The crash is frightening.
In the 2018 Indycar race, Robert Wickens’ wheels cut the wheels of Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car, pushing Wichis airmen toward the fence around the Pocono Raceway. The injuries that Wicks suffered include thoracic vertebrae fractures, neck fractures in both legs, tibia and fibula, hands fractures, four fractured ribs and lung contusions. He also suffered spinal cord injuries, paralyzing him from the waist.
At that time, Wickens was the cusp of the stars in the main series of Motorsports. That year, he finished seven top five in 14 games, ranked ninth in the Indianapolis 500 and won Indycar Rookie of the Year honors. These injuries shorten a promising Indycar career and could mean Wickens’ days as professional racers are over. But this idea never crosses the idea that he is now 36 years old.
“I thought I was going to be in the first (Indiana) race the following March,” Wix said. “We kept talking about what (race cars) would look like if I used a hand controller. It was never a problem; it was a problem of ‘how?’?’ I know it was possible.”
Wickens returned to leg use but returned to a competitive car more than three years after the accident, using a manually controlled throttle and brake system to control the car. He participated in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and won the driver’s championship in 2023.
And he hasn’t finished yet. A new chapter begins this weekend when he enters the IMSA Sports Car Championship by participating in the IMSA Sports Car Championship on the streets of Long Beach, California.
Wickens will be on the grid on Long Beach, partly due to an electrically controlled throttle and braking system developed by Bosch and Pratt Miller, which he has been able to use since he returned to racing.
Without it, Wickens’ driving career could end in August 2018. However, the system proved to be an equalizer, allowing him to compete in most areas. Over the past few years, Bosch has continued to make technological improvements, closing the performance gap between cars with manual control operations and cars with traditional pedal operations.
Robert Wickens’ custom steering wheel allows him to fully control his Corvette racing car (throttle, brakes and all). (Provided by Chevrolet Racing)
The phone controls are similar to a similar system that can be installed in a road car, except that the system is more fine-tuned to allow Wickens to drive almost as if he was using the throttle and walking brakes. He can gently tap the brakes while turning, thus carrying higher speeds in the corners.
“The best thing about me using Bosch’s new system is that adjustments can happen in the background because it’s an electronic braking system,” Wix said. “So if I want more brake feel or less brake feel, I can have a button on the steering wheel that I can adjust with brake pressure so that it can be applied to the brakes.”
“The old system I used when I first started was a very mechanical one, there were a lot of chains and levers there just pushing the body-healthy brake pedal down, but I would squeeze some hands with the steering wheel.
Since Wickens and other drivers, Tommy Milner, had to weigh the tradeoffs of driving a Corvette, Bosch had to develop a straightforward approach to switch directly between the Milner using pedals and Wickens.
“It’s impressive,” Milner said. “There is only one button we all have to push to put it in the mode we want and toggle all systems in one second.”
Once Wickens is committed to competing again, the challenge of getting involved in the expense and lack of access will only complicate the effort. Looking for enough sponsorship is usually enough problem in the game. Wickens also had to convince the team owner to install manual control systems on the vehicle.
“Some people have disability competitions all over the world,” said Robert Wickens. “I’m lucky that I have a platform to showcase my progress.” (David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After I went through this process, Wickens wanted to see such features more easily available in commercially produced vehicles. Just as manufacturers use automotive racing to develop technologies that can be applied to passenger cars, Wickens wants to see the same principles applied to manually controlled systems to make them both convenient and cost-effective.
“I was a little naive to dream about having a Robert Wicks steering wheel that could fit every road car in the world,” he said. “I thought, like, ‘Oh yeah, just plug it in like USB and you’re on the road.” But I know that’s not how it works.
“The reality is, now, when I drive on the road, I want to change the lane changes, for example, I have to consciously speed up because when I put my hand out of the throttle to reach out my turn signal, I slowed down and my hand wasn’t on the throttle. Then, I had to signal on the momentum, and then switch the path for a small part, then tilt again and again, and then step on the power again.
Long Beach is the first of five events in 2025, with Wichis driving the DXDT Racing Corvette into the market. Plans outside this season are still being determined. He is willing to get a full-time ride in the IMSA Sports Car Championship if the opportunity arises. He also hopes to compete in the Indianapolis 500 again.
Wickens downplayed the idea that he was an inspiration, but those who knew him were amazed at how he refused to get rid of his dream of becoming a professional driver if he had good reason to quit. He also wants to help others facing similar situations.
“I personally don’t feel like I’m anyone’s inspiration, but I’m always modest when people tell me I’m me,” Wix said. “I’m trying to understand my life after I’m paralyzed and got rid of my medically-induced coma. I’m just trying to make the best quality of life possible for myself and my wife.
“Some people have disabled racing cars all over the world.
(Top photo by Robert Wickens: courtesy of Chevrolet Racing)
