Indy 500 notes: After crash, James Hinchcliffe glad to be back

INDIANAPOLIS – A year ago Canadian James Hinchcliffe was fighting for his life.

On Sunday he’ll lead the field to the green flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the start of the 100th Indianapolis 500.

What an amazing turnaround for the race driver from Toronto they call the “Mayor of Hinchtown.”

Hinchcliffe, 30, was gravely injured May 18 last year when his car hit the wall in Turn 3 during practice for the 2015 Indy 500.

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He was transported to the IU Health Methodist Hospital and underwent surgery for severe injuries to his upper right thigh area.

Hinchcliffe pulled through and made slow but steady progress in his recovery.

He will start from pole Sunday in the No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda after returning to the Verizon IndyCar Series at the beginning of the season.

At Thursday’s media day at Indy, Hinchcliffe praised the folks who helped in his recovery.

“It’s a long list for sure,” said Hinchcliffe. “From the physicians right off the bat to the physiologists and physical trainers who got me through my first phase there to my trainer and all the others who helped me get back my strength and flexibility in my lower body after not using it for two months.”

While lying in a hospital bed and later rehabbing, what got Hinchcliffe through the ordeal?

“I was thinking I nearly lost the opportunity to drive an Indy Car for a living and that motivates you,” said Hinchcliffe. “Almost losing what you’ve spent your entire life fighting for.

“At that moment, I knew I was going to push myself further and harder than I’ve ever had to make sure I’m around here for a long time.”

If Hinchcliffe wins the 500 on Sunday, it would be nothing short of a miracle considering his position a year back.

Does he see it that way?

“If that’s how it unfolds – and that’s a big if – you could say that if you’d told me 12 months prior, while I was still in hospital, it would be tough to believe,” said Hinchcliffe. “But stranger things, I guess, have happened.”

■INDY LIGHTS: British driver Ed Jones (Carlin) will start from pole in the Mazda Freedom 100 Indy Lights race at IMS today.

Stormy weather on Thursday interrupted qualifying for the race, and the pole was decided on driver points leading into Indianapolis.

Santiago Urrutia (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports) will start alongside Jones; Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing) starts third.

Contact Mike Brudenell: mbrudenell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikebrudenell.