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IndyCar: Robert Wickens transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis

ByAsher Fair|
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, stands on the grid following practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, stands on the grid following practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

IndyCar driver Robert Wickens has been transferred to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After spending more than a week and a half at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest in Allentown, Pennsylvania being treated for multiple injuries that he sustained in a nasty wreck during the IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, August 19, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie Robert Wickens has been transferred to Indianapolis.

The 29-year-old Canadian has been transferred to Indiana University (IU) Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, where is set to continue to undergo treatments for the injuries that he suffered as a result of this crash.

Here is Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ statement pertaining to Wickens being transferred from Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest to IU Health Methodist Hospital.

Wickens was injured following the first restart of the 200-lap race around the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Pocono Raceway triangle in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. He initially got a great jump on this restart, which took place on lap seven, in his #6 Honda.

After restarting the race in sixth place, which is where he qualified since he did not pass anybody nor was he passed in the few seconds of the race that took place before the first caution flag period began on lap one as a result of a small incident between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot before they took the green flag, Wickens made his way up to fourth in the first turn.

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Heading into turn two, Wickens had a great run on Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay, who also had a great restart by moving from fourth to third place in turn one, for third. However, the cars of the two drivers made contact.

This contact sent Hunter-Reay’s #28 Honda up the track, and Wickens’s #6 Honda went with it before eventually climbing over top of it and going above the SAFER barrier and into the catch fence, where it was sent into a violent spin. After it landed, the car continued spinning violently on the track before eventually coming to a stop.

Aside of Wickens and Hunter-Reay, three other drivers were involved in the accident, but no driver suffered injuries as serious as Wickens did. He suffered injuries to his right arm, both legs and spine and has since undergone several surgeries on all of these injuries. The extent of the injury to his spinal cord is still unknown, but we continue to hope and pray for the best.

As Robert Wickens continues to recover from his injuries, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him as well as his friends, family and fans. We hope and pray that he will make a speedy and full recovery so that he can get back behind the wheel of an IndyCar in the very near future.