Final practice, air demonstrations and music acts round out schedule Friday, May 24 at IMS. Read More>
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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway prides itself on its fire rescue and medical response teams that arrive to the scene of an accident within seconds. But how do they get that good? On Behind the Bricks, IMS President Doug Boles takes you through the annual Motorsports Safety Training at IMS, which features specific training scenarios for INDYCAR, NASCAR, IMSA and more to make sure every driver at IMS is safe. Watch Video>
On this episode of Doug and Drivers, 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson sits down with Doug Boles to talk about the pain of coming so close to scoring back-to-back wins, how he wanted to compete on ovals after his Formula 1 career and the transition to Andretti Global. Watch Video>
Why does Scott McLaughlin move his hands around so much in the car? What "button" is he pushing? What's the pressure of the iconic Yellow Submarine like? We cover that and so much more with Scott McLaughlin on the latest Doug and Drivers. Watch Video>
May 18, 2014 | By Verizon IndyCar Series
Joyrides don’t get much better. Sam Schmidt unveiled a Nevada vanity license plate, RCR4LIF, which summarized his thoughts about the SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) project and -- in more general terms – his life’s goal before the driver’s side door of the black Chevrolet Corvette Stingray closed. Schmidt, who is a quadriplegic as the result of a race car testing accident in 2000, drove the modified car for a few slow – compared to Verizon IndyCar Series cars – but thoroughly enjoyable laps on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before Pole Day qualifications. The project, a collaboration between Arrow Electronics and Ball Aerospace, was broached last late year and Schmidt “didn’t need two seconds to think about it before saying yes.” “Then,” he added, “I thought, ‘How are we going to do it?’ ’’ The details already had been set in motion by the tech companies, in cooperation with the neuroscience branch of the Air Force Research Laboratory and Falci Adaptive Motorsports. The car is fitted with advanced electronics and a human-to-machine interface to allow people with disabilities similar to Schmidt’s to drive solo. No hands or feet are required to drive it. Four sensors on the headwear transmit information to infrared cameras on the dashboard. Head tilting dictates steering and acceleration in 10 mph increments. A bite sensor slows the car. GPS technology prevents movement within 1.5 meters from virtual curbing and within a 10-meter steering width. “I think this will have huge benefits for people with disabilities down the road,” said Schmidt, co-owner of a Verizon IndyCar Series team that will have three cars start in the 98th Indy 500 on May 25. “This is a full-circle moment today. A lot of the emotions stem from being at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It got to qualify for the race three times. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed originally as a place to drive automotive innovation, and the multitude of innovations that have been discovered here over 102 years means a lot. “The thing that was so emotional and enlightening was the great sense of accomplishment that comes from doing something that feels normal. I do a lot of the things I did before, but I do it all with assistance. I’m not in control of the situation. But in this car I feel the most normal I’ve felt in 14 years.”