Robert Wickens is not about to give up on his IndyCar dream.
The Canadian driver was welcomed back to the IndyCar paddock in St. Petersburg, Florida during Fridays practice day, six months after an accident at Pocono Raceway which resulted in a spinal cord injury.
Asked if he still wanted to get back in a race car, Wickens response was unequivocal.
“Yeah, 100 percent. The goal is to get back into an IndyCar. We won't know till I try it to see if it's a reality.
“There's been so many remarkable drivers that have succeeded with hand controls in motorsports that it makes me believe that regardless of how my progression goes, I will be in a racecar again. Just a matter of which car. The dream is an Indy car.”
Although the accident has left him with limited use of his legs, doctors say that recovery of a large degree of function is possible.
“Honestly, the spinal cord injury, every single person is different,” Wickens explained. “The big thing for me is right now they (the doctors) always told me the six to nine months or the six to 12 month frame is where you'll see the most progression.
“We're just a little bit over six months post-injury. I am getting a lot of improvement from week-to-week. I think it's been pretty linear.”
The 29-year-old has been documenting his recovery via a series of social media posts, and Wickens says the support of fans, drivers and team members has helped to keep him motivated.
“I want to finish this journey not just for myself but for the whole motorsports community.” said Wickens.
“All the drivers, big names, small names, every post I make, every progression I do, they're right there behind me motivating me, reassuring me that I can do it.”
