Sam Schmidt
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Sam Schmidt (born August 15, 1964 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is a former Indy Racing League driver and current IRL and Indy Pro 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. His first drove professionally in 1995 in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series at the age of 31, an unusually old age by racing standards to begin a professional career. Nonetheless, he won rookie of the year honors.
In 1997 he made his first IRL start and was a rising star in the league, netting his first victory from the pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1999, finishing fifth in series points that year. During that offseason on January 6, 2000, while testing in preparation for the 2000 season, Sam Schmidt suffered a horrendous crash at Walt Disney World Speedway that rendered him a Quadriplegic, leaving him on a respirator for five weeks.
After leaving the hospital, and inspired by meeting paraplegic Formula One team owner Sir Frank Williams, he founded Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which has become one of the most successful teams in the short history of the Infiniti Pro Series winning the 2004 series championship with Thiago Medeiros and the 2006 title with Jay Howard. Sam Schmidt Motorsports has also participated in the Indianapolis 500 with several drivers and was a full-time IndyCar series team in 2001 and 2002.
Sam now lives in the Las Vegas area and travels over 120 days per year despite his medical condition.
