James Hinchcliffe says Indy 500 should be exhibition. 'This should be our All-Star race.'

James Hinchcliffe opened up on his bump day experience on the latest episode of a podcast he hosts with Alexander Rossi, Off Track with Hinch and Rossi.

Hinchliffe reiterated multiple times that he had no control over whether or not his team bought him another ride after he was bumped from the Indy 500 field.

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“Everybody’s like, ‘James, if they offer you a car, I really hope you don’t take it. Be the bigger man,’" he said. "I’m like, ‘You guys don’t understand how anything works if you think I have a say in this. I have a contract with Rick and Sam. I do what I’m told.’”

However, he did have several suggestions as for how Indy 500 qualifying -- and the race itself -- could be changed.

"I do not think it should be a points race at all. I’ve never been a supporter of double-points races. This should be an exhibition race for us," he said. "This should be our All-Star race, so that way it’s the 33 best teams and drivers, so that way you don’t have to worry about the contractual commitments to sponsors. There’s less impetus for them to have to force someone in the show to go out. I think this should be an exhibition race where anyone who wants to can show up for any try and run and go for it.”

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Hinchcliffe said he doesn't think "the system is broken ... fundamentally the system is good." But he said the differences between the Indy 500 and the other races during the season (in terms of practice time, qualifying process, the number of entries and the amount of money at stake) means it should be treated differently.

"I don’t think it should affect the outcome of someone’s full season because this race is not on par with the other races in the championship," he said.

As for now, his focus is on Detroit, where he will race on June 2 and 3.

“The way I see it, there’s 100 points on the board in Detroit just like there are 100 points here in Indy," he said. "Our focus on the 5 car is now solely on collecting every single one of those points.”



Follow sports producer Matthew VanTryon on Twitter @MVanTryon.