INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 18: James Hinchcliffe #5 of Canada and Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, is seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 18, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
IndyCar’s James Hinchcliffe eyeing NASCAR debut at Indy?
In addition to competing in IndyCar and working with the NBC Sports team broadcast, could James Hinchcliffe make his NASCAR debut in 2020?
Andretti Autosport recently confirmed that James Hinchcliffe is set to compete in three races for the team throughout the 17-race 2020 IndyCar season, months after Hinchcliffe lost his full-time ride with Arrow McLaren SP.
Hinchcliffe is set to compete in the two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the GMR Grand Prix at the track’s road course and the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the track’s oval, as well as the Genesys 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, and he is set to do so with primary sponsorship from Genesys.
After that was confirmed, NBC Sports confirmed that the 33-year-old Canadian is also set to serve as an analyst for 10 races on the schedule.
He is slated to provide reports from the pits beginning with the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on Sunday, March 15.
Additionally, he is set to contribute to Indy Lights coverage on NBC Sports Gold’s IndyCar Pass throughout the season, and he is set to serve as an analyst for select IMSA races, beginning with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 21.
He is also set to provide analysis during NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Fourth of July weekend, which includes an Xfinity Series race, the Pennzoil 150, at the track’s road course on Saturday, July 4 as well as a Cup Series race, the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered By Florida Georgia Line (more commonly and simply known as the Brickyard 400), at the track’s oval on Sunday, July 5.
IndyCar on NBC hinted that there could be more to this weekend for Hinchcliffe, however.
What could a “possible deal behind the wheel” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Brickyard 400 weekend entail?
Hinchcliffe has an idea.
Somebody else echoed the same thought.
Hinchcliffe has previously stated that he is interested in competing in NASCAR, and he is out of a full-time IndyCar ride this year for the first time since before his rookie year in 2011. He is out of a full-time ride in open-wheel racing since before he made his debut in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship in 2006.
Whether or not this “possible deal behind the wheel” has anything to do with a NASCAR Xfinity Series debut for James Hinchcliffe at Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains anybody’s guess, but the 2020 season would certainly be a perfect opportunity for that to happen.
