Robert Wickens Interview
4/29/202637 min
Robert Wickens opens up about his triumphant return to motorsport and the grueling physical and emotional challenges of his recovery from paralysis. He also breaks down his mastery of adaptive hand-control technology and what it means to find success again in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.On this episode of SPEED With Harvick and Buxton, Will Buxton sits down with Wickens to discuss his incredible journey from his 2018 crash to returning to the podium, the complex engineering that allows him to compete at the highest level without the use of his legs, the mental fortitude required to overcome his darkest days in rehab, his current championship pursuits with DXDT Racing, and how his definition of victory has evolved throughout the ultimate motorsport comeback. Chapters:0:00 Intro0:45 Robert Wickens Joins The Show1:10 Getting Back To Driving After The Accident5:00 Braking In Modified Vehicle8:45 Are There Advantages With The Hand Controls11:11 Surprises With Driving The Modified Vehicle13:25 Wickens Outlook On Racing16:10 Being Judged As A Driver18:30 Can This Technology Be Used Elsewhere21:25 Wickens Future Goals24:00 Being A Driver-Coach26:55 Favorite Motorsport To Watch28:00 Greatest Driver In The World30:30 Driver You Looked Up To31:35 Advice To Your Older Self34:20 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsRobert Wickens· Guest0:00
When they came on the radio, they told me P1, I just, like, started screaming. I actually was, like, crying in my helmet. It was just such a milestone, like, an achievement that, like, I belong here. The only guarantee from paralysis is that if you do nothing, nothing will happen. I would love the opportunity to do an Indy 500 one day. To have that opportunity to kinda put adaptive motorsport on the map, I think it's something that might need to be done.
Will Buxton· Host0:21
[rock music] Welcome to Speed with Harvick and Buxton- Yeah ... fueled by POET. And as always, we will talk racing. And today we're gonna talk racing with, uh, a good friend, uh, somebody whose story is so well-known, um, doesn't really need any more of an introduction other than to say he is Robert Wickens. How are you, my friend?
Robert Wickens· Guest0:45
How you doing, Will?
Will Buxton· Host0:46
I'm good, buddy. I'm good. I'm good. We've just been, just off-air, talking about the kids, um, and white noise machines, which are, I think, a core essential for anyone with babies, right?
Robert Wickens· Guest0:57
I got apps on my phone, I got plugged-in one, I got wireless ones. [laughs] You know, we're, we're ready to roll.
Will Buxton· Host1:03
Mate, um, racing not long ago in Long Beach, uh, an amazing weekend, uh, for a couple of reasons. Uh, the documentary that you guys have made, I know a couple of our friends got a sneaky little private peek.
Robert Wickens· Guest1:18
They did.
Will Buxton· Host1:19
Um, so very excited about that. But most of all, man, just to see you out there on track, um, absolutely incredible. Pole position, leading the race. I mean, look, this is your bread and butter,