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Rookie racer Wickens looks for more luck

- By Genaro C. Armas

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — - ert Wickens emerged from his trailer after a meeting America.

has to get ready for a race at the rural Wisconsin road course.

Wickens is off to an impressive start this weekend at Road America, a year after taking driver for Mikhail Aleshin for one day of practice.

former DTM star, has the stay in the driver’s seat of Peterson Motorsport­s for Prix today.

“When I drove the free practice here last year ... this was just kind of a (check off) tracks in America,” Wickens said Saturday.

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

rounds at Road America this weekend.

It helps that Wickens courses. He put up impressive times this weekend at Road America despite not actually racing at the course

“I’m at home a road course. the car in the garage after practice.

Still, a year ago, he held Aleshin. The Russian driver to the United States after the “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 after Mercedes said it was pulling out of the series.

Wickens grew up with fellow Schmidt driver James Hinchcliff­e, who recommend Wickens and Hinchcliff­e were karting teammates as teens

Hinchcliff­e said he tried

“What I didn’t want to happen is I didn’t want people to think I was trying to get my cliffe said. “If you looked at everything on paper, the facts guy in the world for this car

on out on own rather than just hammer it in.”

Wickens is making Hinchcliff­e look good. The rookie is seventh in the driver stand Scott Dixon going into the Road America.

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

 ?? / AP file - Darron Cummings ?? Robert Wickens, a rookie driver from Canada, is among the top 10 in the IndyCar point standings.
/ AP file - Darron Cummings Robert Wickens, a rookie driver from Canada, is among the top 10 in the IndyCar point standings.

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