Charlie Kimball is an IndyCar driver born in England, but raised in California. He is the first IndyCar driver with diabetes to qualify and start for the Indianapolis 500.
Kimball’s father, who designed Formula 1 and Indy cars, inspired his success, and by 2005, Kimball had amassed several race wins.
In 2005, he won the British F3 Race, becoming the first American to do so.
Team departure
In 2007, Kimball was competing for the Italian Victory Engineering team in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. However, upon losing 25 pounds in five days, Kimball was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and had to take the rest of the year off.
Upon adopting an insulin regiment and learning to understand blood testing, Kimball returned in April 2008, finishing second on his first race back.
Kimball manages his blood glucose levels during races through a continuous glucose monitor , worn externally, that transfers readings to a display on Kimball’s steering wheel. He also keeps sugar inside the car for when his levels drop.
Kimball won his first IndyCar race in 2013 and has competed in the last five Indianapolis 500 events. He is now a spokesman for Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company, and encourages children with diabetes not to give up on their dreams.
