Wickens set for racing comeback with Hyundai TCR car

Over three years after an IndyCar crash at Pocono left him with severe spinal injuries, Robert Wickens is set to return to racing.

The 32-year-old Canadian is set to undertake a full season in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge with a specially adapted Hyundai Elantra N TCR entered by Bryan Herta Autosport.

The former Schmidt Peterson Motorsports IndyCar charger has spared no effort in the past three years to recover his mobility, and while his rehab efforts continue, Wickens could not resist a return to professional racing.

©Hyundai

"I feel like we’re embarking on a brand-new chapter of my story," Wickens said on Friday during a news conference.

"You know, I’m not here just to play around. I’m here to win races and win championships for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai.

"So I think it’s going to be a very steep learning curve. But I think we’re all ready for the challenge. I am hungrier now than I was before my accident to compete for wins again!"

Wickens' Hyundai TCR contender that he'll share in the series with fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins has been fitted with a customized hand-control system devised by BHA's technical director and former Williams F1 race engineer David Brown.

Wickens will kick off his 2022 campaign in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge at the end of the month at Daytona.

"Wickens’ perseverance and persistence has led to triumphant breakthroughs in his relentless regimes of physical rehabilitation and therapy that continues daily," commented Hyundai in a statement.

"Wickens and his team of therapists and trainers have become trailblazers in developing innovative technology and treatment methods for the spinal cord injury community."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.