News:

5-28-2006
Day in the Life
People with disparate jobs are all essential at the Speedway

Greg Griffo / The Star

Sam Schmidt, team owner

He takes three hours to get up and out the door in the morning. He starts with one hour of range-of-motion therapy. Some days, he works out on an electronic bike to keep his muscles in shape.
This day will be busy. The 41-year-old Henderson, Nev., resident had to get up at 6 a.m. to be ready for a photo shoot four hours later. He's pitching a line of power wheelchairs.
Schmidt, who is a quadriplegic, is not a typical Indy-car owner. It goes beyond being paralyzed from the chest down since 2000. This man who cannot move most of his body is constantly on the move.
"The month of May for me is somewhat like creating and producing three weddings within the month," he said. "Every time I get one behind, we've got to focus on the next one."
His paralysis foundation raised $330,000 at a gala May 15 for spinal-cord research. He had three cars in the Pro Series race. Then, finally, it's Airton Dare and the 500.
Myra Crawford has assisted him for about six years as "my hands and my legs." She keeps him on schedule. On this day, they share noodle salad at lunch.
Schmidt spends a lot of time on the phone -- about 5,000 minutes per month. It's a cellular model that answers itself. He'll be on it for two hours this day. Mostly logistics.
As owner of Sam Schmidt Motorsports, he makes light of the stereotype that car owners just sit around barking orders all day. "I'm definitely sitting around all day, yeah," he said.