Hinchcliffe, Andretti Team Up for Three Race IndyCar Effort

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

After an uncertain offseason, James Hinchcliffe will be back behind the wheel in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2020, albeit on a part-time basis.

On Wednesday, Hinchcliffe and Andretti Autosport announced that the 33-year old Canadian would be piloting the No. 29 Honda for three races, starting with the Indianapolis Grand Prix on May 9, followed by the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, and the June 6 race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Andretti entry will carry sponsorship from Genesys, which has a major presence in Indianapolis, during the effort. Hinchcliffe previously unveiled the partnership with the company at a conference in Orlando in January.

Hinchcliffe and Andretti are no stranger to working together, as he drove for the team from 2012 to 2014, collecting three wins, 15 top-five finishes, and nine front row starts along the way. Overall, Hinchcliffe is a six-time race winner in IndyCar and will be entering his eighth Indianapolis 500 this season.

“Honestly, it’s so nice being able to announce some more good news,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s no secret that the 2020 season isn’t going to be exactly what we were expecting, but being able to start the new year with the announcement that Genesys was stepping in to save our season and partner with us was awesome, and now adding the next big piece in my reunion with Andretti Autosport just really makes it feel like the momentum is going our way. I can’t wait to work with this group again and to get back behind the wheel of an IndyCar!”

With Hinchcliffe on board for the Month of May, Andretti will now be attempting the herculean task of fielding six cars for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, with its full-time entries of Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Colton Herta, Marco Andretti, and Zach Veach.

“We’re really pleased to be able to welcome James back into the Andretti team,” said Michael Andretti. “He has, for sure, been knocked down a few times by this sport and to be able to help him meet the challenge is really special. We had a lot of fun, and some great successes with James when he was part of the team before, and we’re really looking forward to picking up where we left off.

“I’d also like to welcome Genesys to the Andretti family for their first experience in INDCYAR racing. We now have three, major Indiana-based companies in our portfolio, along with several other brands that call Indianapolis home. It’s special to see these companies supporting Indiana’s home sport of INDYCAR racing, and we’re proud to carry them each with us. We are looking forward to working with James and the Genesys team to deliver both on and off-track success.”