Former IndyCar driver Robert Wickens was hospitalized after crashing midway through the first race of the opening round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series.
He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced in stable condition soon after arrival.
“After further evaluation at hospital, scans are complete and clear,” Bryan Herta Autosport wrote in a tweet. “Robert will stay in hospital overnight for precautionary observation.”
Wickens also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his gratitude to the outpouring of support.
— Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) April 6, 2024
That Wickens was racing at all is a dramatic turn of events after he was paralyzed in an IndyCar accident at Pocono Raceway in 2018 that left him paralyzed from the waist down and needing the assistance of hand controls. Wickens was competing for Rookie of the Year honors at the time.
Wickens quickly returned to the cockpit in July, 2019 in a support race for the IndyCar event at Exhibition Place in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario.
At the time, he told NBC Sports that he felt liberated to be back behind the wheel of a car.
“This was the longest I’ve not driven anything since I was 7 years old,” Wickens said in an introductory video shot after his initial drive that weekend. “It definitely felt like freedom. It was something that finally felt familiar to me.
“Braking points, hitting an apex, bouncing over curbs; it all felt the same. It was fun to figure that stuff out, and I’m really excited to keep this project going and see where it takes us.
“This is just Phase One of many more phases to come.”
Wickens further showed his talent behind the wheel by winning a championship in an IMSA Touring Car series in 2023.
