Quadriplegic racer’s next challenge: Pikes Peak
ENGLEWOOD – He hit 152 mph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and maneuvered through the Long Beach Grand Prix. Sam Schmidt is now taking on one of the most unforgiving road courses in the world: Pikes Peak.
Schmidt, a quadriplegic, controls Arrow Electronics’ SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) vehicle using his head.
He will participate in The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the modified Corvette on Sunday and lead the parade of cars down the mountain following the event. Schmidt is not competing in the race, but the goal is to post a respectable time.
In his DNA
Schmidt’s love of racing started in 1969, with a 50cc Honda motorbike. He was 5 when he entered his first motocross race. The speed, the wind in his face, the jubilation of victory – he loved it all.
“It’s part of my DNA,” said Schmidt, 51.
He graduated from Pepperdine University and had a business career before he ever raced professionally – at 31 years old. Schmidt won his first race in 1999 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and finished a career-best fifth in the 1999 IndyCar Series.
His life changed in an instant on Jan. 6, 2000.
He crashed into the wall of the Walt Disney World Speedway during a practice run and found himself lying in a hospital bed, unable to move anything below his shoulders. Schmidt spent six months in the hospital and doctors said he’d never walk again.
But he wouldn’t let the racing career die. In 2001, he founded a racing team that has won six Indy Light Championships, the most successful team in the series.
“I enjoy competition, but I don’t like to dwell on what I can’t do,” Schmidt said. “I like to find the ability in disability. I wasn’t going to cry in my milk.”
The idea
A dozen engineers and doctors with Arrow Electronics, a distribution company based in Englewood, gathered for a brainstorming dinner in June 2013 to discuss something that had never been done.
“It all started with a simple question,” engineer Noel Marshall said. “Can we get a quadriplegic to drive a race car?”
Scott Falci, a neurosurgeon and former SAM Project team member, knew Schmidt and made a call.
“If you build it, I’ll drive it,” Schmidt replied.
With one condition:
“If you’re not interested in going at least 100 mph, I’m not interested in driving your car,” Schmidt said.
Engineering the car
The Corvette Z06 sits in a garage in Englewood, surrounded by a team of five engineers who make sure the car is perfect for Sunday’s Hill Climb. Engineering the car has taken three years, starting from the goal of hitting 100 mph in Indianapolis to climbing a 14,000-foot mountain.
Here’s how it works: Four infrared cameras are placed in front of the driver, which track movement from the specially designed sunglasses with sensors. As Schmidt turns his head, the steering wheel follows.
For managing speed, Schmidt breathes through a tube that analyzes air pressure. Breathe in to go faster, suck in to slow. A voice control system helps him change gears and turn on windshield wipers.
The driver’s seat camera system was designed by a customer of Arrow’s to be used in motion-capture film. The engineers use it to turn a steering wheel.
“We talk to companies all the time that we’re working with and they tell us, ‘You know this was never intended for what you’re doing. This is so far outside what we ever imagined it for,'” engineer Will Pickard said.
Marshall said a goal is for Schmidt to get his driver’s license – with restrictions. She hopes it can be done this year.
“So many people out there with disabilities think their life is over, think they can’t be an active member of society,” Schmidt said. “This is an example that that’s all crap. You can get married, have kids, have a normal life. This is proof of that.”
A breakthrough
To take on Pikes Peak, Schmidt will use a co-driver who sits in the passenger seat to assist in controlling the car in case of an emergency. The course warranted a driver who “knew the mountain in his sleep,” Schmidt said, so they recruited nine-time Hill Climb winner Robby Unser to man the passenger seat.
“When you’re going that fast, it’s a lot about communication,” Pickard said. “We talk technically about things. When we were talking about certain stuff, Sam was like, ‘Sure, make it work. I trust you.'”
“All of a sudden we had somebody (Unser) with Sam who could talk the language of a race car.”
On June 10, he and Unser went on a test ride up Pikes Peak as flurries of snow blew across the road.
Schmidt crossed the finish line in just over 15 minutes.
Joe Verrengia, one of the project’s directors, embraced Schmidt after he navigated the 156 turns on America’s Mountain.
“This is a triumph,” Verrengia told Schmidt. “This isn’t just a fast lap. This is a breakthrough for everybody.”
Former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt drives a modified Corvette on Pikes Peak June 10, 2016. The Arrow Electronics’ SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) is controlled completely by the quadriplegic driver’s head. Photo courtesy of Scott Robinson, Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt drives a modified Corvette on Pikes Peak June 10, 2016. The Arrow Electronics’ SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) is controlled completely by the quadriplegic driver’s head. Photo courtesy of Scott Robinson, Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt drives a modified Corvette on Pikes Peak June 10, 2016. The Arrow Electronics’ SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) is controlled completely by the quadriplegic driver’s head. Photo courtesy of Bear Gutierrez, Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt drives a modified Corvette on Pikes Peak June 10, 2016. The Arrow Electronics’ SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) is controlled completely by the quadriplegic driver’s head. Photo courtesy of Scott Robinson, Arrow Electronics, Inc.