'DWTS' Alum James Hinchcliffe Suffers 'Nightmare' Crash After Indy 500 Qualifying Wreck

After a terrifying crash during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, race car [...]

By Tania Hussain

After a terrifying crash during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, race car driver and Dancing With the Stars alum, James Hinchcliffe is detailing his "nightmare" wreck ahead of new week's greatest spectacle in racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

After spending more than a year working toward an Indy 500 comeback, Hinchcliffe had some difficulties with his No. 5 Honda during his first qualifying attempt Saturday after crashing the race car on the 2.5 mile track, which slid into the backstretch of the track after hitting a wall along the second turn.

Thankfully, Hinchcliffe climbed out of the car of his own will, to which the Indy Star adds he was also "checked, cleared and released from the infield care center."

With not getting enough speed in his backup to move his way into the Top 30 starting positions, the 33-year-old Canadian driver's final shot is Sunday afternoon according to CBS News, when six drivers will vie for three spots in the "Last Row Shootout."

While Hinchcliffe is unsure what happened, it has been a troubling ordeal for the IndyCar driver as this is his second straight year where qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 that has not gone well, in addition to the terrible accident he endured in 2015 that nearly killed him, which was chronicled on ABC's Dancing With the Stars. In that crash, Hinchcliffe's car's suspension broke, piercing the chassis tub and going straight through his left thigh, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.

The Star reports that when asked on Saturday what he was thinking as he got out of the crash, Hinchcliffe replied that he wasn't sure, but that his "patience is wearing thin." He added that the whole crash was "pretty much a nightmare," though not a worst-case scenario.

"I have a lot of faith in the crew," Hinchcliffe said after the crash per the Star. "Get this car, the backup car, whatever it is out, and we'll take a shot at it [Sunday] ... We're prepared. Obviously this team, they're professionals. They know this can happen. I'm not worried about getting back out, we just don't know what kind of pace we're going to have until we get there."

Hinchcliffe finished in 7th place in the 2016 Indy 500, finished 22nd in 2018 and missed last year's running due to being bumped.

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