The crash was horrifying.
Throughout a 2018 IndyCar race, the wheels of Robert Wickens’ automobile clipped these of Ryan Hunter-Reay’s automobile, launching Wickens airborne and into the fencing surrounding Pocono Raceway. Among the many accidents Wickens suffered had been a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to each legs, fractures in each palms, 4 fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion. He additionally had a spinal wire harm that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
On the time, Wickens was on the cusp of stardom in one in every of motorsports’ premier collection. That 12 months, he had seven top-five finishes in 14 races, completed ninth within the Indianapolis 500 and gained IndyCar’s Rookie of the 12 months honor. These accidents reduce brief a promising IndyCar profession and will’ve meant Wickens’ days as knowledgeable race automobile driver had been over. However that thought by no means crossed the now 36-year-old’s thoughts.
“I assumed I used to be going to make the primary (IndyCar) race in March the next 12 months,” Wickens mentioned. “We had been at all times speaking about what (racing) would appear to be if I used hand controls. It was by no means a query; it was a query of ‘How? The place?’ I knew it was one thing that was attainable.”
Wickens, who regained some use of his legs however lacks the complete functionality to make use of them whereas driving, returned to aggressive racing slightly over three years after the accident, utilizing a hand-controlled throttle and braking system to manage the automobiles. He competed within the IMSA Michelin Pilot Problem, and in 2023, he captured the drivers’ championship.
And he isn’t performed. A brand new chapter begins this weekend when he strikes into an excellent increased stage of racing by competing within the IMSA SportsCar Championship in a race by the streets of Lengthy Seaside, Calif. He’ll co-drive a Chevrolet Corvette fielded by DXDT Racing within the extremely aggressive GTD class, going in opposition to Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche and different top-flight unique sports activities automobiles.
Wickens can be on the grid at Lengthy Seaside due partly to an electrical hand-controlled throttle and braking system, developed by Bosch and Pratt Miller, that he’s been capable of make the most of since returning to racing.
With out it, Wickens’ driving profession would’ve seemingly resulted in August 2018. Nonetheless, the system has confirmed to be an equalizer, permitting him to compete on a largely stage area. And continued technological refinements by Bosch over the previous few years have narrowed the efficiency hole between a automobile operated by hand controls and one operated by conventional pedals.
Robert Wickens’ customized steering wheel offers him the power to manage his Corvette race automobile — throttle, brakes and all — solely by hand. (Courtesy of Chevrolet Racing)
The hand management operates like comparable techniques that may be put in in highway automobiles, besides this one has been extra fine-tuned to permit Wickens to drive virtually as if he had been utilizing the throttle and brake by foot. He can evenly faucet the brake whereas turning and thereby carry higher pace by the corners.
“The perfect factor about my new system with Bosch is that the tuning can occur within the background as a result of that is an digital braking system,” Wickens mentioned. “So if I need extra brake sensation or much less braking sensation, I can both have a button on the steering wheel that I tune out of brake stress that I get to use to the brakes.
“The previous system that I used to be utilizing once I first began, the system was a really mechanical system the place there’s a bunch of linkages and levers that simply pushed the able-bodied brake pedal down, however I’d squeeze one thing with my hand up by the steering wheel. … The downfall of that’s there was numerous latency in that system and numerous inconsistency.”
As a result of Wickens and fellow driver Tommy Milner should commerce off driving the Corvette, Bosch needed to develop an easy approach to swap between Milner utilizing pedals and Wickens the hand controls.
“It’s fairly spectacular,” Milner mentioned. “There’s only one button that both of us has to push to place it within the mode that we would like and that switches all of the techniques over inside a second.”
As soon as Wickens was dedicated to racing once more, the problem of navigating the expense and lack of accessibility solely additional difficult the endeavor. Discovering enough sponsorship is commonly problematic sufficient in racing; Wickens additionally needed to persuade a workforce proprietor to put in a hand-control system of their automobile.
“There are individuals racing all around the world with disabilities,” Robert Wickens mentioned. “I’m simply lucky that I had a platform to indicate my progress.” (David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Having gone by the method himself, Wickens want to see such options extra available in commercially produced autos. Simply as producers use auto racing to develop expertise that may be utilized to passenger autos, Wickens needs to see the identical precept utilized to hand-controlled techniques to make it each handy and cost-effective.
“I type of have naive desires of considering that there could possibly be a Robert Wickens steering wheel that may simply match into each highway automobile on this planet,” he mentioned. “I’m imagining it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, simply plug it in like a USB or one thing and also you’re in your method.’ However I do know that that’s simply not the way it works. …
“The fact is, proper now, once I’m driving on the highway and I need to make a lane change, for instance, I’ve to consciously over-speed as a result of once I take my hand off the throttle to placed on my flip sign, I decelerate, and my hand isn’t on the throttle. Then, I’ve to sign and put my hand again on the throttle, make the lane change, after which take my hand off the throttle to cease your sign. It’s simply numerous additional steps.”
Lengthy Seaside is the primary of 5 occasions in 2025 wherein Wickens will drive the DXDT Racing Corvette entry. Plans past this season are nonetheless being decided. He’s open to securing a full-time experience within the IMSA SportsCar Championship if the chance arises. He’d additionally wish to race once more within the Indianapolis 500.
Wickens downplays the concept he’s an inspiration, however those that know him marvel at how he’s refused to let go of his dream of being knowledgeable driver when he had each purpose to give up. He additionally needs to assist others going through an identical scenario.
“I personally don’t really feel like I’m an inspiration to anyone, however I’m at all times type of humbled when individuals inform me that I’m,” Wickens mentioned. “After I used to be paralyzed and out of my medical-induced coma, I used to be attempting to know what life I had. I used to be simply working laborious to strive getting myself and my spouse the very best quality of life attainable.
“There are individuals racing all around the world with disabilities. I’m simply lucky that I had a platform to indicate my progress the place others won’t.”
(High photograph of Robert Wickens: Courtesy of Chevrolet Racing)
