SAM Technology 3.0 race

Schmidt and Andretti at speed. Mario is on the inside pulling a slight lead down the front stretch

It wasn't much of a race — like Mario was actually gonna race a quadriplegic very hard? More like one of those vintage car "races". But Sam Schmidt's race with Mario in identically equipped Lingenfelter Corvettes, using controls created for quadriplegics like Sam, demonstrated both the promise as well as the frustrations with the efforts.

The technology is fantastic, and it's amazing to watch men drive up to 150 mph using the new controls. It was amazing for Sam to run the Pikes Peak hill climb with the same technology, not to mention get his drivers license from the State of Nevada. The smile on Sam's face is worth a lot too, and one wonders at the healing power that might come from giving severely handicapped people back the ability to drive.

But the challenges are still there. When trained drivers struggle for the car control that they would've easily had using conventional controls, you know there is some refinement still needed. Granted, the average handicapped person might not need to slow down from 150 mph into a sharp right-hand corner, but for those times when pin-point accuracy is desired in reactions, it would be problematic.

The other major problem on display today was that, for the severely disabled, getting in and out of the vehicle presents a major challenge. A Corvette is tough enough for a healthy 20 year old to get into, and Sam was put into his car in a private place to avoid the public display of technology that needs to be perfected. Vans that offer wheel chair lifts might suffice for some, but those drivers scarcely need the impressive technology on display today.

Tim Wohlford, reporting from IMS