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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.