Hinchcliffe pleased to be 'spared any memory' of Indy 500 crash
TORONTO – James Hinchcliffe will not compete in Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto, making it the first time a Canadian driver has not raced in this event since its inception in 1986.
Yet none of that really matters to the Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports driver; he’s just happy to be alive.
Hinchcliffe suffered severe leg injuries and nearly bled to death in the cockpit of his Honda IndyCar after a crash in Indianapolis 500 practice on May 18. A suspension rod pierced through the tub of his race car, went through his right leg into his lower digestive system and into his left thigh before stopping in his pelvis. The Holmatro Safety Patrol saved his life by stopping the bleeding and cutting him out of the race car. He underwent emergency surgery at Methodist Hospital within an hour of his crash.
After speaking to the crowd from his hospital room during the Indianapolis 500 Victory Awards Celebration on May 25 and giving the command to start engines in last Saturday night’s Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway from his home in Indianapolis, Hinchcliffe spoke publically for the first time on Wednesday during an INDYCAR teleconference.
“Honestly, it's going better than expected really,” said Hinchcliffe. “Every doctor that I've seen, every specialist that we've been with has been very, very pleased and in some cases surprised at the level of recovery, which is obviously great news. I guess we're quick in that sense, too, which is good. There are still no dates on when we think we'll be able to get back in the car. There are still a few things that have to happen for that to take place.
“By and large, recovery is going well, spirits are high, feeling pretty good.”
Conor Daly took over for Hinchcliffe in the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit doubleheader on May 30 and 31 and will be in his race car this weekend at Toronto. Ryan Briscoe drove his car in the 99th Indianapolis 500 on May 24 and last Saturday night’s race at Texas.
“It's been tough but at the same time Schmidt Peterson guys have good shoes in the car,” Hinchcliffe said. “Both have done honestly a really good job. It's great to see the team have success. I still feel very much part of it. I'm still included on as much as I can be from a distance.
“I had Conor over here at the house a couple days ago, or yesterday actually even, talking Toronto, trying to get him as prepared as possible. As much as I want to be in the car, if I can't be, I want to see it running up front for everybody at Arrow and everybody at Schmidt Peterson.”
This is the first time since 1986 that Hinchcliffe has not attended the race at Toronto’s Exhibition Place, either as a star-struck youngster or later as a participant.
“It’s obviously something I've been fighting with quite a bit,” said Hinchcliffe. “In all honesty, I don't actually think that decision has been made yet. There are obviously a lot of people that would have to sign off on me going. Me being me, I'd love to be there. Unfortunately it's not just up to me. We'll see.
“It's not an impossibility, but it certainly isn't a done deal yet.”
Hinchcliffe did not realize the seriousness of his crash until five days after it happened.
“I'm not sure if it's some sort of defense mechanism or biology taken over - despite being conscious throughout the whole process, I have mercifully been spared any memory of the accident whatsoever, of the extrication,” Hinchcliffe admitted. “Even the first couple days at the hospital are a bit of a blur.
“For me, I remember waking up in ICU, knowing that obviously I'd had an accident, that I was somewhere I probably shouldn't be, all the rest of it. But it really wasn't until several days later when I'd been moved out of ICU, was kind of sitting around with some friends and family and some of the doctors, really hearing all of their first-person accounts of how that day was for them, that it really began to sink in just how serious the injuries were and how very close it was to being a different story. That was a first time I had an appreciation of the severity of the situation.”
Hinchcliffe admits he can’t wait to return to racing despite its dangers. After all, that’s what race drivers do.
“I think it's because we're all absolutely insane, wired wrong,” Hinchcliffe said. “We're all competitors. This is what we live to do. Despite the fact that something of this nature happened, it's something that we all acknowledge can happen, so if it does, it's not going deter us from getting in the car because we know before something like this happens that it's possible and we still get in the car. I think that's just the nature of competitive people.
“Sitting down and turning the TV on and watching the race. I love having it to watch. I've still been kept as part of the team. I'm still getting the pre and post race reports. I obviously have a vested interest in it. It does make it a little bit more interesting to watch. On the other hand you're wishing you were there and at least part of it, whether you're in the car or not. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Obviously the show goes on. I'm happy that I'm at least around to get to watch all the action.”
Hinchcliffe joked the biggest decision he has to make every day is sitting on the couch versus lying in bed.
“It's very stressful and strenuous, as you can imagine,” he joked. “No, in all seriousness, my condition improves almost daily. I still do spend a significant amount of the day kind of off my feet. The nature of my injuries was such that it kind of makes movement a little bit difficult, but that is improving daily. I'm keeping track of a number of steps taken each day. Slowly I've been given permission from the doctors to increase that.
“The pain level, again, has been going down every single day. I'm almost completely off pain medication now, which is great. One of the most uncomfortable parts of it has been the fracture to my pelvis. Obviously there's not a whole lot you can do about that. At the same time there's really nothing you can do to alleviate any discomfort either. Especially for the first few days, once I got out of hospital, that was the biggest discomfort, but obviously not the most severe injury.
“My days are spent doing a lot of recovery, doing a lot of reading. I'm obviously not allowed to exercise any of my body, but I was told I could keep my forearm strength good, so I had my trainer drop off anything that was grip strength related so I can hold onto the wheel when I eventually get tossed back into a car. It's largely an existence of trying to rest up and get better.”
The fun-loving and personable Canadian adds that he has grown quite restless of lying around the house.
“Daytime television sucks in this country, that's for sure,” Hinchcliffe said. “But I wouldn't say 'bored', no. I've had a lot of visitors, which has been phenomenal. Kirsten has kept me entertained as much as possible. I've been reading a lot, catching up on things like that.
“It's almost like the best vacation you never wanted.”
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