Curt Cavin

curt.cavin@indystar.com

FORT WORTH, Texas — IndyCar Series drivers James Hinchcliffe and Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi confirmed to IndyStar interest from ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," which begins its 23rd season Sept. 12.

Neither admitted to agreeing to participate, but Hinchcliffe was interviewed Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway by two men who identified themselves as working for ABC.



The top-secret reveal of the 13 celebrity cast members is Tuesday at 9 a.m. on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Motor sports legend Mario Andretti and his grandson, IndyCar driver Marco Andretti, both were asked if they had interest in participating in the show as Helio Castroneves did in 2007, but they declined. Mario Andretti, 76, said show officials "tried really hard" to convince him, but he said his schedule is too busy.



"I'm flattered," he said. "I'd have done it, but it would have taken me away from too many things I'm doing."

Hinchcliffe would only say he's "heard other (drivers) mentioned," though it seems clear he's leading this pack to sign with ABC. Rossi was even more vague as prospects are sworn to secrecy.

"Can I talk about this?" Rossi asked an Andretti Autosport staff member, who shook her head no.



"I can't talk about it," he followed.



It's unclear if Rossi has attended a "DWTS" show, but Hinchcliffe did in April, tweeting a photograph of the dance hall in Los Angeles. “Pretty serious setup,” he wrote.



ESPN.com reported this week that U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte will be a contestant. Lochte fabricated a report that he and three U.S. swimming teammates were held up at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro by men with badges.



Castroneves won the fifth season with professional dancer Julianne Hough.



Hinchcliffe, 29, is considered one of the most visible faces of IndyCar, with on-track success (four wins, this year’s Indianapolis 500 pole) supporting his comedic personality. He also has a harrowing backstory, nearly losing his life May 2015 in a Turn 3 crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.



With the crash impact registering an astounding 126 G-forces, a suspension piece drove through the car and speared Hinchcliffe’s upper left thigh, severing his femoral artery. He incurred massive blood loss and was rescued first by IndyCar’s Holmatro Safety Team and then the staff at IU Health Methodist Hospital.



The driver of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ No. 5 car, a Honda, also has a beer label (Hinchtown Hammerdown produced by Indianapolis’ Flat12 Bierwerks) and is the host of a highly regarded podcast, “The Mayor on Air.”



“The Mayor of Hinchtown” and four other IndyCar drivers represented the series last month on ABC’s “Celebrity Family Feud,” a game show. Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Will Power and Conor Daly joined Hinchcliffe in winning $25,000 for the Indy Family Foundation, a local non-profit.





In its early years, “DWTS” viewership exceeded 20 million per episode. While the show’s numbers have declined, Nielsen.com listed it as the No. 10 primetime show of 2015 with 14.55 million average viewers. The recent season attracted an 11.7 million average viewership.



Celebrity participants are paid an undisclosed stipend for each week they participate, but the bigger motivation is brand awareness.

Texas police officers provide inspiration to IndyCar drivers

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