Theo Pourchaire’s commute to work Saturday was something for the ages.

The 20-year-old French driver was asked to replace the injured Alexander Rossi (broken right thumb) in Arrow McLaren’s No. 7 Ryde Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for this weekend’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.

But to do so, Pourchaire had to make a quick overnight trip across the Atlantic, arriving in Toronto not much more than an hour before NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying.

Pourchaire landed at Toronto Pearson Airport 12:40 p.m. ET and arrived at the track at 1:39 p.m. ET. A little more than 16 hours after getting the phone call while sitting in France, he strapped into the race car and sped out of pit lane to qualify on a track he had never before seen much less driven on.

His travel details are fascinating:

Friday:

6 p.m. ET: Arrow McLaren announces Rossi won’t race this weekend.

6:10 p.m. ET: Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren sporting director, makes a call to Pourchaire.

6:37 p.m. ET: Pourchaire’s flights are booked.

6:45 p.m. ET: Arrow McLaren shop manager Doug Tapscott picks up Pourchaire’s firesuit and seat to drive overnight to Toronto.

10 p.m. ET: Team engineers send on-board footage and race prep to Pourchaire.

Saturday:

12 a.m. ET: Pourchaire departs Nice, France for flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

1:30 a.m. ET: Pourchaire lands in Frankfurt, debriefs on the phone and begins race prep with Kanaan.

4 a.m. ET: Pourchaire departs Frankfurt for Toronto, Kanaan heads to bed.

12:40 p.m. ET: Pourchaire arrives at Toronto Pearson Airport.

Approx 1 p.m. ET: Pourchaire departs for Union Station via train (UP Express).

1:22 p.m. ET: Pourchaire arrives at Union Station (downtown Toronto).

1:39 p.m. ET: Pourchaire arrives at Arrow McLaren trucks in Enercare Centre.

Between planes, trains and automobiles, Arrow McLaren Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown said the decision to choose Pourchaire as a replacement driver instead of choosing someone with less logistical nightmares, was simple:

“We thought he was the best driver,” Brown said.

Impressive as his travels were, Pourchaire wasn’t that far off in lap time, missing the final spot out of the first round by only 1.1 seconds.

While admitting Pourchaire was thrown into the deep end and has low expectations for results in the race, Brown is thrilled to get another look at the talented Frenchman in one of his cars.

Pourchaire made his first career start with an 11th-place finish in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21. His best finish was 10th in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on June 2. Pourchaire qualified a season-best seventh for the street race in the Motor City.

Pourchaire will join Pato O'Ward and Nolan Siegel in the team's three-car lineup for Sunday's race, the last race held on a street circuit this season.