JAMES HINCHCLIFFE RETURNS TO ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT FOR THREE INDYCAR RACES
- Hinchcliffe to enter GMR Grand Prix, 104th Indianapolis 500 and Texas 600 with Andretti Autosport
- Canadian driver to pilot No. 29 Honda backed by cloud customer experience software company Genesys
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 19, 2020) – For James Hinchcliffe the 2020 Month of May marks a bit of a homecoming as the Canadian driver returns to Andretti Autosport, the team with which he celebrated his first INDYCAR® SERIES victory in 2013. Hinchcliffe will strap into the No. 29 Honda, carrying Genesys® colors as he enters the GMR Grand Prix, his eighth Indy 500 effort and the Texas 600 in June.
The 2016 Indy 500 pole sitter, Hinchcliffe, holds a total of 139 INDYCAR race starts, collecting six wins since his 2011 series debut, and counts seven Indy 500 race starts under his belt. Together, through the 2012-2014 seasons, Hinchcliffe and Andretti recorded three INDYCAR victories, 15 top-five finishes and nine front-row starts, including sitting twice on the famed front row of the Indy 500.
The fan favorite driver announced on Jan. 16 that Genesys, a leading provider of cloud customer experience and contact center technologies, will serve as his primary sponsor at two of INDYCAR’s marquee events. The No. 29 Honda will take on the orange, white and charcoal of Genesys, a company with a major employee presence in Indianapolis and nearly 60 offices worldwide. Genesys technology helps organizations around the globe connect more than 70 billion customer moments each year across voice, text, messaging apps, web chat and social media.
Hinchcliffe joins five teammates for the Indianapolis 500 with Andretti Autosport’s full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES stable of Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS / AutoNation Honda, 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion), Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Honda, 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion), Colton Herta (No. 88 Honda, Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport), Marco Andretti (No. 98 U.S. Concrete / Curb Honda, Andretti Herta Autosport with Marco Andretti and Curb-Agajanian) and Zach Veach (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda).
The 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge kicks off with practice days beginning Tuesday, May 12, leading to Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying May 16-17. The main event goes green at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday, May 24, with live broadcast on NBC.
For more information, visit AndrettiAutosport.com.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI – CHAIRMAN & CEO, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
“We’re really pleased to be able to welcome James back into the Andretti team. 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 INDYCAR 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.”
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE – DRIVER, NO. 29 GENESYS HONDA
“Honestly, it’s so nice being able to announce some more good news. 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!”
TONY BATES – CEO, GENESYS
“We saw tremendous potential in James from the beginning – and now, with the power of Andretti Autosport behind him, it’s going to be an incredible ride. Our successes at Genesys are possible because of our team’s skills and the innovative technology that’s behind the many positive experiences consumers have with businesses. Success on the track requires the same winning combination.
“Between Andretti Autosport’s storied history and James’ talent behind the wheel, we couldn’t ask for a better way to kick off our inaugural presence in INDYCAR.”