Reported on Racer.com.
Arrow Electronics, which was the primary sponsor of the No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda entry for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season, has extended its partnership with the team through 2018.
Headquartered in Centennial, Colo., Arrow Electronics is a global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. Team co-owner Sam Schmidt, whose crash in 2000 during an Indy car practice left him a quadriplegic, initially collaborated with Arrow on machine-to-machine technologies in 2014. The project enabled him to drive a modified 2014 Corvette known as the Arrow Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM).
“This has been an amazing journey from day one,” Schmidt said. “Ever since I received that phone call from Arrow to drive the SAM car, our lives, both on and off the track, have changed dramatically.
“The vehicle became a message that has inspired thousands worldwide while B2B and B2C relationships have blossomed. Arrow will assist our nonprofit, Conquer Paralysis Now, to accomplish its goal of curing paralysis and greatly improving the day-to-day life of those with disabilities.
“In my 20 years of being involved in motorsports at this level, I have never met a group of executives this focused on doing good things for humanity in addition to watching the bottom line. This program proves you can do both.”
The team will continue to run the No. 5 to spread the word about Arrow’s Five Years Out initiative.
“Arrow’s collaboration with Sam Schmidt and SPM is a natural fit. We are both committed to guiding innovation forward to help improve people’s lives,” said Michael Long, Arrow’s chairman, president and CEO.