How Robert Wickens defied expectations on his heroic return to glory

Final month Robert Wickens grew to become a race winner once more, defying his paralysis through the use of hand controls to attain victory at Watkins Glen’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Problem occasion with Hyundai. On the identical day at Goodwood’s Competition of Velocity, disabled MotoGP world champion Wayne Rainey rode his Yamaha YZR500 once more and quadriplegic Sam Schmidt – Robert’s IndyCar crew boss throughout his Pocono horror crash – drove a McLaren 720S utilizing head actions to information the automotive.

“I suppose it was a fantastic weekend for incapacity consciousness, proper?” smiles Wickens. “It’s all fairly cool stuff.”

There hasn’t been an entire lot for Robert to smile about after 19 August 2018 at Pocono. The toughest consequence of his devastating shunt was the dearth of prognosis; no one knew what restoration he may obtain given the spinal wire contusion he’d sustained. The one factor that did seem agonisingly sure was a halt to his top-flight motorsport profession.

Seems he was considering of it as merely a pause…

Lower than 4 years on, 33-year-old Wickens was again in Victory Lane – albeit at a decrease stage than the rarefied ambiance of IndyCar, System Renault 3.5 or the DTM the place he shone so brightly earlier than. Sharing his tailored Hyundai Elantra N with fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins in a two-hour race at The Glen, Wickens gained the TCR class of IMSA’s second-tier collection for Bryan Herta Autosport. His final victory was a Nurburgring DTM spherical for Mercedes in September 2017 or, as he likes to level out, “22 races in the past – it sounds a lot better than in years!”

And per week later, regardless of lacking observe and qualifying to be current on the start of his first little one, Wickens gained once more with Wilkins at Mosport.

Wickens’ world modified without end on the primary racing lap of the 500-mile occasion at Pocono as he vied for fourth place with Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay approaching the quickest nook of the tri-oval. Maybe the perfect description of what occurred subsequent was by way of stay TV commentator Paul Tracy: “That’s going to be tight by way of there…oh my God!” 

Following the lightest of touches between his right-front tire with the left-rear nook of Hunter-Reay, who’d anticipated Wickens to again out, a horrifying crash unfolded. After their preliminary contact, Wickens’ right-front wheel rode up the nostril of Hunter-Reay’s spinning automotive, launching him to the highest of the SAFER barrier, nonetheless touring at 212mph. 

His automotive briefly rode on its facet earlier than the entrance finish pushed up into the particles fencing, the worst-case situation in an IndyCar oval shunt. An immense impression flung the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports automotive right into a wild collection of flat spins, as RHR handed by beneath, earlier than it landed closely, again on observe, in a ball of flame. 

Robert Wickens, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, James Hinchcliffe, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport Honda, Pietro Fittipaldi, Dale Coyne Racing Honda crash

Photograph by: Todd Dziadosz / Motorsport Pictures

Robert’s harm checklist was actually terrible: Thoracic spinal fracture, neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to each legs, fractures in each palms, fractured forearm, elbow and 4 ribs and a pulmonary contusion. Numerous therapeutic can be accomplished however there was another wound, one which maybe all racing drivers worry most – a ‘spinal wire harm’. Three phrases that Wickens would study can imply an unlimited array of outcomes, together with that of his crew proprietor Schmidt.

“When you may have a spinal wire harm it’s important to forcefully study human anatomy,” says Wickens, in the identical matter-of-fact fashion he’s at all times had when speaking about his racing. “Sam and I, though we’re each paralysed, they’re solely totally different accidents.

“He has a high-neck fracture, so no management over his palms or legs. I’m a T5 harm, mainly chest-down. Sam was an excellent sounding board early on; he knew nice specialists and that was very useful. As soon as I used to be into rehab, I used to be by myself, however I had the assist from my household, which has been wonderful. 

“We’re egocentric as drivers, we get into that racecar and we put our life on the road. We don’t consider the ripple impact in your assist system, how that reacts. Karli didn’t join this life, she’s simply an harmless bystander adapting to her new environment. I’m fortunate I discovered a superb one! She’s been unbelievable; she pushes me once I must be pushed and she or he is aware of once I need assistance.” 

Robert Wickens with Karli Wickens, Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Pictures

The journey to now has been painful in lots of extra methods than one. Not solely arduous work bodily, to regain as a lot performance of his physique as attainable, however the psychological pressure of an unsure future and the obvious lack of his livelihood. 

“It wasn’t simple, that’s for positive,” he displays. “Previous to that accident I’d not damaged any bone aside from ribs. You break a leg, when you’ve had it reset and forged, do the rehab, you’re pretty much as good as new down the road. 

“However with my harm, there was no prognosis, so that they couldn’t inform me something. You might be capturing at midnight and attempt to have religion and positivity… It’s so robust. Medical doctors can’t let you know that you just’ll by no means stroll once more, properly some did – so much did, really! As a result of I used to be so optimistic, I assumed they had been simply making an attempt to convey me again down. 

“To start with I used to be anxious if I’d have the ability to really feel the automotive once more, that feeling you get by way of your bottom and up your again. However I’ve been capable of regain plenty of that really feel, and truthfully I’ve pretty much as good a really feel within the automotive now as I did earlier than” Robert Wickens

“From a personal life perspective, a lot adjustments. Even the way in which you go to the toilet. The whole lot is totally different. At first of my restoration I used to be so cussed that I’d get better, I refused to study these new methods. I used to be like ‘I gained’t have to discover ways to do this – I’ll be tremendous, I’m going to stroll out of this place, you’ll see!’ 

“To show a degree, 10 months later I walked out of hospital with a strolling body. Clearly that wasn’t how I wished it – I wished the slow-motion heel-click on the entrance door, ! It took three and half years to get to the place I’m now.” 

A major concern of Wickens’ racing comeback was whether or not he’d lose his really feel for a automotive’s grip. After all, he’d proven an abundance of skill in that regard beforehand, however admits he feared that the harm might need taken that away. 

Wickens has spent 4 years recovering and adapting to his life-changing accident at Pocono

Photograph by: Bryan Herta Autosport

“I didn’t have any feeling at first after my accident,” he reveals. “I misplaced all motor and sensory expertise under my level of harm, however by way of my neuro restoration, I used to be capable of achieve again plenty of sensation. I’ve plenty of sensation for contact, however I battle with ache receptors, with cold and hot. For me, sizzling seems like that icy muscle-rub sizzling – it’s chilly however sizzling, that feeling? Sizzling feels chilly and chilly feels chilly. In order that’s bizarre, and I’ve needed to study my new normals. 

“So at first, I used to be anxious if I’d have the ability to really feel the automotive once more, understeer or oversteer, that feeling you get by way of your bottom and up your again. I believe you continue to really feel it by way of G-force, but it surely’s so much like driving a simulator: you lose plenty of that sensory stuff so it’s lot extra on visible clues, and the burden of the steering wheel is essential.  

“However I’ve been capable of regain plenty of that really feel, and truthfully I’ve pretty much as good a really feel within the automotive now as I did earlier than.” 

As he waited for his likelihood to get again behind the wheel, Wickens labored with Arrow McLaren SP as a driver coach and guide in IndyCar. As he likes to phrase it, he spent a while on the “sensible facet” of the pit wall. 

“Staying sharp is one of the simplest ways to place it,” he says of his position. “Utilizing your mind to search out alternatives to enhance the automotive, taking a look at onboard movies and competitor evaluation, protecting in that mindset with a high-level crew. I really feel like I convey so much to the desk, having raced at an elite stage since 2011. I’ve realized plenty of issues alongside the way in which! 

“It additionally feels wonderful to be again behind the wheel; I spent three years over on the sensible facet of the pit wall, and I felt misplaced! I knew I wanted to race once more, for my very own closure. To succeed and proceed what I like doing, or lastly acknowledge that chapter of my life is completed. 

“I’d prefer to assume I’m succeeding to date, and it seems like a brand new starting in my quest to get again to that elite stage of motorsport once more.” 

Robert Wickens, Michael Johnson, Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Pictures

That journey started at Christmas 2020, when Robert’s telephone rang from an unknown caller ID. “Bryan [Herta] simply referred to as me up out of the blue, I didn’t even have his quantity in my telephone, so I used to be curious proper from the beginning: ‘Oh hello. What would you like?’  

“He stated: ‘From one driver to a different, do you need to drive once more? It’s been some time…’ So I replied: ‘One-thousand p.c sure!’ He stated ‘That’s cool, it’s what I figured – we’ll be in contact’ And that was the tip of the decision.

“After all, it takes a monetary endeavor, we needed to adapt the automotive handy controls which are secure and dependable. I noticed Michael Johnson [paralysed as a youngster in a motorbike racing crash] had joined Bryan Herta Autosport and I put these two items collectively. Certain sufficient, Bryan referred to as me three months later and requested ‘Are you busy on Might 4? Let’s go to Mid-Ohio and do a observe day. You may get behind the wheel once more’. 

“It was simply the best telephone name I’ve ever had! The Johnson household and Michael let me borrow his racecar [Hyundai Veloster], and I drove in anger once more – for the primary time with hand controls. They felt actually bizarre to begin with. I’d spent sufficient time on iRacing to get my simulator hand controls to be second nature, however their totally different location… I discovered that slightly complicated.  

“It was a moist day, depressing and chilly. No glamor! But it surely was superior and it completely kickstarted every thing. I proved to myself that I may nonetheless do it, that I by no means doubted myself. 

“It proved to Bryan and Hyundai what the potential was, the return on funding, if I returned to race with them. That gloomy day at Mid-Ohio acquired them equal publicity than they’d acquired for the remainder of the season. It was a fantastic story. So then we needed to soar by way of the hoops we wanted to make it occur.” 

Getting again on observe for actual

With Hyundai’s assist, Wickens was an expert racing driver once more in BHA’s four-time championship-winning crew. The season kicked off with the assist race to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, so how did that really feel? 

“It didn’t fairly really feel enterprise as common till the pre-grid,” he says. “That they had the grid stroll occurring, but it surely wasn’t till I acquired my helmet on and so they strapped me into the automotive – that’s when it clicked. I keep in mind considering, ‘That is cool – I’ve missed this!’ 

“First nook was like using a motorcycle! I’d watched a great deal of race tapes, to work out any tendencies, so I knew I didn’t wanna be on the surface as a result of that’s the place everybody finally ends up – so I made a decision to maintain it tight and gained a spot or two, it was precisely what I wished to do.” 

A charging stint from Wickens led to a third-place end first day trip however highlighted the necessity for a sooner driver change – which grew to become a recurring theme. 

“I had plenty of inside targets that I wished to realize,” he says of that preliminary race occasion. “The primary one was, I didn’t need to lose a locations on the opening lap. From there, my objective was to complete my stint because the main Hyundai automotive. I didn’t tick that field – however we had been shut! 

“I acquired the automotive into podium rivalry and Mark introduced it residence, combating his ass off to maintain us on the rostrum.” 

Wickens and his crew took time to enhance their pitstops – enabling them to avoid wasting important seconds and struggle for victory

Photograph by: Bryan Herta Autosport

Since Daytona, poor fortune – together with contact with rivals – plagued them till Watkins Glen, the place every thing got here collectively. 

“It felt nice, a very long time coming for Mark and I,” he says. “We felt like we’d been on the doorstep of a win and simply needed to hold doing what we had been doing.

“We focus so much on pitstops. With myself, Mark and Jim Leo [of PitFit] who helps extract me from the automotive, we knew the driving force change has been the weak a part of our season till now. Most of our dangerous luck from the earlier three races got here as a result of we’d misplaced positions within the pits. We got here in from the lead at Sebring and got here out in 10^th!

“[At Watkins Glen] we lastly did one within the race pretty much as good as we will in observe. It was a fantastic feeling to see the automotive go away so rapidly and see it main. To look at him shut out the win was a tremendous expertise however seeing Mark take the flag, you definitely don’t have as a lot adrenaline as you do within the automotive.” 

How the brake system works on his Elantra

One a part of that pitstop course of is switching off the hand controls that Wickens makes use of, in order that Wilkins can drive the automotive in a extra common method.

Robert explains how his half works: “The brake system is a one-to-one system: I pull the ring after which linkages push down the bodily brake pedal. However then I’ve a brake booster that helps me generate extra stress. I can get to about 50-60 bar on a peak hit, however that’s not sustainable for an hour or two-hour stint, as a result of I’m pulling with the pressure of 120 kilos each time. So the booster helps me get that remaining 20-30 bar of stress that I would like. It relieves 50 p.c of the burden. However strive squeezing 60-80 kilos… it’s taken a toll on my palms.  

“Utilizing a wheelchair for thus lengthy, my grip energy acquired actually good. However each time I do my first run, my palms get actually cramped. It’s a shock to the system.” 

Hyundai Elantra N Hand Controls allow Robert Wickens to make the most of his throttle, brake and shifting inputs for his Elantra N TCR

Photograph by: Bryan Herta Autosport

Even with two wins below his belt – he and Wilkins adopted up the Glen breakthrough with an emotional residence victory at CTMP (née Mosport) – Wickens feels that there’s scope for enchancment.

“We’re getting there right here – there’s undoubtedly alternatives to make the system higher,” he says. “But it surely’s again to that query of time and useful resource with restricted testing obtainable. What do you do? 

“We’ve had the identical system because the begin of the season and there’s undoubtedly limitations to it by way of the brake feeling. For zero to twenty p.c brake utility, I’m type of 20 p.c or nothing. Something we will do to assist that might be an enormous achieve, for finesse. In lengthy corners, like at Laguna Seca, you want slightly little bit of brake in it to maintain the nostril down, but it surely’s both over-the-top or not sufficient; it’s a tough stability.” 

However an absence of testing availability makes it arduous for the crew to provide him an upgraded system. 

He provides: “We will’t go straight right into a race weekend with an up to date system with out totally understanding it. We’ve undoubtedly met the capability of my hand management system now; it’s dependable and I’m aggressive with it. I’m getting increasingly comfy, which is why I believe there’s extra efficiency coming at every race.” 

Physique speak: How his bodily restoration has plateaued

Whereas enhancements can at all times be made to a racing automotive, how about Wickens’ personal physique? Science, like motorsport, is without end striving for higher achievements – is there work occurring that may assist Robert’s bodily scenario?

“It’s often known as a snowflake harm; everyone seems to be totally different despite the fact that it seems to be the identical. It’s how properly your physique can reroute its nervous system across the injured space” Robert Wickens

“It’s the million-dollar query,” he sighs. “Within the medical science area, there are at all times developments. However every thing is a danger.

“After I first had the accident Sam Schmidt informed me: ‘You’re going to be informed on a regular basis that they’re on a spinal wire breakthrough – cures and developments. Twenty years in the past, once I had my accident, they informed me precisely the identical factor.’

“He stated: ‘I hate to interrupt it to you, it’s going to drag in your feelings and it’ll be a fucker of a restoration – and also you’ll be teased with folks suggesting issues like stem cells, human progress hormones and implant stimulants.’

“There are many various things on the market but it surely’s what you’re keen to surrender to attempt to get higher. I used to be lucky to regain fairly a little bit of perform, under no circumstances can I stroll freely, I’ll want a wheelchair in all probability during my life. However I can stand for a brief time period.

“So it’s one of many hardest components; with no prognosis for a spinal wire harm, it’s simply ‘good luck’ on what performance you get again. It’s often known as a snowflake harm; everyone seems to be totally different despite the fact that it seems to be the identical. It’s how properly your physique can reroute its nervous system across the injured space.”

Having made an encouraging restoration, Wickens accepts he’ll want a wheelchair for the remainder of his life

Photograph by: IMSA

His accident propelled him into ‘the neighborhood’ of spinal wire harm victims, every with their very own story and scenario. 

“I attempt to do my finest to remain off the boards,” he says. “It’s a slippery slope to match accidents. You and I may have, on paper, the identical spinal wire harm and our restoration would look solely totally different. It’s often known as a snowflake harm; each one is totally different despite the fact that it seems to be the identical. It’s how properly your physique can reroute its nervous system across the injured space. 

“One of the simplest ways it was described to me was think about you’re ingesting by way of a straw, and that straw is your spinal wire. The whole lot flows by way of it simply tremendous. When you pinch that straw, every thing will get super-constricted. In my case, the harm was spinal contusion. The straw is pinched and the quantity of nerves that make it by way of is closely compromised.

“Some make it by way of, which is why I’ve some mobility, but it surely’s not fast, my reactions aren’t what they had been. So once I rise up, and begin shedding my stability, I can’t appropriate myself. By the point I realise I’m falling, I’m behind the eight ball already! 

“From a prognosis standpoint, I’m chairbound till there’s an actual medical breakthrough within the science area. Wings For Life is doing plenty of actually nice issues, they’re desperately looking for a remedy. Coming from an automotive standpoint, a spinal wire is sort of a wiring harness; we modify these out and in of racecars on a regular basis, proper? If we will have coronary heart transplants, why can’t we do spinal wire transplants? I suppose there’s plenty of wiring to be accomplished! 

“In some unspecified time in the future, hopefully in my lifetime, there might be that breakthrough that offers higher options for restoration.”

Robert Wickens, Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Photograph by: Robert Wickens

So the place does he go from right here?

With lower than half a season remaining in IMSA’s second tier collection, and his profitable streak placing him in title rivalry, ideas will quickly flip to subsequent yr’s program. Now he feels he’s reestablished himself with the BHA Hyundai TCR squad, Wickens desires to make additional progress in the long run. 

“I’m proud of what we’re doing this yr, it’s a fantastic proof of idea of what’s nonetheless attainable,” he says. And when pressed on future choices, he replies: “I can’t see what may open up, I’ve to make them open up. I gotta pressure the difficulty. Now could be that corporately? As a result of it’s simpler to go to a crew and say ‘I’ll pay for the hand controls’ however I don’t have that luxurious in the intervening time.

“I’m able to get again to that elite stage of motorsport. Shifting ahead, I wanna problem for victories on the high stage, be it sprint-style like System E or IndyCar or if it’s sportscar racing in IMSA or WEC – there’s plenty of classes on the market that I believe are a stage that might give me that achievement of racing for a professional crew towards professional drivers. That’s the place I wanna get to. 

“We run at such a excessive stage at Bryan Herta Autosport that I actually consider we will soar proper in to the WeatherTech Championship and achieve success, we’re so skilled. Bryan is aware of what it takes to function at that stage, he’s gained Indy 500s as a crew proprietor. We’re at a way-higher stage than most of our rivals right here in Michelin Pilot Problem. 

“Bryan is such a standup man, together with Sean Jones and Eric Chase. All of the companions are such superior folks. They wished to provide me the chance to show what I can do. Hopefully we will use this as a superb basis and a stepping stone to get to greater and higher issues. 

“My objective inside America can be to get again to IndyCar once more or race an LMDh. Each driver desires to win a race total towards the quickest folks. The extra digital help on the automotive, the higher it’s for my hand controls with brake-by-wire techniques. The Gen3 System E automotive would in all probability be the best to adapt of any automotive on this planet proper now. I’m strongly trying into it. Truthfully, that might be actually cool. 

“I need to race towards the identical folks I used to be racing towards earlier than my harm. I do know I can compete with them. It’s a matter of coming with a hand management system that doesn’t handcuff me to compete.

“Every greater class creates its personal problems. A sooner automotive, with extra downforce, requires extra braking pressure, which requires extra pneumatic help for me to realize the identical brake stress as an able-bodied driver. I believe it’s an open guide: there’s no actual understanding the place these problems may come up and typically you may simply must expertise it.” 

That assertion seems like a metaphor for his restoration: “No actual understanding” is a handicap in a single sense, however in the event you by no means strive then you definitely gained’t study what’s attainable. And Wickens intends to do every thing in his energy to search out that out for himself.

After Pocono 2018, it’s what he’s accomplished finest. 

Wickens now desires to check how far he can climb the motorsport ladder once more

Photograph by: Bryan Herta Autosport