Guelph racer Robert Wickens back behind the wheel after devastating 2018 crash
Robert Wickens, the Guelph IndyCar driver who was left partially paralyzed after a near-fatal crash at the Pocono Raceway on Aug. 19, 2018, is back behind the wheel.
Wickens is racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Cup championship this weekend at the Daytona Speedway.
"Long anticipated, but I'm looking forward to it," said Wickens. "I’ve had a lot of time to envision what my return to racing would look like, and sometimes reality's not what you dream up, but we're here in Daytona. I'm loving life."
Due to his injury, Wickens can’t use his legs for the gas and brake pedals. He now has to drive the vehicle fully with his hands.
"It took me a while to get the finger dexterity to kind of know what I was doing," he explained. "But I'm getting quicker and quicker every day, and I'm getting more and more comfortable in the car."
A ring on the back of the wheel helps him slow down, while levers allow him to throttle and shift.
"Eighty per cent of your performance is actually how you slow down the car for the turn ahead. So getting a good feeling for the brakes is the most important thing."
According to racing analyst Tim Hauraney, Wickens has a natural gift for racing. Wickens has already put in a lot of work to get back into the sport, he’s now looking to rise in the ranks of racing.
"He was upset that he didn't qualify higher," said Hauraney. "It's just a different mindset and I think Robbie’s still got that competitive spirit inside of him."
Wickens is sponsored for the entire season, and Hauraney calls it an opportunity to grow racing technology.
"Robbie's got to try and do all that with his hands and it's extremely challenging to get that feel," he said. "If they go on to have really great success this season, who's to say that they can't take this type of technology and put it into another form of racing?"
Wickens and another Ontario racer, Mark Wilkins, are teamed up for the weekend at Daytona.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.