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SPORTS Monday 21 May 2018
Hinchcliffe not expecting to run in Indianapolis 500

By JENNA FRYERAP operations, told The Associ-
James Hinchcliffe watched ated Press the field would
the final day of Indianapo- not be expanded.
lis 500 qualifying in street It was common practice
clothes, refusing to lobby for decades for more than
for someone to give him 33 drivers to show up at
their ride for "The Greatest Indy and there have been
Spectacle in Racing." scores have times a top
Hinchcliffe was bumped driver failed to make the
from the field of 33 in the biggest race in America.
first round of qualifying, But "bumping" had faded
and spent Sunday at India- away in a down econo-
napolis Motor Speedway my and 35 drivers showed
as a spectator. Schmidt up at Indy this year for the
Peterson Motorsports, one first time in three seasons.
of IndyCar's anchor teams, It meant two would not
wants the popular Cana- make the race, but no one
dian driver in the race, but thought it would be Hinch-
Hinchcliffe acknowledged cliffe or Mann, who is seek-
it is unlikely he will be part ing to make her sixth Indy
of the event. 500 and join Danica Patrick
"At this point, I believe I as the only women in the
won't," he said. "I know field. There's another av-
there's precedent for doing enue, too — cutting a deal
that, but at the end of the for a qualified car. That's James Hinchcliffe, of Canada, talks with the media after he did not qualify for the IndyCar India-
day, every single driver in what Andretti Autosport napolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 19, 2018.
Associated Press
this race earned their way did in 2011 to get Ryan
in and it's hard to knock Hunter-Reay back in the
someone out of that." race after he failed to qual-
The clearest path to make ify. That possibility has thrust
it in would be replacing others, such as Conor Daly,
teammate and Indy-only into the mix. He struggled
driver Jay Howard. to make the cut Saturday
Hinchcliffe is fifth in the sea- and qualified 33rd with the
son standings, and missing slowest average Sunday.
the Indy 500 will get him But he's worked all year to
zero points in a race that put together his Indy pro-
scores double in the cham- gram, and isn't interested in
pionship hunt. His primary giving up his seat.
sponsor, Arrow Electronics, "I'm not getting out unless
has its name on a massive they give me millions of dol-
temporary suite complex lars," Daly said. "So no, I'm
in the speedway's first turn, not getting out of it."
and he's the centerpiece Howard is like every other
of Honda's national cam- one-off driver at Indy. He
paign. spends all year raising mon-
Not having Hinchcliffe, a ey just to run the 500, and
crossover star because of was criticized at the start of
his runner-up appearance the season by rival owner
on "Dancing with the Stars," Chip Ganassi as a driver
in the field is a disaster for not fresh enough to be
all parties involved in his participating in the event.
program. And there was Ganassi cited Howard's
no immediate indication role in a spectacular crash
a solution was in the works. in last year's race with his
Rules prevent teams from own driver, Scott Dixon,
making driver changes until as evidence. Howard has
qualifying ends, so the ear- 13 career IndyCar starts,
liest Schmidt could replace and his appearance in
Howard with Hinchcliffe is last year's Indy 500 was his
Monday. But Howard has first race since 2011. He's a
been firm in that he won't special third entrant on the
give up the ride he raised Schmidt team for Indy and
the money to race, and will start 28th, the inside of
qualified in the field. Row 10. Hinchcliffe is the
Another possibility to get face of a national Honda
the two drivers bumped campaign that's been run-
from the field — Hinchcliffe ning all season and Hon-
and Pippa Mann — on the da likely spent significant
starting grid vanished when money on advertising time
Jay Frye, IndyCar's presi- on ABC's broadcast next
dent of competition and week.q