Sam Schmidt

Sam Schmidt ( born August 15, 1964 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is an American race car driver, team owner and entrepreneur.

He started from 1997 to 1999 to 27 races in the Indy Racing League. Since 2001 it belongs to the team Sam Schmidt Motorsports, who is competing in the IndyCar Series and Indy Lights.

Career

Schmidt completed after school to study, from which he graduated with the "Master of Business Affairs" (MBA). Schmidt works in time as an entrepreneur and participated in amateur races. In 1995, he decided at the age of 31 years to enter the professional motor sport as a racer. He first started in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup. A year later he competed in the U.S. F2000 National Championship in Formula racing. He ended his first season in fourth place in the championship.

In 1997, Schmidt in the Indy Racing League (IRL ). He started for Blueprint Racing and Racing LP of three Indy Racing League race. A tenth place in his debut season was his best placement. In the drivers' standings, he was 27 in 1998 started Schmidt for LP Racing / PCI. After driving in the first two races of the season twice in the top ten drivers, followed by eight less successful races. At the season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Schmidt finished second for the first time an Indy Racing League race on the podium. In the overall standings, he was in 14th place. In his third Indy Racing League season Schmidt drove for Treadway Racing. He finished six of the ten races and was always among the top ten pilots. After a third place in Fort Worth and a second place in Fountain, Schmidt won the Indy Racing League race at Las Vegas. With 233 points, he finished the season from fifth on the championship course. On the champion Greg Ray, he had a backlog of 60 points.

Schmidt 2000 should deny his fourth Indy Racing League season. During test runs on the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando Schmidt had a serious accident. Schmidt is a paraplegic down since the accident of the chest.

In 2001, the Schmidt team Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which in the IndyCar Series (formerly the Indy Racing League) is launched since then. In addition, the team in the Indy Lights is active. There won with Thiago Medeiros (2004), Jay Howard (2006 ), Alex Lloyd (2007 ), Jean Karl Vernay (2010 ), Josef Newgarden (2011) and Tristan Vautier (2012 ) a total of six riders the championship.

Others

Schmidt founded after his accident, the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, which advocates for research into cures and treatments for spinal cord injury as well as improving the quality of life.

Statistics

Career stations

Individual results in the IndyCar Series

( Legend)