Quadriplegic Former IndyCar Racer Uses Head and Mouth to Drive C7 Corvette
There’s nothing really new about a Corvette having the ability to lift a person’s spirits. Just seeing a new Stingray has been known to bring a smile to more than a few faces. But it’s hard to imagine a more uplifting Corvette story than that of former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt’s recent Long Beach track run in a C7.
Schmidt, now a quadriplegic after a bad crash, took to the track during the weekend of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to navigate the twists and turns of a street course, which he pulled off without a hitch. Pretty amazing considering the fact that Schmidt operates the car with his head and mouth only, as highlighted in a recent NBC Sports report.
The customized C7, known as the SAM Car, was developed with the help of Arrow Electronics. Schmidt already drove the car for four ceremonious laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as highlighted in the video below, but the twists and turns of the Long Beach course is even further proof of the car and driver’s abilities.
“Driving this car made me feel normal,” Schmidt told NBC. “I’m just in control where I haven’t been in so long.”
I can’t say I’ve ever heard anything said about a Corvette that’s quite as moving .
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via [NBC Sports, WISH-TV]