INDIANAPOLIS – James Hinchcliffe doesn’t remember much about last year’s inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis. That’s because the driver from Oakville, Ontario took a direct hit in the helmet from a piece of debris off Justin Wilson’s car on the Hulman Boulevard backstretch of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course 56 laps into the race.

Dazed from the contact, Hinchcliffe was able to continue down the end of the frontstretch before the car pulled off into the runoff area of the course. He was transported to IU Healthcare/Methodist Hospital with a concussion that kept him out of the Andretti Autosport car for most of the first week of practice for the 2014 Indianapolis 500.

Despite missing so much practice, once Hinchcliffe was cleared to compete he qualified the car second on the grid – the middle of Row 1 – for the 98th Indianapolis 500.

With Aero Kits on the Chevrolet and Honda IndyCars, there are more chances for debris in Saturday’s road course contest.

“We can’t change the cars so it’s up to the drivers to be smart with debris so we need to be smart about it,” Hinchcliffe said. “I really don’t remember last year’s race but it didn’t seem to slow us down a ton. I had a lot of good people looking after me after the injury so they deserve a lot of credit and I obviously had a great car.

“I had a great team that did a lot of work while I was gone and we were able to jump in and reap the rewards.”

Hinchcliffe returns to the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis driving for the defending winning team at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports as Simon Pagenaud put that operation in victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014.

“It’s nice coming in here because the team is high in confidence and knows what it takes to win here,” Hinchcliffe said. “But it’s a very difference program than it was last year in a lot of ways. They are very keen to retain that title and stay undefeated at the road course but it will be a different approach.”

Chevrolet drivers swept the top 10 in Friday’s qualifications and Honda drivers qualified for the bottom 10 positions in the 25-car grid. Jack Hawksworth was the fastest Honda in 11th place and Hinchcliffe starts 13th.

“At this point you have to think first in class,” Hinchcliffe said. “We’re not focusing on things we can’t change on the Aero Kit but we are getting updates all the time from HPD (Honda Performance Development) and they are trying to find good solutions. We’re following their lead and trying to come up with some good stuff.”

Despite getting his “Bell Run” with a head injury in last year’s GP of Indy it’s a race that Hinchcliffe really likes.

“I love it – absolutely love it,” Hinchcliffe said. “Why not? It’s funny walking out of Gasoline Alley and turning the car in the other direction but I think it’s a great event and hope to see it continue to grow because it should be here to stay. People are here to watch races and appreciate having more action to watch during the month so why not have another race for them.

“This is the furthest thing to a street course that you can get. I would compare the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course to a modern Formula One course. It has a lot of runoff, a lot of room, no elevation and a good combination of corners. It’s nice and safe and should make for great racing because we have a long straight going into a big brake zone at ends of the track.

“It’s unlike any road course that we run on.”

Starting from mid-pack Hinchcliffe is still confident he can race his way toward the front and have an Angie’s Grand Prix of Indianapolis worth remembering.