Have you ever been stuck in traffic so bad that you were tempted to just get out of the car and walk? That’s more or less what happened to driver Lochie Hughes when he was on his way to the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Toronto, as City News reports.
Well, except that being a racecar driver who’s used to going fast, Hughes got on a bicycle and pedaled the rest of the way to a press conference that he’d have missed due to the soul-crushing traffic caused by a mix of construction and road closures in Canada’s most populous city.
At the press conference held prior to the race, Hughes admitted to reporters, “I got stuck in traffic as well. So actually rented a bike to get here in time and then ran the rest of the way.” The Turn 3 Motorsport driver went on with a smile of relief, saying, “it was cool just to be outside along the water there.”
The racecar driver said it was “really nice (seeing) people outdoors playing tennis,” per City News. And it seems Hughes got into the spirit of outdoor fun, too, going for his bike ride and run to make it to the pre-race conference.
Hughes added that being in Toronto and taking his little detour on the waterfront reminded him of being back home in Australia. The Gold Coast native went on to say he was delighted to come across Smarties in the Ontario capital, presumably, a reference to the Nestle chocolates sold in Australia—not the chalk-like candies found in America.
Hughes’ all-around good vibes in spite of the delay belied the severity of Toronto’s traffic woes, which residents say have only gotten worse due to road closures for the USF Pro 2000 Series race, taking place from July 19-21.
Honda Indy organizers are reportedly coordinating with city officials and local police to minimize the event’s impact on the streets of Toronto, but the race has exacerbated the already-heavy congestion caused by ongoing expressway construction.
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