Working to Cure Paralysis

Racing series IPS IRL Date 2004-10-16 (Fort Worth, TX)

Former Indy Racing League IndyCar Series driver and owner of the champion's Menards Infiniti Pro Series car driven by Thiago Medeiros, Sam Schmidt isn't one to give up. Full story

Actor also had an impact in racing

The Associated Press

Actor Christopher Reeve touched the lives of at least two people in the Indy Racing League and left them saddened by his death.
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9/17/2002
FORBES WRITER JOINS THE "200 CLUB" RACING FOR KIDS WINS

Adventure columnist Jim Clash breaks 200mph in an Indy car; Quest raises $20,000 for charity

New York, New York (September 23, 2002)¯On Monday, September 16, Forbes writer James M. Clash accomplished what few have ever dared, he drove a lap exceeding 200 mph in an Indy car. More people have been to the top of Mt. Everest than have averaged 200 mph for a lap. Clash covered the 1.5 miles around the Texas Motor Speedway in just over 26 seconds to average 201 mph. His top speed was 208 mph.

Clash, 47, has been working his way up to 200 mph for nearly two years. He is a graduate of a variety of racing schools including Bertil Roos, CART Driving 101, Skip Barber and Buck Baker. He coupled his successful attempt at speed with a successful charity event. To support his run, Clash raised $20,000 for the charities Racing for Kids and the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Through the generosity of those involved, every penny that Clash raised was donated to the charities.

Significant supporters of Jim's run were Sam Schmidt, Treadway Racing, Texas Motor Speedway, Indy Racers Robbie Buhl and Scott Harrington, John Martin, Steve McNeely, and Brayton Racing. Contributors included Bob Rodriguez, John Pew, Tom Dinsmore, Mark Patterson, Bob Lutz, Jeff Cianci, Doug McKay, Tucker Hewes, Laurie Weisman and Wendy Bahlav.

Jim Clash covers mutual funds and adventure travel for Forbes and Forbes Global magazines. He is also a commentator on Forbes on Fox, the weekly business show on the Fox News Channel. An avid adventurer, Clash is a fellow in the Explorers Club. In addition to 200 mph in an Indy car, his adventures include a climb to the top of the Matterhorn, a MiG ride at two-and-a-half times the speed of sound to the edge of space, 84,000 feet up; climbing virgin mountains in Antarctica, and two visits to the North Pole. He has profiled such famous adventurers as Buzz Aldrin, Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Roger Bannister, Rick Mears, Dennis Tito, Tommy Moe, and Dr. Edward Teller. The Indy car charity event will appear in his upcoming book, "Forbes to the Limits: Pushing Yourself to the Edge¯In Adventure and in Business.".