Sam Schmidt

Racer. Founder.
Champion of the Possible.

Former IndyCar driver. Quadriplegic. Entrepreneur. The man who drove 213 mph with his breath — and then built two national rehabilitation centers to help others reclaim their lives.

IndyCar Race Winner Arrow SAM Car Pioneer Founder, Conquer Paralysis Now Founder, DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Author — No Finish Line
Order No Finish Line His Story
Who He Is

A Life Lived Without Limits

Sam Schmidt grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, graduated from Pepperdine University, and became a successful entrepreneur — buying his father's industrial parts company at age 25. But his real passion was speed. He began racing competitively in his 30s, and by 1999 he had reached the pinnacle of American open-wheel racing: winning from pole position in the Indy Racing League in Las Vegas.

On January 6, 2000, a practice crash at Walt Disney World Speedway ended his driving career in an instant. Schmidt sustained a C-3/4/5 spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic. He was 35 years old.

What followed is not a story of what was lost — it's a story of what was built. In the 26 years since that crash, Sam Schmidt has founded a motorsports team that won 75 races and seven championships, pioneered the world's most advanced adaptive driving technology, and built a national nonprofit and rehabilitation network dedicated to restoring independence for thousands living with paralysis.

He danced at his daughter's wedding. He drove at 213 miles per hour. He is, by any measure, a man who refuses to accept a finish line.

75
Race wins as team owner
7
Championships won as team owner
213
MPH reached in the Arrow SAM Car
$15M+
Invested in paralysis research & support
2
DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Centers (& growing)
The Racing Career

Born to Compete

Sam Schmidt lifting the winner's trophy at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 1999
October 1999
IRL victory lane, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Schmidt's first and only IRL win — from pole position.
1964
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska
Graduated from Pepperdine University, then took over his father's industrial parts company at age 25. Racing was always the dream.
1995
Professional Racing Debut
Made his professional racing debut in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series at age 31, winning Rookie of the Year honors.
1997
First Indy Racing League Start
Entered the IRL and quickly established himself as a competitive presence on the oval circuit.
1999
Wins from Pole in Las Vegas
Earned his first IRL race victory — from pole position — in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.
Jan 6, 2000
The Crash That Changed Everything
Struck the wall at nearly 200 mph during practice at Walt Disney World Speedway. Sustained a C-3/4/5 spinal cord injury.
2001
Sam Schmidt Motorsports Founded
Just 14 months after his accident, Schmidt launched his race team. 75 wins, 7 championships followed.
2011–Present
IndyCar Team Co-Owner
Moved Sam Schmidt Motorsports into IndyCar; now co-owner of Arrow McLaren — a premier open-wheel team.
2014–Present
Drives Again — The Arrow SAM Car
Partnered with Arrow Electronics to pioneer a semi-autonomous car controlled by head tilt, breath, and voice. Top speed: 213 mph.
January 6, 2000

The Crash. The Choice. The Comeback.

Sam Schmidt had just won his first Indy Racing League race. He was 35, at the peak of his career, and testing at Walt Disney World Speedway when he backed into the wall at nearly 200 miles per hour.

The impact fractured his cervical spine at the C-3/4/5 level. He woke up unable to move his arms or legs. The doctors were clear: he would spend the rest of his life as a quadriplegic.

What the doctors couldn't predict was what he would do with that life.

"I wrote No Finish Line to help others find inspiration to build a life beyond their wildest dreams."

Schmidt chose to channel his competitive drive, his business acumen, and his personal experience into something larger than racing.

Life After the Crash

  • 1
    Founded the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation within months of his accident.
  • 2
    Launched Sam Schmidt Motorsports just 14 months post-injury — 75 wins, 7 championships.
  • 3
    Co-created the Arrow SAM Car — controlled by head tilt, breath, and voice. Top speed: 213 mph.
  • 4
    Received Nevada's first driver's license ever issued to a person with high-level quadriplegia.
  • 5
    Rebranded his foundation as Conquer Paralysis Now (2014) and opened the first DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center (2018).
  • 6
    Opened a 114,000 sq ft DRIVEN facility in Indianapolis in October 2024 — a $20M investment.
  • 7
    Danced at his daughter's wedding. Lived beyond every limit he was given.
Arrow SAM Car

When Technology Gives Back Control

In 2014, Arrow Electronics approached Schmidt with a radical idea: build a car that a quadriplegic could drive at racing speeds using only their head, breath, and voice.

SAM stands for Semi-Autonomous Motorcar. The result was a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray transformed into the most advanced adaptive driving platform ever created.

Infrared Head-Tracking Steering
Infrared cameras read Schmidt's head tilts with millimeter precision at speeds topping 150 mph.
Sip-and-Puff Acceleration
Breath controls the throttle and brakes — sip to accelerate, puff to brake.
AI-Based Steering System
NVIDIA Jetson Orin platform delivers accuracy and low latency for competitive driving speeds.
Street-Legal & Licensed
Nevada DMV issued Schmidt the first driver's license ever for a person with high-level quadriplegia.
213 MPHCONTROLLED BY BREATH

The Arrow SAM Car is more than a technological achievement — it's proof of what's possible when engineers and advocates refuse to accept limitation as permanent. For Schmidt, every drive is a statement: paralysis is not a finish line.

In partnership with Arrow Electronics & NVIDIA
The Mission

Building the Infrastructure
to Conquer Paralysis

Sam Schmidt has invested more than $15 million and more than two decades into building one of the most comprehensive paralysis research and recovery ecosystems in the United States.

Conquer Paralysis Now

Founded by Schmidt in 2000 in the immediate aftermath of his injury, CPN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a clear mission: advance a cure for paralysis while empowering those with neurological conditions to live independent lives.

CPN funds breakthrough research, advocates at the policy level, and builds support programming for patients and families — regardless of insurance or financial means.

2000
Year Founded
$15M+
Invested in Research
Visit conquerparalysisnow.org →

DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Centers

Opened in 2018, DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Centers combine state-of-the-art adaptive technology, expert clinical care, and a community-driven philosophy to help individuals with paralysis and neurological conditions regain strength, independence, and hope.

What sets DRIVEN apart: access is not dependent on insurance or finances.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Original location — opened November 2018
Indianapolis, Indiana
114,000 sq ft facility — opened October 2024. National headquarters.
Visit drivenlv.org →
New Book — Available May 2026
No Finish Line book cover by Sam Schmidt

No Finish Line

A Racer's Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose

On January 6, 2000, Sam Schmidt backed into a wall at nearly 200 miles per hour. He broke his neck. He was told he would never move his arms or legs again.

What he was not told — what no one could have predicted — was everything he would do next.

No Finish Line is Schmidt's memoir: an unflinching account of the crash, the reckoning, and the extraordinary life he built. From founding a championship motorsports team to pioneering adaptive driving technology, from building a national rehabilitation network to dancing at his daughter's wedding.

Co-authored with 12-time New York Times bestselling author Don Yaeger, and narrated in audio by Schmidt's son Spencer.

"Sam Schmidt's story — his racing success, his adversity, his fighting spirit and optimism — is essential reading for anyone facing a life-changing challenge."
— Mario Andretti, IndyCar Legend
Release Date
May 19, 2026
Publisher
Diversion Books
Formats
Hardcover · eBook · Audiobook
Audiobook Narrator
Spencer Schmidt (Sam's son)
Order on Amazon Audiobook Porchlight Books

All author proceeds benefit DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Centers and Conquer Paralysis Now.

Speaking

A Message That Moves Audiences

Sam Schmidt brings the same relentless drive that made him a competitive IndyCar driver — and the hard-won perspective of someone who rebuilt his entire life from the ground up — to stages around the world.

01
Resilience Under Pressure
How to rebuild identity, purpose, and forward momentum after catastrophic loss.
02
Innovation & Adaptive Technology
What the Arrow SAM Car taught us about solving problems that seem impossible.
03
Building a Mission-Driven Organization
From a foundation started in a hospital room to two national rehabilitation centers.
04
There Is No Finish Line
A keynote built around the central theme of the book.

Book Sam Schmidt

Sam is available for keynotes, corporate events, fundraising galas, motorsport conferences, and healthcare industry events.

Inquire About Booking