Robert Wickens scores IMSA victory; first win since 2018 spinal cord injury in IndyCar

Robert Wickens won for the first time since suffering a spinal cord injury in 2018 by teaming with Mark Wilkins for a TCR class victory Saturday in the Michelin Pilot Challenge at Watkins Glen International in New York.

Wickens was a promising IndyCar rookie when he was injured in an airborne crash into the fence at Pocono Raceway in his 14th race.

He’d scored four podiums that season, nearly won the opener until he was moved out of the way with a lap remaining, and was sixth in the IndyCar standings at the time of the crash.

Though he has some use of his legs, Wickens uses a wheelchair, and Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai spent more than a year working on a program to get Wickens back into competitive racing. His Elantra is fitted with hand controls, and Wickens made his debut in January with Wilkins at Daytona International Speedway.

Wickens and Wilkins, both Canadians, beat Tim Lewis in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce by 0.0374 seconds as Lewis put a hard charge on Wilkins over the closing laps of the two-hour race. Wickens watched from his wheelchair next to the Herta timing stand after driving the first half of the race.

“It’s like a milestone win,” Wickens said. “It’s not the most emotional one I’ve had for some reason, maybe because I was sitting when we crossed the finish line. I think it’s different as a driver with the adrenaline and everything.”

Back where we belong… VICTORY LANE! Unbelievable day. We’ve known we could do this from the start. Mega work by @MWilkins to keep us out front in the final laps.

Thank you to @BHA and @Hyundai for a fast race car!

This isn’t the finish line. We want more!@IMSA | #ImBack pic.twitter.com/8ybk9WppLs

— Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) June 25, 2022

He said watching