Robert Wickens Moves Up To WeatherTech In 2025

DXDT Racing announced Monday afternoon (Nov. 25) that Robert Wickens will move up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and drive the team’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the sprint races in 2025. It will be his first start in IMSA’s top series since being paralyzed below the waist in a 2018 INDYCAR crash at Pocono Raceway.

“This is the opportunity I have been seeking for quite a while now, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support from David Askew at DXDT, Bosch and General Motors,” Wickens said in a press release. “My goal since returning to racing was to race in the IMSA WeatherTech [SportsCar Championship], so to tick that box with a limited schedule in 2025 is a huge step in achieving my goals. It was never going to be an easy task, but when great minds put their heads together anything is possible.”

“It’s always great when you can add a driver of Robert’s caliber to the team,” said DXDT Racing owner David Askew. “He is a top driver and has shown through drive and resilience that nothing is out of reach, evidenced by his race wins and championship titles in TCR. It’s certainly going to be a new challenge for all of us, but it’s one I’m so excited to take on. I know with all the work by us, Bosch, GM, and Pratt Miller this offseason, we’re in a good position to hit the ground running in Long Beach.”

Such a move is possible for Wickens due to recent advances in hand control technology. During the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks weekend at Indianapolis in September, Wickens debuted a new Bosch electronic braking system in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR. The new device allows for electronic braking of all four wheels using a brake ring. The system is portable to seemingly any race car, as opposed to being bespoke.

“Honestly, [the new system] feels great,” Wickens said during the press conference at IMS. “So far, it’s doing everything I want it to do, and with no latencies or surprises like I’ve had in the past. I’m just really looking forward to the potential that the system has for me. From a driving standpoint, I feel like we’re probably 80 to 85 percent where I want it to be. I know it’s just going to keep getting better and better as I continue to adapt and re-learn my braking techniques, and really still continue to work on and improve the finesse of the system, because it’s still very young in its life.”

During the press conference in September, Wickens indicated that he wanted to expand his horizons in sports car racing. The previous system that he has been using in Michelin Pilot Challenge really couldn’t be used at a higher level than TCR racing due to the requirements, which included hardware in the driver’s footwell.

Wickens will join Charlie Eastwood, Alec Udell and Salih Yoluc in the DXDT Corvette. His debut with the team will take place on the streets of Long Beach in April. It is unclear who will be partnering up with Wickens.

Long Beach will not mark Wickens’ debut in WeatherTech. He has one previous start in the series, the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona for Starworks Motorsport, before his injuries. In that race, he was credited with a fifth-place finish in the PC class, but the team failed to finish due to a crash.

Wickens comes to DXDT Racing after racing for the past three years for Bryan Herta Autosport in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge’s TCR class. In 30 starts, Wickens earned three victories and won the 2023 TCR championship alongside Harry Gottsacker.