DRIVERS GOT KICK OUT OF ‘ DANCING’
James Hinchcliffe thinks INDIANAPOLIS the ratio is 10- to- 1, the number of people who recognize him because of his stint on Dancing With the Stars compared with those who tab him as a Verizon IndyCar Series star.
Helio Castroneves says for him it is “about 80 to 90%,” though in fairness, his Season 5 triumph on the dance floor did come nearly a decade ago.
Either way, both men light up when asked to remember their time in Hollywood, even with the more high- octane business of Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 rapidly approaching.
And though most consider that the primary effect of Castroneves’ twinkle- toed efforts from 2007 and Hinchcliffe’s hipturning run last year was to raise their profiles and their sport’s, both said DWTS helped them on the track.
“The biggest thing that I took out of it was the power of the mind,” said Hinchcliffe, who will suit up in the No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda in the 17th spot on the grid this weekend. “You really can do anything you put yourmind to. I am not a dancer. I am still not a dancer. I wasn’t six months ago and I am not today, but in that situation if you put your mind to it, you work hard at it, you can do anything.”
Hinchcliffe and dance partner Sharna Burgess placed second in a series dominated by athletes. Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez won and former NFL wide receiver Calvin Johnson placed third.
Castroneves is a three- time Indy winner ( 2001, 2002 and 2009) but beyond motor sports is perhaps best known for topping the DWTS podium. He wowed the crowd with a bright yellow zoot suit in partnering with JulianneHough and was victorious in the midst of a run in which athletes won five out of six seasons — with Emmitt Smith, Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi and Shawn Johnson also prevailing.
The Brazilian driver, 42, said the physical dexterity he gained added an element to his conditioning for the grueling experience of driving 500 miles.
“I think it was a win- win situation,” he said. “The IndyCar series as a group ended up earning a lot of new fans. I believe it also improves ( you personally). Everything about it helped, but certainlymy name, my recognition — a big part of it is thanks to DWTS. I can’t believe how much people still remember about the yellow suit and the performance, but in Indianapolis a lot of people enjoy the racing, too, so it is nice to balance it out.”
Athletes continue to thrive on the hit show. In the just- completed 24th season, former New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings took the title, withWorld Series- winning catcher David Ross in second place. Other former winners include NFL players HinesWard and Donald Driver, and Olympic gold medal- winning ice dancerMeryl Davis.
“It is physical in a very different way,” said Hinchcliffe, 30. “But any pro athlete— that is why athletes tend to do very well on that show — we are used to pushing ourselves, pushing our minds, pushing our bodies.
“We are used to repetition, we are used to grueling schedules, used to pressure. All of those things come into play on the show. There were a lot of things I’ve done in my career that I used to prepare that have helped me out a lot.”