Rocket Bob: Aiming for a fastest wheelchair record

Imagine skimming close to a paved track at 100 miles per hour, wind blasting in your face, as a rocket propels you along.

In a kind-of wheelchair.

Bob Gullickson plans to do that in September when he'll take to the racetrack in Brainerd, Minn., to attempt to set a world speed record. His machine resembles a high-tech go-cart more than a wheelchair, but both Gullickson and inventor Ky Michaelson agree that a standard wheelchair isn't safe for that kind of speed.

"I just always loved going fast," said Gullickson, self-branded as "Rocket Bob." "I'm not afraid to do this but I want to get it over with."

Gullickson, 44, is a paraplegic who has used a wheelchair since he was 19. He was a cook in the U.S. Navy in California when he took a tumble from his motorcycle and fell on a landscape stake that struck his spinal column.

Nowadays, the Forest Lake man is addicted to hot cars, fast motors and the element of surprise.

"It's not just speed, but to do something that surprises myself and others," he explained recently at his house in Forest Lake. "I think I have a desire to do things that have speed involved, but I won't do anything faster than my guardian angel says is OK."

Michaelson, a nationally renowned inventor when it comes to the world of speed, invented the machine that Gullickson will drive. It weighs about 150 pounds, shoots forward on a hydrogen peroxide-fueled thrust, and has handles on the back to resemble a wheelchair.

The Guinness Book of World Records has advised him that a new category called "fastest wheelchair" has been opened in anticipation of his September dash. He'll be the first wheelchair user to set a record, but he won't know how fast he's comfortable driving until he practices.

It's not like Gullickson will shoot forth uncontrollably after the rocket fires because he can control acceleration from the driver's seat. Still, he expects to climb to possibly 100 mph in less that six seconds in front of a crowd assembled at a muscle car "shootout" in Brainerd. He hopes some of those fans who come to see the rumbling big cars and their drivers will stay to see him drive.

"If that means my five seconds of fame is only five seconds, so be it," he said.

The tricky part at a fast speed, Michaelson said, is that the chair could flip if Gullickson steers too abruptly. Still, he's in full support of Gullickson's undertaking.

"I'm game," Michaelson said. "I know he's put a lot of effort into it. I've got to hand it to him. He's a pretty determined guy."

Nothing about Gullickson's intended journey on the track dwells on his disability. "I've seen a lot of guys in wheelchairs who have chips on their shoulders, try to push health and fitness on you, but I'm just a regular guy, I'm normal," he said. "Being in a wheelchair didn't stop my brain."

Young people sometimes ask what it's like to have no use of his legs.

"I love telling them how easy it turned out to be," he said. "The more you do something, the easier it gets. Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do something."

To that end, Gullickson enters his 1929 Ford Tudor sedan in car shows and he's a member of the Pharoahs car club. He even has a "Pharoah hound" named Buddy, a lively red dog with pointed ears that keeps him company. They've done their fair share of cruising, and Gullickson said he got over his fear years ago of how he, as a disabled person, might look to other people.

Michaelson, who has built rockets since he got his first chemistry set at age 12, said he understands completely why Gullickson wants to race the rocket-powered chair.

"I really hope he gets his dream," Michaelson said.

Kevin Giles • 612-673-4432