Sam Schmidt
| Sam Schmidt | |
|---|---|
Sam Schmidt in 2015
|
|
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
August 15, 1964 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Retired | 2000 |
| IndyCar Series | |
| Years active | 1997–1999 |
| Teams |
Blueprint Racing LP Racing Treadway Racing |
| Starts | 26 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Best finish | 5th in 1999 |
| Previous series | |
| 1995 | USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series |
Samuel "Sam" Schmidt (born August 15, 1964, in Lincoln, Nebraska) is a former Indy Racing League driver and current Verizon IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights series team owner.
After graduating from Pepperdine University, he became a successful businessman, eventually purchasing his father's parts company in 1989 at the age of 25. He raced at a competitive amateur level, supported by his business income, but dreamed of someday driving in the Indianapolis 500. He first drove professionally in 1995 in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series at the age of 31 which, by racing standards, is an unusually old age to begin a professional career. Nonetheless, he won Rookie of the Year honors.
In 1997 he made his first IRL start and became a rising star in the league, raced in 3 consecutive Indianapolis 500's, and netted his first victory from the pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1999, finishing fifth in series points that year. During that offseason, while testing in preparation for the 2000 season, Schmidt crashed at Walt Disney World Speedway on January 6, 2000. The accident rendered him a quadriplegic, and put him on a respirator for five months.
After leaving the hospital, Schmidt, no longer able to actually drive a racecar, realized he needed to find a new passion and follow it. Inspired by meeting tetraplegic Formula One team owner Sir Frank Williams, he founded Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which has become the most successful team in the history of the Indy Lights series, winning the 2004 series championship with Thiago Medeiros, the 2006 title with Jay Howard, and the 2007 title with Alex Lloyd. Sam Schmidt Motorsports was a full-time IndyCar series team in 2001 and 2002, and continues to participate annually in the Indianapolis 500. In the Firestone Indy Lights series, as of August 2009 the team had posted 30 victories out of 100 starts.
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