James Hinchcliffe returns to Andretti Autosport for the 2021 season
Andretti Autosport has announced that James Hinchcliffe is returning to the team for the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season. Known affectionally as the Mayor of Hinchtown, he ran a partial six-race schedule a year ago with Andretti, including the Indianapolis 500, where he had a season-best seventh-place finish.
James Hinchcliffe was one of the four Andretti Autosport entries to land in the Firestone Fast 9 during qualifying for the 500, doing it with no preseason testing due to the pandemic.
A fan-favorite, James Hinchcliffe will participate in ten races, driving the No. 29 Honda with Genesys as his primary sponsor. One of those events will be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 105th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing Memorial Day weekend.
Andretti Autosport Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti said in a media release:
“We’re really excited to have Hinch back in the car for 2021 and thrilled to welcome Genesys again to the Andretti family this year in an expanded role. This is just the first step in many exciting things for the No. 29, and we know Genesys will be a great partner serving as the cornerstone to the season for James.”
After a breakthrough season in 2013, where he scored three victories and four podiums, he left the team the following year to join Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Starting just five times, he took the checkered flag in the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana, holding off Helio Castroneves. That was good enough to land him a full-time ride over the next four seasons.
James Hinchcliffe enters his second decade in IndyCar
The Oakville, Ontario native will be entering his 11th season in IndyCar, recording six wins and 17 podiums. He will be the fourth full-time Andretti Autosport IndyCar entry, joining Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda), Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS / AutoNation Honda), and Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Honda). Marco Andretti is stepping away from racing in 2021, although he will be in a car for the Indy 500.
James Hinchcliffe’s sponsor, Genesys, sponsored the opening race of the 2020 IndyCar season at Texas Motor Speedway and boasts a significant employee presence in Indianapolis with more than 50 offices worldwide. Genesys CEO Tony Bates said:
“We’re building upon our tremendous partnership with James Hinchcliffe and Andretti Autosport. The success we have seen together goes beyond the deep connection Genesys has with the Indianapolis community. James and the entire Andretti team are leaders on the track because they’re empowered with the right technology and data so they can make informed decisions at the right moment. That’s at the heart of every winning customer experience too, and what’s driving our momentum at Genesys.”