Former Indy Racing League driver Sam Schmidt hasn’t let an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down 17 years ago keep him from competing on the track. On Saturday, Schmidt is scheduled at 12:35 p.m. ET before the IndyCar Grand Prix in Indiana to go head-to-head against another former Indy driver Mario Andretti, 77, in a race of semi-autonomous (SAM) cars.
This will be the first race ever where two semi-autonomous cars have raced against each other. The car allows the drivers to use their heads to pilot the car. The car that Schmidt will drive today is controlled by a high-tech headset that has sensors on it. To steer, Schmidt simply has to tilt his head and he can use voice commands to shift gears and turn the car on and off. A sip-and-puff device Schmidt breathes into is used to brake and accelerate instead of a pedal.
“It’s always exciting when I can get in this awesome car and go fast,” Schmidt, who was injured when he crashed during a practice lap at the Walt Disney World SpeedWay in Orlando, said in a statement. “However, this time will have extra meaning as I never had a chance to race against Mario during my driving career. He is a true legend that is world renowned and I appreciate his willingness to participate and showcase the next evolution of this technology.”
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Schmidt has been working with Arrow Electronics Inc. since 2013 to create the SAM car, which can be driven at high speeds by quadriplegic drivers. The 52-year-old Schmidt has been driving this car for months – sitting behind the wheel of his first semi-autonomous car in 2014 – and in October, Schmidt was issued the country’s first autonomous vehicle restricted driver’s license. That may give him a slight advantage on Andretti, who will be driving an Arrow-modified Stingray SAM Car that uses the same technology.
Fans will be able to participate in the race by donating $10 and texting either “Sam” or “Mario” to 50555 before or during the race. The proceeds will go to Schmidt’s nonprofit, Conquer Paralysis Now.
“This is awesome,” Andretti told IndyCar.com. “It’s a great opportunity to see what (the project) is all about. I feel like I’m really, really going to be struggling. I just asked for 70 more horsepower and they haven’t said anything.
“It’s going to be interesting on the road course. There will be a lot more work to do and a lot more braking. Hopefully, that will work in my favor. We’re going to have it out, big time.”