TERRE HAUTE —
James Hinchcliffe is looking forward to the next two IZOD IndyCar Series events to be run in his native Canada.
First up is Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto to be run on the streets of Toronto. Versus will carry the action live at 2 p.m. EDT.
That race will be followed by a July 24 race scheduled to be run at the airport in Edmonton.
Hinchcliffe is a rookie in the series, driving the No. 06 Newman Haas Racing car after finishing second in the Firestone Indy Lights Series last year for Moore Racing.
“I’ve been telling everybody that I have been coming to the [Toronto] race since I was 18 months old. I’ve had the chance to drive here in a few junior formulas. It’s going to be special this year to see the [main] race from a different seat,” he said on a teleconference this week.
“We have a sort of small population [in Canada] compared to other countries. When it comes to sports, we like to prove we can compete,” he said.
He says the support from fans in Canda has been “incredible” … the fans are very knowledgeable, very passionate. They just love cheering on the locals,” he said.
Hinchcliffe finished fourth at Long Beach earlier in the season. “We’ve had good cars in the street series. I hope for the same on Sunday,” he added.
In finishing second in the Firestone Indy Lights Series last year, he won at Toronto but had a DNF in Edmonton. “Winning at Edmonton was a highlight, rebounding from the Toronto race,” said Hinchcliffe.
Noting the high number of rookies in the IZOD IndyCar Series this year, he said being rookie of the year would mean a lot to the winner. He said making the transition from Indy Lights to the main series was not a big problem.
“The car was comfortable right away. The work load is more … it’s a huge learning experience. I’ve worked very hard to get to this point,” said the 25-year-old driver.
Marco Andretti won the last race in Iowa and will be looking for another top finish.
Dario Franchitti is the leader in the point totals and has won twice at Edmonton. Will Powers won a year ago.
• Sprint Week begins — The first stop on the U.S. Auto Club Indiana Sprint Week schedule is tonight at the I-69 Speedway at Gas City.
Tonight’s action will be followed by races Saturday at Kokomo, Sunday at Lawrenceburg, Wednesday at Terre Haute, next Thursday at Brownstown, next Friday at Bloomington and July 16 at Haubstadt.
Jon Stanbrough took Sprint Week honors a year ago. Other former winners in the field will be Dave Darland and Levi Jones. Jones and Darland each have won three times.
USAC sprint point leaders — Levi Jones 538, Jon Stanbrough 467, Hunter Schuerenberg 430, Chris Windom 414, Robert Ballou 407, Damion Gardner 403, Bryan Clauson 400, Bobby East 399, Dave Darland 358, Tracy Hines 321.
• Nuckles, Marietta 1-2 — At Indianapolis, Bryan Nuckles and Mario Marietta ran one-two in USAC midget racing Wednesday night at Bryant and Heating Cooling Speedrome.
Nuckles led the final 25 laps of the 50-lap main event to win the D1 Series feature. Marietta won his heat and led the first 25 laps of the feature in finishing second, moving to seventh in the series point totals.
Wednesday’s results
Heat winners — Mario Marietta, Ali Jackson.
Feature — Bryan Nuckles, Marietta, Morgan Nelson, Jake Blackhurst, Caleb Armstrong, Kyle O’Gara, Taylor Ferns, Jason Wolfe, Dave Fuhrman, Isaac Chapple.
• Rainout — At Clermont, rain and threatening weather forced cancellation of U.S. Auto Club sprint racing Thursday at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Auto Racing
Hinchliffe looking forward to IndyCar's Canadian stops
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Rookies fare well in 97th running of the Indy 500
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From its early beginnings starting in 1971, the U.S. Auto Club-sanctioned event has been the annual centerpiece of the racing calendar at the Terre Haute Action Track as well as a key stop on the USAC sprint schedule and one of the most sought after wins in big league sprint-car racing. -
Carpenter arrives as Indy 500 threat
And the crowd went wild.
Not only did Ed Carpenter win the pole for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, he is the hometown son. Carpenter, the stepson of Tony George, completed his rookie orientation in 2004 and has spent the last several years, proving he deserved to be the IZOD IndyCar Series. There is no questioning his credentials now. -
Carpenter wins Indy 500 pole
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Open-wheel sprint-car racing, whether it be at the national or local level, has earned a reputation over the years of generating its share of thrills and excitement for its fans and a valuable training ground for drivers seeking to hone their skills that someday might elevate them to the “major leagues” of their sport.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball wins another thriller
Rose-Hulman earned its third victory in its last at-bat in the last five days with a 6-5 win over Franklin in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball Tuesday night at Art Nehf Field.
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East gets jump at SUMAR Classic
In his relatively brief but successful racing career, young Bobby East has at times unfairly been labeled as a driver who could master the pavement ovals but one who was still a work in progress on the dirt.
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Hurtubise, Sumar races on Action Track slate this weekend
Championship racing is scheduled this weekend at the Terre Haute Action Track with U.S. Auto Club features set for today and Saturday.
One USAC championship will be decided and the spread in the other division could widen or tighten up as a result of the races.
The Jim Hurtubise Classic for sprint cars is today. Only 26 points separate three drivers in the point totals. -
TRACKSIDE: Chase Stockon hopes momentum stays with him in Terre Haute
Momentum, an element that can be as elusive to a race driver as that perfect setup, can spell the difference in winning or running at the rear of the pack.
It’s a force difficult to achieve and maybe even harder to maintain. One learns quickly to make the most of the opportunity when it comes his way.
It’s something Chase Stockon will carry with him coming into today’s Jim Hurtubise Classic at the Terre Haute Action Track.
Only days following the biggest victory of his young and promising career, the $10,000-to-win USAC feature at Lawrenceburg, Stockon followed that up with another rich payday this past weekend at Tri-State Speedway. -
IndyCar celebrates return to Pocono
IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter had the chance to take a drive around Pocono Raceway, and promptly handed the car keys to racing great Mario Andretti.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rain forces postponement of Jim Hurtubise Classic
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METRO ROUNDUP: USAC points leader Levi Jones out for season
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TRACKSIDE: Stockon takes giant step forward in USAC
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JJ joins hero Mears among four-time winners of Brickyard
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Jimmie Johnson is a master at the Brickyard.
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Hamlin wins Brickyard 400 pole position
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Keselowski gives Penske first stock-car win at IMS
Brad Keselowski made history Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he took the checkered flag at the inaugural Indy 250 NASCAR Nationwide race.
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Bordais, Popow take checkered flag after downpour
While it never rained a drop during the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Super Weekend at the Brickyard certainly saw its share Friday as both the inaugural Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the Rolex Sports Car Series met with the wet stuff.
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TRACKSIDE: Indiana Sprint Week rises above heat, rain, poor economy
The 25th annual version of Indiana Sprint Week is now officially in the record books and the latest chapter will go down as one of the most successful in recent years.
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Red-hot Hunter-Reay goes for fourth straight at Edmonton
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Clayton wins at Don Smith Classic
They call Daron Clayton, “The Modern Day Cowboy.”
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The King of Speed
Born in Terre Haute, Roger Curtis grew up on Franklin Street, moved to Riley with his family when he was in sixth grade and attended Thornton Elementary School and Honey Creek Junior High before graduating from Terre Haute South High School in 1985.
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Jones occupies driver’s seat: Six-time THAT winner leads Sprint Week series
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TRACKSIDE: Late models may have no long-term future in Indiana
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Kenny Wallace realizes Action Track dream
Kenny Wallace won the UMP modified feature, leading flag-to-flag for the victory on Thursday night at the Terre Haute Action Track.
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TRACKSIDE: Summer heat has made this ‘The Hell Tour’
It is fittingly billed as “The Hell Tour” for many of the Midwest’s leading late model stock car drivers and their crews.
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