New Hand-Control System for Racers Ups Robert Wickens’ Game
We’ve covered the challenges and triumphs of race car driver Robert Wickens, the IndyCar pilot who was paralyzed from the waist down in a crash in 2018.
His inspirational recovery has been documented several times here, and we were there when he won the 2023 Michelin Challenge TCR championship, driving the Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) and Hyundai Motor America number 33 Elantra N TCR race car.
Since then, there has been another positive development.
“He returned to racing full-time in 2022 with IMSA and BHA using a hand control system. While he has excelled in every car since his return, his controls were not advancing at the same rate that his driving required, leading Wickens to turn to Bosch Motorsport for potential solutions,” Hyundai said.
Bosch “utilized expertise in braking technology and vehicle controls to develop a modern solution to braking using hand controls instead of foot pedals.”
The system debuted at the IMSA Battle on the Bricks event in Indianapolis last weekend, to major success. Wickens and his (able-bodied) co-driver, Harry Gottsacker, finished second in class in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120, barely 4 seconds behind his Herta team car, driven by Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins.
The new system, Wickens says, greatly increases the feel for the braking for both him and Gottsacker, who drives with conventional foot controls. The compact Bosch system is also transportable; should Wickens find a ride in a higher-level race car, perhaps in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship field, his system could swap out easily into another vehicle.
“You know I’m a selfish racing driver, wanting to go as high as I can and as fast as I can, but in the bigger picture, trying the create the best systems for the next generation of racing would be a great thing to leave behind,” Wickens said. “The collaboration with Bosch marks a new stage in my career and I can’t wait to see what lies on the horizon for myself and other drivers looking to compete at the highest levels of motorsports.”
With only one race left in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series—the Fox Factory 120 at the Petit Le Mans weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 9–11—Wickens and Gottsacker are in second place in the points, 150 behind Audi drivers Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor. They’ll need a good weekend in Atlanta to pull off another championship, but they’re still in the game.
