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SportsOakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 201032 By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF I t was a typical hot, muggy summer after-noon in Toronto. The sun was beatingdown on the asphalt at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. But James Hinchcliffe was not giving up. When the humidity finally gave way to pouring rain, he remained at his post, wait- ing for the chance of a lifetime. In his hands, the 12-year-old cart racer held a steering wheel. It belonged to Greg Moore. Or at least, it did at one time. It came from a car Moore drove in a devel- opmental series eight years earlier. Hinchcliffes friend had bought the Formula Ford 1600 car and when he decided to replace the steering wheel, Hinchcliffe was more than happy to take the discarded part that his racing hero had used to guide his first open-wheel car around the track. Now he was standing outside Moores rac- ing trailer at the Molson Indy. For more than three hours, he waited to no avail for Moore. Finally, a crew member walked by and asked Hinchcliffe if he was waiting for someone. He told him the story behind the steering wheel. Thats the coolest story ever, the crew member said. Hold on a second. Moments later Moore emerged. For the next 15 minutes he stood and spoke to Hinchcliffe about racing and the budding driver listened in awe. He was my hero going through carting, Hinchcliffe said. To stand there and chat with him, I was very fortunate. Hinchcliffe watched hero crash Three months later, Hinchcliffe was watching the Marlboro 500 with his family at their Oakville home. Just nine laps into the race on a restart, Moore lost control of his car in Turn 2. It spun through the infield grass at 200 miles per hour, then skidded over an access road. Upside down, the car slammed into the concrete wall. Hinchcliffe had seen many crashes. Drivers always walked away. Richie Hearn had crashed in the exact same spot as Moore six laps earlier. He was okay. It was Halloween and as he left for a friends house before the race ended, Hinchcliffe didnt give the crash much thought. Even hours later when he saw the scrolling ticker on TSN: Greg Moore of British Columbia, killed, Hinchcliffe refused to believe it. I just saw him racing today, its not true, Hinchcliffe thought. Then my mom called and told me. It was a huge shock. Hinchcliffe had always dreamed of being a pro race car driver. Now he had doubts. It made me think, is this really what I want to do. Award tough to put into words Hinchcliffe did carry on racing. Four years after meeting Moore, he made the jump to open-wheel racing at the Bridgestone Racing Academy. He progressed through the Formula BMW USA and Star Mazda Series before making the jump to the Champ Car Atlantic Series, earning a win in Portland in his rookie season. Now 23, Hinchcliffe is coming off his best season. He won three times on the Firestone Indy Lights circuit, North Americas top developmental series, and finished second in the point standings. The overall title may have eluded him, but Hinchcliffes season ended with something that may be even more meaningful. Sunday night in Miami at the year-end awards banquet, Hinchcliffe was named the winner of the Greg Moore Legacy Award, which is presented annually to the driver who best typifies Moores outstanding talent on the track, as well as displaying a dynamic personality with fans, media and within the racing community. Its tough to put into words, Hinchcliffe said. He was my hero. Its pretty important to win an award created in his memory. First season with new team After racing last year with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, one of the Indy Lights series most successful teams, Hinchcliffe moved to the much smaller Team Moore Racing for this season. While it may have seemed like a backward step to most observers, Hinchcliffe and his team demonstrated that wasnt the case when he captured the pole at the sea- son-opening race in St. Petersburg. Some people did question leaving a team like Schmidt, so to come out and prove it at St. Petes and take that first pole, for sure, that was a key moment. Winning Greg Moore award extra special for Hinchcliffe MEANINGFUL AWARD: Oakville racecar driver James Hinchcliffe accepts the Greg Moore Legacy Award dur- ing the 2010 Indy Car Championship Celebration Sunday in Miami. The award is pre- sented annually to the driver who best typifies Moores talent on the track and dynamic personal- ity with fans, media and the racing community. RON MCQUEENY / INDY CAR See Hinchcliffe page 33