▁SP M ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁Sebast i án ▁Sa aved ra . ▁It ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 2 ▁that ▁A les hin ▁would ▁no ▁longer ▁race ▁for ▁SP M ▁and ▁would ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁Sa aved ra ▁and ▁Jack ▁Har vey ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁season . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁SP M ▁announced ▁it ▁had ▁extended ▁James ▁Hin ch cl iffe ' s ▁contract , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁signing ▁fellow ▁Canadian ▁Robert ▁W ick ens ▁to ▁drive ▁the ▁No . ▁ 7 ▁( l ater ▁ren umber ed ▁to ▁No . ▁ 6 ) ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Le ena ▁G ade ▁became ▁Hin ch cl iffe ' s ▁lead ▁race ▁engineer ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁season , ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁female ▁lead ▁race ▁engineer ▁in ▁Ind y car . ▁W ick ens ▁then ▁suffered ▁a ▁hor r ific ▁crash ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁ABC ▁Supp ly ▁ 5 0 0 ▁at ▁Po cono ▁Race way , ▁a ▁crash ▁that ▁left ▁him ▁a ▁par ap leg ic . ▁W ick ens ▁issued ▁a ▁further ▁statement ▁clar ifying ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁hope ful ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁walk ▁again , ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁sp inal ▁cord ▁being ▁bru ised ▁rather ▁than ▁completely ▁sever ed ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁felt ▁' some ▁feeling ▁and ▁movement ' ▁back ▁in ▁his ▁legs ▁although ▁the ▁n erves ▁were ▁not ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁to ▁walk , ▁with ▁W ick ens ▁hoping