'I actually rented a bike:' Race car driver almost misses Indy press conference due to Toronto gridlock

It appears that not even race car drivers are immune to Toronto gridlock.

The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy held a press conference at the Exhibition Grounds on Thursday where some of the drivers who will compete in this weekend’s races spoke with reporters.

But one of them almost didn’t make it.

Lochie Hughes, an Australian driver who competes in the USF Pro 2000 series, told reporters that he nearly missed the event due to the traffic and had to eventually find another way to get to the track.

“I am just super happy to be here in Toronto. I got stuck in traffic as well so I actually rented a bike to get here on time and then ran the rest of the way,” he said. “It is cool to just be outside along the water there. It reminds me a little bit of back home in Australia, people outdoors playing tennis.”

The westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West are closed from Strachan Avenue to British Columbia Drive in order to accommodate the annual street race and police have previously warned drivers to expect “significant delays” in the area.

Hughes might not have gotten that message but he was nonetheless in good spirits on Thursday as he spoke about his impressions of the city.

“There are Smarties here. At our hotel we have Smarties so I feel right at home,” he said.

Hughes isn’t the only visitor to Toronto who has had to alter their plans due to the city’s notorious gridloick.

Last month former One Direction member Niall Horan made headlines after he posted a video which showed him walking to the Scotiabank Arena for a performance because the city’s traffic was “too bad.”

In the video, which was sped up and had The Proclaimer’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” playing in the background, Horan was seen walking from just west of Yonge Street to an underground entrance of Scotiabank Arena past Bay Street.

“In all the years I’ve been playing shows, I don’t think I’ve ever walked into a venue,” Horan said in the video.

Hughes is scheduled to compete in two USF Pro 2000 series races this weekend.

The main event, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, will wrap up a weekend of racing at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.