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IndyCar: Robert Wickens speaks publicly for the first time after wreck

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, sits in his car during the US Concrete Qualifying Day for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - JUNE 08: Robert Wickens, driver of the #6 Lucas Oil SPM Honda, sits in his car during the US Concrete Qualifying Day for the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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For the first time after his massive wreck last month, IndyCar driver Robert Wickens has spoken publicly and discussed his recovery.

Following the 17th and final race of the 2018 IndyCar season, the IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma, at Sonoma Raceway, nearly six months separate now from the next IndyCar race. With the offseason officially underway, let’s start off with some good news.

Ever since the massive crash in turn two of the three-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Pocono Raceway oval in Long Pond, Pennsylvania on the seventh lap of the 200-lap IndyCar race, the ABC Supply 500, at the track on Sunday, August 19, Robert Wickens had not spoken publicly about his recovery from the injuries that he suffered as a result of his involvement in the wreck.

The #6 Honda of the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports rookie made contact with the #28 Honda of Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay while the two drivers were in a battle for third place after they both got exceptional restarts and made a combined three passes not even half a lap after the first caution flag period of the race came to an end.

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After the two cars made contact, Hunter-Reay’s car spun up the track and into the wall, and it took Wickens’s car with it. Wickens’s car was lifted over the top of Hunter-Reay’s car, up above the SAFER barrier and into the catch fence, where it was sent into a violent spin.

The #6 Honda of the 29-year-old Canadian continued to spin violently for several seconds after it landed on the track, although it seemed like an eternity. Wickens, who was recently crowned 2018 IndyCar Rookie of the Year with seven top five finishes and 10 top 10 finishes in 14 starts, suffered several injuries as a result of this accident. He has not raced since the accident.

Among the injuries Wickens suffered were a thoracic spinal fracture, a spinal cord injury, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both of his legs, fractures in both of his hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion.

For the first time since the accident, Wickens has spoken publicly about his recovery. He did so by sharing a video on his Twitter and Instagram accounts shortly before the season finale.

Here is what he had to say.

Wickens ultimately ended up in a 10th place tie in the championship standings in his rookie season with none other than teammate James Hinchcliffe, his long-time friend who convinced him to leave Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and compete in IndyCar full-time.

When he was sidelined as a result of his injuries, Wickens was in sixth place in the championship standings. He was still mathematically in championship contention and was well within striking distance of the top three.

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As Robert Wickens continues to recover from his injuries, our continued thoughts and prayers and with him and his friends, family and fans. Our prayers are for him to experience a full and speedy recovery, and we hope and pray that he can make a return to IndyCar as a full-time driver in the very near future.