Hinchcliffe eyes return, Daly driving car in Detroit

James Hinchcliffe's return hasn't been defined, but Schmidt Peterson Motorsports co-owner Sam Schmidt said Monday there's reason to believe the IndyCar regular could race again this season.

"Sometime in August," Schmidt said.

Hinchcliffe is recovering from last week's surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital, and Schmidt said he could go home Wednesday or Thursday.

Meantime, the team has selected Conor Daly to drive in this weekend's doubleheader in Detroit. Justin Wilson and Ryan Briscoe also were considered, but they have commitments to other teams and series.

Briscoe drove the SPM car in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, finishing 12th after starting 31st, but he has sports car obligations in Europe next month. Wilson is still hoping to have more races this season with Andretti Autosport.

Daly didn't get the chance to take the green flag in the 500 in due to a fuel fire with his SPM-fielded. He finished last.

• Gabby Chaves won Rookie of the Year honors for being the highest-qualifying and highest-finishing rookie in Sunday's race.

Chaves has mixed feelings about finishing 16th. He overshot the pit box on his first stop, a miscue that knocked left front tire changer Eric Wainscott down. Late in the race, the slowing of Takuma Sato on the backstretch caused Chaves to clip and break his front wing.

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda," he said of his first 500.

Chaves is the fourth Colombian to win the rookie award. Roberto Guerrero (1984), Montoya (2000) and Carlos Munoz (2013) were the others.

• Dale Coyne Racing crew member Daniel Jang underwent successful right ankle surgery Sunday night at Methodist. He also had a procedure done to his left foot, a team official confirmed, and the current plan is to have him released Wednesday.

Jang was injured when James Davison's car was released from the pit box into traffic. Davison got squeezed by Pippa Mann, who had OriolServia to her right.

• Bryan Clauson, who crashed on Lap 62, got back to his short-track schedule, finishing a close second in Sunday's sprint car race at Kokomo Speedway. Clauson rode the cushion in an unsuccessful bid to pass Kevin Thomas Jr. at the finish line.

• The 500's overnight television ratings increased slightly from last year — a 4.2, up from 4.1 last night. The audience peaked from 3-3:30 p.m., drawing a 5.7 rating. Indianapolis was the highest-rated market at 12.7, up from 12.4 last year.