Hinch set to try NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – James Hinchcliffe wants to go NASCAR racing and it could happen as soon as next season.
In an interview with the Toronto Sun on Saturday at Homestead Miami Speedway Hinchcliffe said with a three week gap in the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule in 2016 it is the perfect opportunity for him to try his hand at stock car racing.
“I am super, super keen to get into an (NASCAR) Xfinity Series car for one of the road course races in 2016,” he said.
“We have come close the past couple of years trying to put a program together so now with August pretty much open for IndyCar, the timing couldn’t be better.”
Hinchcliffe and his representative spent time on Saturday chatting up NASCAR team owners, including Chip Ganassi who owns two Sprint Cup teams and an Xfinity Series team along with his IndyCar team.
The 28-year-old Oakville native also wanted to be at Homestead for Jeff Gordon’s final race.
“For me there was a couple of reasons I wanted to be (at Homestead),” he said. “One is I have always been a big Jeff Gordon fan. I wanted to be here for his last race.
“And I am a racing fan so I will go to any race track to see what is going on.”
As for his recovery from a vicious crash last season at Indianapolis, Hinchcliffe said he is now fully recovered and in fact has spent most of the last month testing in the No. 5 Honda at Sebring, Road America and Phoenix.
“Everything is good to go,” he said. “The doctors have all signed off to go back racing.”