Wickens back in virtual driver’s seat
Robert Wickens is ready to race against his IndyCar rivals once again.
The Guelph-born driver, who suffered spinal cord injuries in a horrific crash at Pocono Raceway in 2018 and hasn’t raced since, will join fellow Canadians James Hinchcliffe and Dalton Kellett in the new IndyCar iRacing Challenge — a simulated auto racing series. The circuit follows NASCAR, Formula One and others in setting up virtual races to give fans (and themselves) a distraction during the coronavirus crisis.
IndyCar drivers and seventime NASCAR champion Jimmy Johnson will compete in Saturday’s opener of the sixrace series at 4 p.m. — streamed on the Indy website, YouTube, Facebook and iRacing’s Twitch. They’ll use the Watkins Glen road course, chosen by fan vote from among eight potential layouts.
Wickens’ participation was in question after the company he was counting on for the special steering wheel required for the simulation pulled out. He sent out a plea for help on Twitter — and got what he needed late Friday.
Virtual racing will be the latest in a long list of inspirational moments supplied by the 31year-old Wickens. The Canadian has documented his journey to recovery with several videos on social media, including the first steps toward his goal of dancing at his wedding — which he did last October. And just last week he posted one that went viral, showing him doing 10 push-ups beside his dog James on National Puppy Day.
If he’s able to return to live racing, Wickens has been promised a ride by Arrow McLaren owner Sam Schmidt.
Like all pro sports, IndyCar’s schedule is on hold with several races postponed so far. IndyCar’s Toronto stop, the Honda Indy, remains scheduled for July 10 to 12.