Hinchcliffe highlights Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023

TORONTO — James Hinchcliffe, a six-time winner on the IndyCar circuit, headlines the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.

The 36-year-old from Oakville, Ont., who recovered from a near-fatal accident at the 2015 Indianapolis 500, had 18 total podiums over an 11-year IndyCar career.

Hinchcliffe won his first IndyCar race in 2013 at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. He added two more victories that season in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Newton, Iowa.

His 2015 season started strong with a win in New Orleans, but ended at the Indy 500 when he was involved in a major crash during qualifying and his left leg was impaled by a piece of his car's suspension.

He was released from hospital nine days later. Hinchcliffe credited the rapid response from the medical staff for potentially saving his life.

Hinchcliffe recovered to race a full 2016 season and three podium finishes that year, including third at the Toronto Indy.

He returned to the top of the podium with a win in Long Beach, Calif., in 2017 and won his second race at Newton in 2018.

He last raced on the circuit in 2021, earning one podium with a third-place finish in Nashville.

Claude Aubin of Bois-des-Fillions, Que., Jeremy Dale of Toronto, Mark Dilley of Barrie, Ont., Ernie Jakubowski of Oakville, Norman Jennings of Toronto, Brad Moran of Toronto, Patrick Richard of Squamish, B.C., Didier Schraenen of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., Frank and Dan Sprongl of Georgetown, Ont., William (Bill) Vallis of Welland, Ont., John Waldie of Stratford, Ont., and Kuno Wittmer of Brossard, Que., are the other inductees.

John Massingberd of Burlington, Ont., and J. Wally Nesbitt of Port Perry, Ont., will be honoured in the media category.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.