Stef Wilson has fully recovered from injuries suffered during a crash while practicing for this past year’s Indianapolis 500.
The Briton crashed when his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing / Cusick Motorsports Chevy tangled with Katherine Legge’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda during Monday’s practice session following qualifying.
Both drivers impacted the wall hard, and Wilson was revealed to have suffered a broken back from the impact.
Graham Rahal stepped into his car for the race, and Wilson set about focusing on his recovery. Now, just over six months later, the 34-year-old has recovered enough to get back to racing with no restrictions.
“I’m back to 100 percent,” said Wilson in an interview with RACER. “I’ve been back on track in a Ferrari Challenge car and everything felt great and normal. There were no restrictions. And I have been working out like mad to get all the way back to where I was before. I’m feeling ready to go and strong.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s a crowded scene with teams and drivers. Interest in the Indy 500 has never been higher in my lifetime, so trying to find a seat is really difficult.
“There was hope to continue our partnership from last May, but that’s not likely to happen, so Don [Cusick] and I are talking with other teams and seeing what’s available for us.
“I’m hoping the last laps I ran at Indy aren’t the last I’ve ever ran. I’d hate for that to be how the story ends there for me, so I’m working to get back and put all of that behind us.”
Wilson has entered five Indy 500s since 2016, although he did not make the start of the most recent race due to his injuries.
His best finish was 15th in 2018, when he was forced to pit from the lead with five laps to go in order to take a splash a fuel.
