IndyCar welcomed a new team to the 2018 winner’s circle when Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe won the Iowa Corn 300.
James Hinchcliffe, the mayor of Hinchtown who wet himself at the rain-soaked Barber Motorsports Park race earlier this season, became the seventh different driver to win a race in the 2018 IndyCar season after sneaking in front of a dominant Josef Newgarden to win the 2018 Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
Hinchcliffe came into the race weekend at Iowa with doubts after struggling in qualifying and beginning the race in 11th place. He worked hard with his crew to improve his car over the course of the race, which is key at short oval tracks.
While Newgarden was leading the field, Hinchcliffe was working his way forward after each pit stop until a final yellow flag brought the Canadian and his #5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda to the front. Shortly thereafter, he passed Newgarden and went on to take the checkered flag.
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The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports group have been hunting for their first win of the 2018 IndyCar season after almost getting in in the season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Rookie Robert Wickens nearly claimed the win in that race, his first career IndyCar race, for the growing operation.
This marks the sixth career IndyCar win for James Hinchcliffe, who has seen ups and downs throughout his career and has never lost his jubilant spirit. His 2018 Iowa Corn 300 win is arguably more significant for the team as this marks the first time in Schmidt Peterson Motorsports history that they have achieved a win on an oval track of any kind.
This recent win for Hinchcliffe places him eighth place in the championship point standings with 280 points. He is 24 points behind Wickens and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal in sixth place, and he is one point ahead of Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud in ninth.
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With six races remaining in the 2018 IndyCar season, the race for the championship is still open to multiple drivers from multiple teams. Next weekend, IndyCar travels to the streets of Toronto, Canada for the Honda Indy Toronto, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET. It is scheduled to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network with live timing and radio communication provided by the IndyCar app, which is available for download on Apple and Android devices. Who will reign supreme on the streets of Toronto?