The Canadian – who suffered a serious spinal injury in 2018 in an IndyCar crash at Pocono that left him paraplegic – was making his debut in the series, sharing a Target SRL Hyundai Elantra N with his Canadian co-driver Mark Wilkins.
It was the first race of a double event to start the NLS endurance season, a 28-lap round on the fearsome 25.378km circuit, renowned as one of the greatest circuits in the world.
Their car suffered an initial crash with the #3 Falken-branded Porsche, which left some damage to the rear of the #831 Elantra, which was patched when Wickens pitted.
Following the serious accident mid-race, which reportedly occurred at the end of the Dottinger-Hohe stretch towards the end of the lap, the 35-year-old Canadian was transported to the nearby Neuwied hospital for precautionary checks, after being declared “conscious and alert” by the his team Bryan Herta Autosport on its social channels.
While there is no official account of the incident, on-board footage of the #4 Porsche showed damage to the barrier at the final corner, where Wickens is believed to have hit the tire wall and gone over the fence.
Shortly after 5pm, the BHA released another update on his condition: “After further assessment in hospital, x-rays are complete and clear. Robert will remain in hospital overnight as a precaution.”
Wickens won the TCR title in last year's IMSA Pilot Challenge series in America with the BHA-backed Hyundai team, partnered with Harry Gottsacker.
It uses manual controls to manage the accelerator, brake and clutch, a system that can be deactivated to allow its co-drivers to drive the car in a normal way.
As his recovery from his spinal injury “halted,” Wickens has set a long-term goal of becoming the first disabled driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500.
UPDATE: Wickens tweeted that he was “feeling good” and “looking forward to getting back on track and back to work with BHA.”
It has been tipped to take part in next month's Nurburgring 24 Hours, but the news was not confirmed when Motorsport.com contacted the South Korean manufacturer last week.
The NLS is emerging from a controversial winter, marred by political infighting, and only took part after a legal challenge with the circuit's Russian-owned company, which wants to run its own Nurburgring Endurance Series.
#33 Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Elantra N TCR: Robert Wickens, Harry Gottsacker
Photo by: TCR media
“Do you still have a car?”: Wickens in good spirits after serious accident
After the terrible accident at NLS1, Wickens is already talking about driving again, even if the causes of the crash are not yet clear.
The next day he was in excellent spirits. He ate a pizza in the hospital and spoke with the manufacturer about the possibility of racing again. Good news, because the headlines could have been very different after the terrible accident at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife.
Details are scarce. What is certain, however, is that Wickens crossed the Hohenrain chicane at high speed and crashed head-on. The car then overturned over the fence, ending up in the adjacent parking area, which was empty at the time.
This was his luck, because it took away some of the impact energy from the vehicle. The landing was relatively soft. Wickens was flown by helicopter to hospital in Neuwied. He has remained there ever since and will stay for another day for medical tests.
Medical observation is a little more difficult for a paraplegic and it is not always easy to determine whether an injury was already present or whether it was caused by the current accident. For this reason further checks are being carried out.
However, the 35-year-old is in a positive mood. As a Hyundai spokesperson confirmed to Motorsport.com, Saturday night's discussions centered on the possibility of driving again. “Do you still have a car?” was the first question.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing
Wickens' crash occurred at the end of his 13th lap, meaning he was still two steps away from earning the DMSB Permit Nordschleife (DPN) A, which would qualify him to start the 24h race in a high-performance car. performance. In theory, he could complete them during qualifying for the 24 Hours next weekend. But before that, there is still a discussion to have with his family.
The causes of the accident involving the Hyundai Elantra N TCR are still unknown. The car, whose safety systems worked perfectly during the accident, was taken directly to the Hyundai Motorsport headquarters in Alzenau. It is still being investigated why the car shot forward at an unusually high speed.
The car was entered by Target Competition with the help of US personnel, as Wickens has competed in the IMSA Pilot Challenge since 2022. The accident will be the subject of a thorough investigation. However, the fact that Wickens is out of danger demonstrates the level of safety achieved in motorsport.
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