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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Hinchcliffe Focused On Results For Andretti
The driver of the No. 27 Go Daddy entry is bringing a ‘substance first’ approach to his new opportunity at Andretti Autosport.
Call him whatever you want--"Danica Hinchcliffe," "Manica" or the "Go Daddy Guy," but James Hinchcliffe is more concerned about being called a winner during his sophomore season in IndyCar. (Photo: LAT)
2011 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year James Hinchcliffe has some rather big shoes to fill (or, more accurately, some rather small heels to occupy) at Andretti Autosport after replacing NASCAR-bound Danica Patrick.
Of all the drivers in the paddock to step in and take on the unique task of representing Go Daddy, the 25-year-old Canadian’s fun and irreverent personality is a perfect fit for the brand, but don't mistake his camera-ready demeanor for having his priorities out of place.
Hinchcliffe is heading into 2012 with greater aspirations than just becoming the internet company's latest media darling, and along with his team, the driver of the No. 27 entry is aiming to bring a ‘substance first’ approach to the new season which, admittedly, might not have been a crystal clear goal for Patrick during her time at Chez Andretti.
Being a pitchman for his sponsor will keep Hinchcliffe busier than ever, and it comes easy to the kid, but the hard part—actually winning races for his team and for Go Daddy—is where he told SPEED.com he’s applying his focus.
“Now that we’ve had a chance to run together, it’s interesting,” said Hinchcliffe, recounting his first test with the team last week at Sebring. “Last year I was driving for a really stellar team (Newman/Haas Racing) so I’ve been uncharacteristically fortunate for a rookie, so now in my first two years, I’m really fortunate to be driving for another top team in the series. The Andretti team has been incredibly successful; they’re at the front every year.
“But once you get a look inside, you see that they don’t care about that, the history, the accolades, the championships; they just want to win the next race, which fits me perfectly. That's my motivation. I’ve spent a lot of time with my crew guys and the engineers over the past months, and it’s a hungry team. The attitude is great, and very positive, but we’re hungry. You always want to win, but there’s an urgency now—a good urgency to win for Go Daddy.”
Like most of his contemporaries, Hinchcliffe spent his formative years working his way up the Mazda Road To Indy ladder system in spec open-wheel cars, and also piloted a spec Dallara-Honda during his rookie IndyCar season, leaving him with very little development experience.
Getting his first real chance to help the Andretti team and their engine partners at Chevrolet to hone the new Dallara DW12 package has been everything Hinchcliffe hoped it would be, and has also added to his skillset.
“For me, one of the cool aspects of moving up the ladder was getting to a point where you could develop a new car, or parts, and work with an engine manufacturer and all of that stuff,” he said. “This is a part of my career I’ve been looking forward to for years, so now that I’m doing it, it’s really fun. The car is very different than what we used before; the turbo engine takes a lot of getting used to and the carbon brakes are probably the biggest thing to wrap your head around. There’s huge time to be gained under braking, and finding the sweet spot there is something I think will take time for everyone. Playing a role in how we figure all of this out is something I’m enjoying a lot.”
Hinchcliffe also said he’s learning from some of the new-car challenges that have arisen.
“We had some gremlins to deal with, which was also cool, actually,” he continued. “Everything was just so smooth last year that it’s interesting to have some problems and to have to work through them. As a driver, that’s an area where you can certainly grow; the more you have to problem solve, the better. A lot of the older guys have that experience from Champ Car and before, but it’s something some of the young drivers are getting the chance to do for the first time.”
Of all the drivers in the paddock to step in and take on the unique task of representing Go Daddy, the 25-year-old Canadian’s fun and irreverent personality is a perfect fit for the brand, but don't mistake his camera-ready demeanor for having his priorities out of place.
Hinchcliffe is heading into 2012 with greater aspirations than just becoming the internet company's latest media darling, and along with his team, the driver of the No. 27 entry is aiming to bring a ‘substance first’ approach to the new season which, admittedly, might not have been a crystal clear goal for Patrick during her time at Chez Andretti.
Being a pitchman for his sponsor will keep Hinchcliffe busier than ever, and it comes easy to the kid, but the hard part—actually winning races for his team and for Go Daddy—is where he told SPEED.com he’s applying his focus.
“Now that we’ve had a chance to run together, it’s interesting,” said Hinchcliffe, recounting his first test with the team last week at Sebring. “Last year I was driving for a really stellar team (Newman/Haas Racing) so I’ve been uncharacteristically fortunate for a rookie, so now in my first two years, I’m really fortunate to be driving for another top team in the series. The Andretti team has been incredibly successful; they’re at the front every year.
“But once you get a look inside, you see that they don’t care about that, the history, the accolades, the championships; they just want to win the next race, which fits me perfectly. That's my motivation. I’ve spent a lot of time with my crew guys and the engineers over the past months, and it’s a hungry team. The attitude is great, and very positive, but we’re hungry. You always want to win, but there’s an urgency now—a good urgency to win for Go Daddy.”
Like most of his contemporaries, Hinchcliffe spent his formative years working his way up the Mazda Road To Indy ladder system in spec open-wheel cars, and also piloted a spec Dallara-Honda during his rookie IndyCar season, leaving him with very little development experience.
Getting his first real chance to help the Andretti team and their engine partners at Chevrolet to hone the new Dallara DW12 package has been everything Hinchcliffe hoped it would be, and has also added to his skillset.
“For me, one of the cool aspects of moving up the ladder was getting to a point where you could develop a new car, or parts, and work with an engine manufacturer and all of that stuff,” he said. “This is a part of my career I’ve been looking forward to for years, so now that I’m doing it, it’s really fun. The car is very different than what we used before; the turbo engine takes a lot of getting used to and the carbon brakes are probably the biggest thing to wrap your head around. There’s huge time to be gained under braking, and finding the sweet spot there is something I think will take time for everyone. Playing a role in how we figure all of this out is something I’m enjoying a lot.”
Hinchcliffe also said he’s learning from some of the new-car challenges that have arisen.
“We had some gremlins to deal with, which was also cool, actually,” he continued. “Everything was just so smooth last year that it’s interesting to have some problems and to have to work through them. As a driver, that’s an area where you can certainly grow; the more you have to problem solve, the better. A lot of the older guys have that experience from Champ Car and before, but it’s something some of the young drivers are getting the chance to do for the first time.”
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