IndyCar rookie Robert Wickens returns to Road America

“When I drove the free practice here last year … this was just kind of a (check off) a bucket-list item, driving IndyCar on one of the best tracks in America,” Wickens said Saturday.

“A year later, I’m a full-time IndyCar driver,” he added. “This is a new car, it’s a new season and so far it’s going well.”

Wickens will start fifth on Sunday, building on top-five finishes in all three practice rounds at Road America this weekend.

It helps that Wickens feels comfortable on road courses. He put up impressive times this weekend at Road America despite not actually racing at the course since 2007.

“I’m at home a road course. I can jump into this IndyCar and I’m confident right away I can be quick,” he said as crew members worked on the car in the garage after practice.

Still, a year ago, he held back while subbing for Aleshin. The Russian driver had brief troubles returning to the United States after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Because if you put it all on the line and you crash,” Wickens said, “you look like that idiot who crashed when you were just reserving for someone else.”

Back then, Wickens said he was happy driving in Europe in DTM with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. But he made the move to IndyCar this year after Mercedes said it was pulling out of the series.

Wickens grew up with fellow Schmidt driver James Hinchcliffe, who recommended Wickens in the first place to fill in last year for Aleshin. Wickens and Hinchcliffe were karting teammates as teens in Canada.

Hinchcliffe said he tried to “sit back” and let team members come to their own conclusions about Wickens.

“What I didn’t want to happen is I didn’t want people to think I was trying to get my buddy in the seat,” Hinchcliffe said. “If you looked at everything on paper, the facts were this is the best available guy in the world for this car … I wanted them to figure it on out on own rather than just hammer it in.”

Wickens is making Hinchcliffe look good. The rookie is seventh in the driver standings, 113 points behind leader Scott Dixon going into the Road America.

“Yeah, it’s really fun saying, I told you so,” Hinchcliffe said Friday with a laugh.

Wickens started at the pole in his debut race at St. Petersburg, but he finished 18th despite leading 69 of 110 laps. Wickens had a win in sights until two late cautions set up NASCAR-style late restarts. Contact with Alexander Rossi on the final restart sent Wickens off course, and Sebastien Bourdais went on to take the checkered flag. Wickens finished 18th.

Otherwise, Wickens has finished in the top 10 six times this year, including two top-three finishes. His best starting positions have come on road courses, including only his pole start at St. Pete, and second-place starts at the IndyCar Grand Prix and Belle Isle.

“I think the timing was right. Happy to be a part of it,” Wickens said. “Even more, I’m happy that the results are coming in the first year.”

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More AP Auto Racing: https://racing.ap.org

Genaro C. Armas, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

IndyCar rookie Robert Wickens returns to Road America

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