Sam Schmidt Drives his Semi-Autonomous Corvette Z06 to 190 MPH at Nellis Air Force Base

Quadriplegic racing legend Sam Schmidt continues to break barriers in his high-tech Corvette Z06.

During a Veterans Day program Saturday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Schmidt smashed his old speed record by hitting 190 mph on a two-mile-long runway.

More importantly, though, Schmidt and his work behind the wheel of the Arrow Electronics SAM (semi-autonomous” Corvette are helping open doors for wounded warriors. In fact, the company is investigating the idea of SAM-enabled forklifts, tractors, long-haul trailers, and other equipment that could be modified to provide more job opportunities for disabled veterans.

“The theme of this year’s airshow was ‘Breaking Barriers,’ and that’s what our SAM car project is all about: breaking barriers with technology,” said Joe Verrengia, Arrow’s global director of corporate social responsibility. “We want to highlight to the disabled veterans’ community how technology can provide them with not only improved mobility, but also with inspiration and opportunities. We wanted to do our best for them, and to hit a new speed record on Veterans Day with the Air Force is definitely a proud moment for this project.”

We wouldn’t be surprised at anything Schmidt and his team accomplish after they shattered his old SAM Car speed record of 152 mph set last May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Quite a feat considering that Schmidt has been paralyzed from the chest down since a racing accident in 2000 and once thought he would never be able to drive a car again. But in 2014, Arrow engineers modified a Z06 that Schmidt can operate safely and independently using only the motions of his head.

We’d love to see Arrow get one of the new 755 horsepower ZR1s that Chevy announced the day after Schmidt drove his Z06 to the record 190 mph. Can you imagine what he could do with that beast?

Source:
bizjournals.com

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[VIDEO] Schmidt and Andretti Prepare for Saturday’s Semi-Autonomous Corvette Race at IMS
Sam Schmidt First in Nation to Receive Drivers License for Autonomous Car