♫ rock music ♫
[voiceover] Hey, everyone! gunnarolla here.
Last month I geared up for a weekend at the annual Honda Indy in Toronto
and now I’m sharing all of the action with you.
It’s my first time at the race and I’m so excited to learn more about the world of IndyCar racing.
I’ll be giving you the full experience
as we explore all the different things that there are to see and do
and we’ll even have the chance to hit the track ourselves.
First up? An interview with the only Canadian in the competition this year: James Hinchcliffe, Car #5.
Alright so i'm here with James Hinchcliffe
Master racer, entrepreneur, Canadian celebrity, social media star.
Is there anything you can't do?
Go on. I mean you're halfway there. What else you got?
In his spare time, you might not know this
He's the mayor of Hinchtown. Was it a democratic process? Did the people elect you?
So let me give you tip about politics. If you ever want to get into
politics the best way to do it is to create your own town, name it after
yourself and then no one bothers running against you because they assume you're gonna win anyway.
So racing.
How does one get into racing because I like driving fast but I don't think
I could ever do what you do.
Well, you get into it by being born Ontario and being way too small to play hockey.
OK, I got two of those.
Exactly. So you gotta find a way to
meet girls because they all like the athletes right? And I couldn't play
hockey so I figured you know. Chicks dig a guy in uniform.
It's a very beautiful uniform.
I have the distinct pleasure of getting to
essentially wear pajamas to work which is pretty awesome.
How does it feel to be back in Toronto?
It's awesome, I love coming home.
I miss it more and more every time I come back.
You've got your family here too?
Yeah I mean fan club members 001 and 002 are mom and dad.
My sister, brother, and everybody's here. Friends and family and girlfriend, everybody.
It's been a pretty cool weekend so far.
If you weren't doing this what you think you'd be doing?
I mean... delivering pizzas really fast.
Can you take us through your trailer?
We can do an MTV Cribs.
Sure, I love that.
We're backstage at the Honda Indy and we're about to check out
James Hinchcliffe's trailer.
Oh hey guys, I didn't expect you. Why don't you come in? Let me show you my crib.
Alright, so this is it. This is our 53-foot hauler.
We bring this around the country to everywhere we go.
It carries my baby, my race car that's right upstairs.
Every episode of Cribs they take you into the kitchen. This is our kitchen.
We got chocolate.
We got some soy sauce, parmesan cheese. That goes with everything, you know.
Spare parts, tools. This is my helmet. Some of my gear.
This is my locker.
A lot of Febreeze because we all stink. And then if you got some bad breath
you can look and feel Canadian instantly.
This is the gearbox department.
And that's it. I mean you've now seen top-to-bottom, bow to stern of an IndyCar trailer.
This is how we do it.
You don't want to know.
[voiceover] Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Hinch.
Now it's time to take a trip outside the paddock
where Honda has set up a number of different things to check out
and something that I've always wanted to try...
♫ dubstep music ♫
Alright, we've found an activity that everyone can enjoy.
[voiceover] Although the Junior Red Rider's program is designed for children aged 6 to 12
I was lucky enough that they made an exception for me
a Senior Junior Red Rider who's never been on a motorcycle before.
I'm not scared at all.
(screams)
Do you think we're gonna go fast today?
♫ dubstep music ♫
Oh my God!
[voiceover] So as you can see i didn't have too much luck on the bike.
But given that we are at the Honda Indy, I think it's time to trade in my two wheels for a two-seater.
Finally, us normal people will have the chance to know what it's like to ride in an IndyCar.
And what it's like to be mistaken for a famous driver.
♫ epic choral music ♫
[voiceover] We'll be travelling at speeds of up to 180 miles per hour - that's 290 kilometers per hour.
Needless to say, do not try this at home.
♫ epic choral music ♫
♫ engines revving while electronic music plays ♫
So I just sat in one of those IndyCars, we went around the track.
Pretty sure I transcended time.
I started seeing different colours.
I saw space.
I felt... alive.
Everyone better do it!
[voiceover] It takes a lot skill and practice to drive in this race
but it also takes an equally skilled team.
From operations and timing to the pit crew
who I’ve gotta say, operate faster than you can blink.
Each person is an expert at their role.
To make it through 85 laps
it really does take teamwork to make the dream work.
Like a well-oiled machine... literally.
We're at the last day of the Honda Indy, we're going to drive in our parade lap.
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
You want to hop in? Got room in the back.
No? You sure?
♫ uplifting electronic music ♫
We're doing the parade lap at the Honda Indy
I'm here with Scott Dixon.
I don't think I'm allowed to talk and drive so I'm gonna focus on driving.
Alright so that's it for a parade lap here at the Honda Indy.
It's time to watch the race.
[announcer] Here we are, our top 3 finishers in this year's Honda Indy Toronto - James Hinchcliffe!
[voiceover] James Hinchcliffe started the race in 6th place but ended up in 3rd
His best finish ever in Toronto
and the first time a Canadian has landed on the Toronto podium since 2006.
Alright, had an incredible weekend here at the Honda Indy
Congrats to Hinch
Stay tuned for our next adventure, I'll see you next time
A la prochaine!