Roger Pedrick, a quadriplegic former racing car driver, who was injured in a Formula Ford testing accident at Brands Hatch almost forty years ago has opened his first exhibition to display his paintings.
The exhibition was opened on Friday by Rodger’s long term friend Johnathan Palmer who has also had racing experience in Formula 1 at the Trinity Centre in Tunbridge Wells, Palmer has made this possible as his company Motorsport Vision currently operates the north Kent track.
The quadriplegia has left Roger with very limited movement below the shoulders, because of this he holds his brush between his teeth and uses a rotating easel to compensate for his lack of movement.
He is still a regular visitor at Brands Hatch, where his career was horrifically cut short 37 years ago; every year he presents a trophy to the highest placed English Driver in the Formula Ford festival, this tradition began in 1978 and notable recipients include Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert and the 2009 Formula 1 Championship winner Jenson Button.
Despite the difficulties he has faced, Roger remains light hearted and proud of what he has been able to achieve “I always wanted to do motor racing and I was bonkers about making it to the top and I had a go but I ended up a quadriplegic, like Frank Williams. I spent seven years in hospital and then I had to find somewhere to live and I found a place in Tunbridge Wells where I have carers to look after me. I had something to do to pass the time and I like creating and I like to make people smile so that’s how I got into painting. The paintings have been building up in my loft and I wanted somewhere to display them.”
Roger now hopes to be able to display his work all over the country as well as taking his work overseas in order to inspire others in a similar position to himself “Other people are finding it stimulating, exciting and colourful, so what I’d really like to do is take it to other galleries” he explained.
He is still able to inspire others in his life closer to home as well, Palmer, who also raced Formula Ford single-seaters at the same time as Pedrick has raised his long- term friend by saying “Roger is an inspiration – the way he has gone about his painting is as brave and determined as he was when racing cars all those years ago”, he continued by saying “the paintings are so good it’s about time they were put on exhibition so that more of us can enjoy them!”
Roger’s exhibition which includes over 150 paintings opened at the Trinity Theatre on the 15th of August.