Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe rolling on and off the track
TORONTO — Canada’s James Hinchcliffe feels quite comfortable racing at speeds a regular driver can’t even begin to contemplate. It’s when he’s negotiating traffic off the IndyCar circuit that the nerves really come out.
“To be honest, the road actually terrifies me,” he said with a laugh while driving in Toronto’s downtown core. “I feel much more comfortable doing 300 kilometres an hour on a racetrack than I do doing 100 on the 401 (highway).”
Hinchcliffe stuck to the speed limit during a wide-ranging, half-hour in-car interview. The hairpin turns and straightaways of road racing were replaced by different obstacles like aggressive taxi drivers and omnipresent streetcar tracks.
“On the racetrack I’m surrounded by professionals that have dedicated their entire lives to doing this one task,” Hinchcliffe said. “You’re in a purpose-built car, at a very safe facility, I’m wearing six seat belts and a helmet, and all these great things. On the road, there’s all these things that could jump out at you.