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Indianapolis 500 Bump Day: James Hinchcliffe does not qualify

By Brittany Frederick

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 19: Indycar driver James Hinchcliffe (5) of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 on May 19, 2018, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 19: Indycar driver James Hinchcliffe (5) of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 on May 19, 2018, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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James Hinchcliffe will not race in the 2018 Indianapolis 500, after the 2016 Indy 500 pole sitter ran out of time on Indianapolis 500 Bump Day.

A shocker from Indianapolis 500 Bump Day: Verizon IndyCar Series fan favorite James Hinchcliffe has been bumped out of the field.

Hinchcliffe, the pole sitter for the 2016 Indianapolis 500, found himself on the bubble between qualified and not qualified late on Saturday afternoon, then simply ran out of time before he could re-qualify.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports withdrew Hinchcliffe’s disappointing first qualifying time, then had to wave off his second attempt due to a vibration in the No. 5 SMP Honda.

While James Hinchcliffe’s team was trying to deal with the vibration, the No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing entry of Indy-only driver Pippa Mann moved ahead of him in the priority lane.

Mann’s team wasn’t ready to re-qualify immediately, so Verizon IndyCar Series officials permitted both Alexander Rossi and Graham Rahal to try and better their times from the non-priority lane.

Between their runs and Mann’s third qualifying attempt, time ran out before Hinchcliffe could get back out on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, therefore meaning Hinchcliffe will not have a spot on next Sunday’s grid.

Mann also did not qualify.

The  Bump Day result is particularly crushing for Hinchcliffe because he currently sits fifth in the 2018 IndyCar standings.  The Canadian hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in any of the season’s first five races.

But now, since he’s not competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Indy 500 is worth double points, his hopes for the 2018 IndyCar championship will almost certainly suffer a huge blow.

“It’s devastating in every way possible,” a stunned Hinchcliffe told TV reporters afterward, adding, “It’s crazy to be here after where we were two years ago … It’s a big blow, for sure.”

Next: Current Verizon IndyCar Series standings

The 2018 Indianapolis 500 takes place Sunday, May 27 at 11:00 a.m. ET. For complete coverage of the 2018 IndyCar season, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided.

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