Hinchcliffe confirms he will not start the Indy 500
James Hinchcliffe, who was bumped from the Indianapolis 500 field of 33, has confirmed that attempts to buy him in by replacing a qualified driver are no longer being pursued.
Photo by: Scott R LePage / Motorsport Images
The Canadian ace, who currently lies fifth in the championship standings, will take a huge hit by missing a double-points race.
However, the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team has now ceased to look for ways to buy out a ride from one of the one-off drivers in the Indy 500.
Hinchcliffe explained via social media: “Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will not be racing in the Indy 500 this year. The decision was made to stop pursuing options to get us in the race.
“There really aren’t words to describe how missing this race feels. At the end of the day, we simply didn’t get the job done. No excuses. This is our reality and we will face it head on, we will use it as motivation and we will come back stronger.
“We have a great team, incredible partners and the best fans, all who have been so supportive through this. I’m sorry we can’t be on track for you Sunday, but we will be pushing hard for the wins in Detroit.
“I wish all 33 drivers a fast and safe race. I’ll be watching and cheering on my SPM teammates. See you in Detroit.”
Hinchcliffe and his #5 SPM crew will be taking part in Friday’s pit stop competition.
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