IndyCar’s James Hinchcliffe on his love affair with Long Beach
Verizon IndyCar Series star James Hinchcliffe particularly enjoys the Grand Prix of Long Beach, and told FanSided why he’s looking forward to Sunday’s race.
The Verizon IndyCar Series has arrived in Southern California for the 2017 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and that’s great news for James Hinchcliffe. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver has a particular fondness for the historic street race, and spoke to FanSided about his appreciation for the event as well as his start to the season.
“It’s honestly one of the first [races] I’ve loved since I drove back there in 2006,” he said. “I was in the Atlantic series at the time and got my first podium in the Atlantic series there. I had my first race win in Indy Lights there, my first IndyCar Top 5, my first IndyCar podium.
“It’s been a really good track to me over the years and one I’ve always really, really enjoyed coming to—not just as a race track event, but as a whole. It’s one of the best ones we come to. On track and off, this is always a weekend we look forward to.”
Naturally, it’s difficult for the Canadian sensation to choose his favorite memory from the streets of Long Beach.
“Your first IndyCar podium is always pretty special,” he reflected, “but if I’m honest, that one was almost not really earned, because I was fourth at the line but there was a disqualification on the cool-down lap.
“So if I had to pick one, I’d probably pick my first Indy Lights win. To win at any level at Long Beach is a huge accomplishment that all drivers strive to do. It’s a track that’s got more history than anywhere except Indianapolis [Motor Speedway], so it’s always special when you make it home first here.”
As he enters this year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, James Hinchcliffe sits eighth in IndyCar points following a solid showing in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He believes that he and the No. 5 SMP team can improve upon that number Sunday.
“I think we’re feeling pretty good,” he told us. “When you’re disappointed with a Top 10 finish, I think that shows you’re headed in the right direction.
“We’re definitely hoping that things turn out this season. If it wasn’t for a poorly timed yellow, we would have been up there [in the first race], so I think coming into Long Beach we’re pretty confident in the package that we’ve got and hope that we can try and recreate the speed that we had at St. Pete.”
Fans will likely be watching to see if anyone experiences any issues with IndyCar’s new brakes, as was the case in St. Petersburg, but Hinchcliffe echoed Simon Pagenaud’s comments that they are adjusting to the different equipment when we asked how he feels.
“Better every time we run them,” he declared. “The biggest issue was the fact we didn’t get them until one week before the first race. For something as important a component as brakes, it’s just not long enough. So St. Pete was a pretty precarious situation in a lot of ways. Luckily we made through the weekend without any issue.
“Since St. Pete, we’ve had a bunch of different tests and we’re able to wrap our heads around it a little more. I’m sure at Long Beach it won’t be an issue, which is good because it’s actually a higher brake energy track than St. Pete, is so we need to make sure we have everything sorted.”
The 2016 season was a heartbreaker for James Hinchcliffe, who came very close to winning more than one race and earned the pole for the Indianapolis 500 but ultimately didn’t see Victory Lane. Has he identified anything specific that will turn those close calls into trophies in 2017?
“We focused on a lot of things on the off-season just to try and make the package better as a whole,” Hinchcliffe explained. “We had a very competitive car at a lot of races; we came close to winning a couple of those. Some were things that we couldn’t control, but we just have to keep improving because it’s competitive and we’re seeing a rise in the IndyCar Series, and you can’t stop trying to push forward.”
He believes there has been a definite rise in the level of competition going into this campaign.
“When you look at the fact that Dale Coyne Racing, one of the smallest and least funded teams won the first race from last on the grid, that shows you how competitive everyone is and how close the racing is.
“Sebastian [Bourdais] had to drive around a couple Penskes to get himself in position to win that race, so when the competition is that close and the caliber of driver that high, it really highlights how competitive a situation we’re in right now.”
“I think the one everyone has their eye on is [Josef] Newgarden over at Penske,” Hinchcliffe added when we asked if he’s looking at any particular competition. “He obviously won races last year and then the year before that and is stepping into a race-winning, championship-contending, Indy 500-winning car.
“To see a young, very talented driver step into an organization that’s got that kind of success, experience and resources, I think that’s someone everyone’s got their eye on right now.”
Off the racetrack Hinchcliffe has been one of several drivers vocal about the need to grow the IndyCar fanbase by promoting the league. He certainly did his part last fall when he appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and finished as the runner-up. Has he seen an increase in exposure because of it?
“Absolutely. I was joking with someone this morning, they asked what the biggest change of my life was since Dancing with the Stars, and I said I take a lot more selfies in airports than I used to,” he laughed.
“The recognition has been huge. That show is still incredibly popular. 24 seasons in, they still get 10 to 12 million viewers a week. That’s two Indy 500’s every Monday night. So it exposed not just me but IndyCar in general to a much wider audience, and it’s a very different demographic in a lot of ways.
“Anything we can do like that to help spread the message of IndyCar racing and show how good of a product we really have, I think is huge.”
James Hinchcliffe will likely continue to be at the forefront of that effort and of the league for a long time to come. Not only is he a talented driver but he’s also one of the sport’s most outgoing personalities, and someone who is always aware of and invested in the bigger picture beyond his own race team. So what’s one thing he’d like to see for IndyCar as a whole?
“The big news that came out this past week was the 2018 body kit design that’s now been made public,” he said. “I think we’re excited to start the new era with a new body kit. It’s going to make the series more competitive, which is crazy to think of, and at the same time it’s going to hopefully make the racing even better.
“I think with the level of competition, the level of talent that we’ve got and the new car coming in 2018, the next couple of years are just going to be blockbuster.”
Next: Josef Newgarden relishing challenges of joining Team Penske
Keep an eye on James Hinchcliffe when the 2017 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach takes place Sunday, April 9 at 4 p.m. ET. The race will be nationally televised on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). For the latest news throughout IndyCar, follow the Motor Sports section of FanSided here.