The List: 10 things Indy hotshot James Hinchcliffe can’t live without

2. My gold coin necklace In my family, you get a British sovereign on your 18th birthday. Girls get one with a queen on it, and guys get a king. Mine is George V. I put it on a necklace and wear it almost all the time.

3. My guitar I have a ’64 Fender Strat Sunburst, all original. It was a prize for winning a title in 2011. I don’t play well enough to be worthy of the guitar at all, but I admire its awesomeness.

4. My hero’s steering wheel It’s from Greg Moore’s first race car, which he used before he made it big on the CART circuit, and it’s signed. I met him after a race in Toronto in ’99. I stood outside his trailer for hours before he finally came out.

5. My Skype My family is scattered over three different countries, and my girlfriend, Kirsten, is from Australia. Without Skype, there’s no doubt I would lose touch with the people I’m closest to. In fact, there’s a good chance my mom wouldn’t have let me leave Toronto and become a racing driver if Skype didn’t exist.

6. My onesie pajamas I’ve wanted a pair of these forever. Last year, Kirsten finally got me some. They’re the full deal: red flannel, bum flap and everything. When you’re hanging around the house on a Sunday, there’s nothing better to have on.

7. My indestructible video camera I do a lot of videos for my website. If I weren’t a race car driver, I’d be a film editor. I just got my hands on a GoPro Hero3, which is an awesome HD camera that’s built for filming extreme sports. I never leave home without it.

8. My namesake beer When I first moved to Indianapolis, I was happy to discover that there’s a big craft beer scene there. One of my favourite microbreweries is Flat 12. I worked with them to make my own beer, a lager with Canadian hops called Hinchtown Hammer Down.

9. My Andretti Autosport Chevy DW12 My work car is custom moulded to my body and goes incredibly fast. Any other explanation needed? I think not.

10. My kettlebells It drives me crazy that people think race drivers don’t need to be in shape. It’s an incredibly punishing job, and training is important. I like a kettle­bell class because it’s a great workout but also a lot of fun.

Photographs: Lighters and steering wheel by Carlo Mendoza; Kettlebell from iStock