Nothing was going to stop Mike Nichols from competing in a race, especially one honoring a late friend and sponsor. With one good arm, he went on to win the IMCA stock car James Buwalda Memorial at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa, last Saturday.
The Cause of the Injury
Mike Nichols injured his arm when he crashed on a riding mower. He said when it failed, it freewheeled down a hill. Nichols couldn’t jump off because of the mower’s steering arms. In for the ride, when the mower hit a retaining wall, it threw Nichols off it. The mower then landed on top of him.
Nichols suffered bumps, bruises, and a torn rotator cuff.
“My left arm is completely dead because of the crash, but my hand and wrist were working, and my right arm was good,” Nichols, of Harlan, Iowa, said. “It’s been said that people who truly want to race will figure out how to race.”
The Prequel to the Win
At Shelby County Speedway, Nichols not only brought his stock car, but also a sport mod.
“Getting in and out of the sport mod was not easy,” said Nichols. “The stock car, on the other hand, was like putting on an old shoe — I felt comfortable. There is a wider opening to get in, and the cockpit had much more room. The seat angle was perfect. It was a lot easier to drive.”
The sport mod feature went out before the stock cars. Nichols finished fifth in that race.
“I lifted my left hand onto the steering wheel of the sport mod with my right hand and gripped it hard,” Nichols said. “I used my left hand for support and my right hand to maneuver the car.”
Nichols soon felt the pain of trying to use his left hand.
“I was in so much shoulder pain that I was in tears for most of the feature,” said Nichols. “I kept telling myself, ‘I’m a tough man. I can handle the pain.’”
The Winning Move
After the sport mod contest, Nichols put his left arm back in a sling. He decided to race the stock car with only his right arm.
“There was a couple of times when I didn’t feel I was driving smooth,” Nichols said. “I had to be conservative where I was usually aggressive on the track. Counter-steering was a problem — I couldn’t maintain a perfect slide with one hand. I had to keep the car straighter.”
From a 10th-place starting spot, Nichols won the feature.
“Some people called it talent to be driving with one arm,” said Nichols. “I don’t know if it was talent or stupidity. My wife and my two sisters are all nurses. So, I heard myself called stupid a few times.”
Going Forward
Nichols doesn’t have his appointment with a surgeon for a few weeks. He intends to race in the meantime.
“The damage is done — whenever I get in for surgery, I get in,” Nichols said. “I’m begging for help in the pits, though. We have to change gears from track to track. I can’t do it, and I can’t ask my wife.”
His lone crew member, Justin Gessert, helps when he can, but has four small children with summer activities.
Either way, Mike Nichols finds a way. He’s on a quest for 600 career wins and with his most victory, he’s at 592. Nichols has won every stock car race at Shelby County Speedway in 2022. He held the points lead at US 30 Speedway in Columbus, Nebraska, but missed last week’s race because of the accident. Nichols still leads the point standings at US 36 Raceway in Osborn, Missouri.
“Hitting four races a week like I usually do will be tough,” said Nichols, “seeing I can barely get through one night.”
(For more on Mike Nichols, read “Mike Nichols: Setting Incredible Records in IMCA”.)
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
