ask her as a date," said Hinchcliffe. They do that countdown, the light goes on, and you're on.". Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. However, when he arrived at IU Health Methodist. One member of Hinchcliffes staff suggests he make his hair look as nice as Danicas.. You've gotta think that standing close to the microwave, staring expectantly through the little window at whatever food you're heating up, something I do alarmingly often, MUST have some negative long term health consequences. Shes a complete unicorn and super hard worker. As in 2023, James Hinchcliffe's age is 36 years. Dalton followed the reports, but several months passed before she reached out through their mutual friend from high school. The rising stars in two different worlds of entertainment did not see or talk to each other after high school for almost 12 years. "Out of my league, so that was a foolish proposition. Indiana Senate passes bill to ban books in school libraries, Lawmakers who build homes file bills to help homebuilders save money, Eli Lilly contractor accused of underpaying IT employees, 317 Project: Crispus Attucks Museum tells Black History loud and clear, Who makes the best pizza in Indianapolis? Theres not really a lot of money there, either, he said. And now that hes at the top of the mountain, or at least making the noise of a man whod like to scale the sports summit, theres more than one extra benefit. He made his IndyCar debut in 2011 with Newman Haas Racing, spent the next three seasons driving for Andretti, and then five years with Sam Schmidt. Andretti Autosport did not renew his contract for next year. Its a tough thing to win an IndyCar race. Thankfully (Go Daddys) customers are not calling for that, Hinchcliffe quipped in a recent interview. Hinchcliffe's serious accident in 2015 was big news in Toronto. At the time, Hinchcliffe only invited Dalton to attend the prom with him as a friend, since he was too nervous to ask her on a real date. Hoosiers have mixed feelings about contaminated soil headed to Indiana, 'Like driving an obstacle course' | Indy DPW receives $10 million to tackle potholes, Wednesday evening Live Doppler 13 forecast March 1, 2023, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Record temperatures today, heavy rain Friday, KRAVITZ: Ten months later, a grateful Hinchcliffe is counting his blessings and good fortune. Autosport did not renew his contract for next year with two young, relatively unproven over..., 10th Floor, Toronto, on M5V 0S8 thing, '' Hinchcliffe... Led to Facebook messages, then text messages has watched as his sons career has blossomed every... One thing, '' said Hinchcliffe doesnt kill you makes you stronger, the... Next year this season, for instance, Penske driver Josef Newgarden won the IndyCar championship and teammate Simon.! ) customers are not calling for that, Hinchcliffe quipped in a recent interview for race... He is & quot ; stepping away from full-time IndyCar competition & quot ; away. 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