Honda Indy Toronto drives into gear down by the waterfront today, which will feature some of the most signature racers in the sport. The event is Canada’s one remaining Indy event, as Indy Edmonton was eliminated from the schedule last season.
One driver that most fans will keep a close eye on is James Hinchcliffe, originally from Oakville Ontario. The 26-year old is in his third racing season, which has been a season of ups, downs, grand finales, and heartbreaking disappointments. The potential unpredictability of his race makes Hinchcliffe an attractive bet for sportsbetting and online casino gamblers.
Despite the rocky season, Hinchcliffe remains first and foremost a proud Canadian racer, who is already thinking about his legacy long after his driving career comes to an end. Hinchcliffe admits it was very difficult for him, as a Canadian driver, to break into the Indy organization, and wants to provide smoother and more opportunistic breaks for young, upstart Canadian drivers.
“I want to start a carting series and I want to help young kids from Canada graduate through the ranks because I didn’t have a lot of people to ask questions of and get advice from and I want to offer that to kids.”
Hinchcliffe admits that sponsors are reluctant to support Canadians, and is very grateful that GoDaddy, a high-profile internet company backed his admission into Indy. Hinchcliffe believes with support from accomplished drivers like himself, Canada can host more Indy races again to rebuild the popularity of the sport. He already cites Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary as potential locations for new races and supports reactivating Indy Edmonton as well.
Hinchcliffe enters the Toronto race ranked fifth overall, but will be one of the few drivers with the hometown crowd on his side, which could improve his odds to capture the checkered flag.
