Ex-Indy Car Racer Rips His C8 up Goodwood Hill Using Nothing but Head Movements
Now-paralyzed Sam Schmidt never gave up on his dream and is still driving thanks to some serious tech.
By now, most are familiar with the story of Sam Schmidt. The former IndyCar driver was sadly paralyzed in all four limbs following a devastating crash at Walt Disney World Speedway back in 2000. Most obviously assumed that Schmidt would never race again, let alone drive, but he never gave up on his passion for either. Today, thanks to numerous advancements in technology, Schmidt is back behind the wheel of a specially modified C8 Corvette and even managed to rip up the legendary hill climb at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed recently.
Schmidt’s run, seen in the video below, is undoubtedly impressive. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that nothing special was going on here. But in reality, that’s certainly not the case, thanks to Schmidt’s determination and Arrow Electronics, a company that the former racer has been involved with for many years now.
The result is the somewhat mundane-looking C8 Corvette SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar), a follow-up to the pair’s previous C7-based effort. Over the last eight years or so, Arrow and Schmidt have been developing these vehicles so that they can be driven using nothing but head movements, a task that was completed just a year after work began.
Schmidt’s head movements are tracked by sensors inside the car, which turns in whatever direction he looks in. Acceleration and braking are controlled by a mouthpiece – Schmidt simply breathes into it to accelerate and inhales to brake. The force of each can easily be controlled by how much pressure he creates when inhaling or exhaling.
The kicker, of course, is honing that technology so that Schmidt can drive faster and take longer journies. So far, he’s embarked on some road trips and even taken a test run at Pike’s Peak, and now, up the iconic Goodwood hill climb. It’s a truly amazing sight to behold, even if it obviously wasn’t the quickest attempt of the weekend.
IndyCar team owner Sam Schmidt can control this Corvette C8 using only his head, thanks to some amazing high-tech modifications by Arrow Electronics! #FOS pic.twitter.com/52NLaFXCRl
— Goodwood Road&Racing (@GoodwoodRRC) July 9, 2021
After his crash, the then 35-year-old Schmidt was told that he would be lucky to live to see 40 and that he would be dependent on a ventilator for the rest of his life. Not only did he beat those odds, but Schmidt is also back to doing what he loves, and now he serves as a true inspiration for all of us.
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