Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe is profiled in first "INDYCAR Chronicles," which debuts at 5:30 p.m. (ET) April 10 on NBCSN.

The 30-minute show is the first of five that IMS Productions will produce for NBCSN, which will telecast 11 Verizon IndyCar Series races this season starting with the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana at 2:30 p.m. (ET) April 12.

IMS Productions videographers captured Hinchcliffe's wit as he went karting with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew members and was a guest on a nationally syndicated radio show, and went in-depth with the Toronto native during the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race weekend. Hinchcliffe also takes viewers on a tour of his home and spends some time at the Indianapolis race shop with teammate James Jakes.

Final Four players receive IndyCar as gift

A 1/18 scale die-cast IndyCar was in the locker of each of the players of the Final Four teams at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. GreenLight Collectibles produced 1,000 of the limited-edition cars for the NCAA to give out to players and school officials, along with sponsors and other VIPs. The cars were painted white, black and red — the colors of this year’s Final Four logo — and carry No 15.

“Bringing to life the Final Four models and assisting in the marketing of Indianapolis’s racing heritage was something we were thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in,” said Jeff Nelson, the national sales manager for GreenLight Collectibles.

A lawsuit filed in February 2014 by Panther Racing Inc., alleging that it lost a sponsorship contract with the Army National Guard because of improprieties by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, INDYCAR and others, has been dismissed by a federal judge.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was granted the multi-million dollar National Guard sponsorship in late 2013, and Panther Racing’s appeal to the U.S. Government Accountability Office to retain the contract it had held since 2008 was denied. Military sponsorships are reviewed annually, and sponsorship of professional motorsports expired in 2014. Panther Racing ceased operation in 2014.

Of note

Stefano Coletti will drive the No. 4 Variable Bore Rams – KV Racing Technology Chevrolet in the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana this weekend. … The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Chevrolet agreed to a multi-year extension of their partnership agreement that has the bowtie brand continue as an Official Sponsor of the Verizon IndyCar Series Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the Crown Royal presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here 400″ at the Brickyard NASCAR Sprint Cup race.