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Hinchcliffe cleared to resume racing for Indy 500

By WTOP Staff

DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — James Hinchcliffe has a bruise on the bridge of his nose, a black-and-blue reminder of his big wreck.

He can hide it with the helmet he’ll need now that he’s back in the race car.

Hinchcliffe was cleared to drive Thursday by IndyCar’s medical team following a concussion Saturday in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

He passed the post-concussion tests and should be all set to qualify this weekend for the Indianapolis 500. He couldn’t wait another day, hopping in the No. 27 Honda with 2 minutes left in practice to turn his first lap of the month on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I went overkill on resting because I really wanted to get back out here,” he said. “I think a big part of it was my nose is so big it absorbed a lot of the impact and it left my head relatively unscathed.”

He can laugh about it now, but it wasn’t so funny Saturday when debris from Justin Wilson’s car flew into the cockpit, striking Hinchcliffe in the head. He was taken away from the track on a stretcher, transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion.

“Luckily, I don’t remember most of it,” he said. “It’s a scary situation any time an injury like that happens.”

Hinchcliffe suddenly pulled off the road course at IMS following a restart and could be seen holding his head with both hands as he exited his car.

“Everybody’s been giving a lot of credit for the heads up decision to pull off, but that must have been a subconscious thing because I have no memory of that,” he said. “I guess I was very lucky to come in time to not get into the wall there.”

Series officials said concussions are handled on a case-by-case basis and that drivers with head injuries must pass an ImPACT test before they’re cleared to compete by series medical director Dr. Michael Olinger.

The 27-year old Canadian passed his after doing nothing more this week than some light training. He woke up Sunday with a headache but said he was fine by Monday. He was back in the gym Wednesday and ready to resume racing for Andretti Autosport.

“I went overkill on the rest,” he said. “Everything that they asked me to do I did, and then some. I’ve been wearing my sunglasses for like 96 straight hours, staying away from all electronics. Anything they asked me to do I went overkill because I knew the goal was to get back and I really wanted to qualify this car, and it looks like I’m going to be able to do that now.”

E.J. Viso replaced Hinchcliffe in practice this week and got a double dose of bad news: He was out of work and the engine in the No. 27 Honda blew during Thursday’s practice.

“I really expect that the help, effort and input I gave during these past few days are going to reflect in a good way in the coming days and during the Indy 500,” Viso said. “I feel really proud to be able to help Andretti Autosport and I hope to be driving with them again sometime in the future.”

Here are five other things to know from Thursday’s practice:

PRACTICE: Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves turned a lap of 227.166 mph — becoming the first driver to top 227 this week. Ed Carpenter was second at 226.257 and Will Power Townsend Bell and Ryan Hunter-Reay round out the top five. Kurt Busch, attempting to race in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was ninth. There were 34 drivers on the track who turned 2,516 laps. Castroneves said he’s ready for the weekend’s two-day qualifying runs. “You don’t realize how tough it is at this place,” he said, “so to do two days in a row, it’ll be really tough.”

HELIO SWAP: Helio Castroneves is trading in the firesuit for a chance to show “who wears the pants in my family” on “Celebrity Wife Swap.”

The three-time Indianapolis 500 champion appears on the May 27 episode on ABC. Adriana Henao, the mother of Castroneves’ 4-year-old daughter, Mikaella, moved into the home of Larry Birkhead in December, while he opened his Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home for Birkhead. Birkhead had a daughter with late former Playmate Anna Nicole Smith. “I think it was a great experience for Adriana to try a different family,” Castroneves said.

HELMET AUCTION: Takuma Sato will put his Indy 500 helmet up for auction. Sato, who drives the No. 14 Honda, will give up his race-worn helmet to raise money for “With you Japan” charity, which Sato founded to help the victims of the 2011 tsunami that wreaked havoc on the island country. The helmet’s red, white and blue scheme echoes Sato’s distinctive helmet but also integrates elements from Japan’s only IndyCar race winner and the Speedway’s first four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt, who owns the No. 14 car. The helmet will feature Sato’s car number plus bricks to represent the historic Brickyard. The four white stars atop the helmet were included as a tribute to Foyt’s four Indy victories as a driver.

CALLING THE ACTION: Former Indy car driver and team owner Robbie Buhl will join chief announcer Paul Page and Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson as an analyst for the IMS Radio Network broadcasts of Indy 500 qualifying and the race.

HAWKSWORTH BACK: English rookie Jack Hawksworth only turned one lap a day after he became the first driver to crash on the oval this month. He waited for the call to the track in the IMS media center while his Bryan Herta Autosport team worked on the No. 98. “I’m going to give it the beans and see what we’ve got,” he said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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