Arrow McLaren SP


Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, LLC, doing business as Arrow McLaren SP, is an auto racing team that currently competes in the IndyCar Series. The team is based in Indianapolis and is owned by quadriplegic former driver Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson.
The team was originally founded by Schmidt in 2001 as Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Fellow ex-driver Davey Hamilton joined as co-owner in 2011 to form Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports, with Peterson joining in 2013 to form Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Hamilton is no longer involved in the ownership of the team.
In 2019, primary sponsor Arrow Electronics became title sponsor for the team. For 2020, the team reached an agreement with McLaren Racing to become a joint entry, with the combined team being known as Arrow McLaren SP. Schmidt and Peterson remain as the sole co-owners; McLaren has no ownership stake.

History

Schmidt's injury and team origins

On January 6, 2000, Sam Schmidt was in Orlando, Florida practicing at the Walt Disney World Speedway. As his car exited turn two, it hit the wall with a tremendous impact. Schmidt was airlifted to a nearby hospital in extremely critical condition. He was diagnosed as a quadriplegic, the result of a severe injury to his spinal cord at the C-3/C-4 levels and was on a respirator for 5 months. In 2001, just 14 months after his accident and at the urging of his wife and parents, Schmidt announced the formation of Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

IndyCar

began 2001 in the car and drove five races, including the team's first Indianapolis 500, ending with an injury at Texas Motor Speedway. He was replaced by Jaques Lazier who drove four races and three other drivers who drove a few races each. Richie Hearn made nine starts for the team in 2002 as he switched between the team's two cars, the No. 99 and No. 20. Anthony Lazzaro drove in the first three races of the year in the No. 99, but handed over Indy 500 driving duties to Mark Dismore, who made his only start for the team in that year's '500'.
Also, in 2002, the Indy Pro Series was founded and Schmidt eventually refocused its efforts on that series, running only the Indy 500 as its sole IndyCar series race with a car driven from 2003 to 2005 by Hearn and in 2006 by Airton Daré. In 2007 the team fielded a car in the Indy 500 for Buddy Lazier. In 2008, while the team did not field a car of its own, it prepared and engineered Rubicon Race Team's entry for Max Papis that failed to qualify after suffering numerous gearbox problems during qualifying. The team made a joint entry with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, piloted by Alex Lloyd. The arrangement with Chip Ganassi continued in 2010 for the Indy 500 with Townsend Bell driving.
For 2011, SSM purchased the assets of FAZZT Race Team, retaining some the personnel and all sponsors, including Alex Tagliani. Townsend Bell, Jay Howard, and Wade Cunningham also drove for SSM in the 2011 IndyCar Series season.
Chris Griffis, the team manager for Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Indy Lights team, died on September 12, 2011. He was 46. Just over a month later, at the 2011 season finale, Dan Wheldon died after he was involved in a 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wheldon was driving the No. 77 in a joint deal between SSM and Bryan Herta Autosport.
In 2012 SSM fielded a car for Frenchman Simon Pagenaud for the full season backed by Hewlett-Packard. Davey Hamilton joined Schmidt to field the number 77 car. Pagenaud went on to win the IZOD IndyCar Rookie of the Year Award. Pagenaud would score four podiums that year, while Bell returned for the Indianapolis 500" finishing 9th.
In 2013, Pagenaud would be teamed with another Frenchman, Tristan Vautier, for the season. Schmidt would also bring on another investor, former Champ Car Atlantic owner Ric Peterson. While Vautier had a best finish of 10th, Pagenaud would score two wins for Schmidt at Detroit Round 2 and Baltimore, finishing third in points. Vautier was released at the end of 2013 and replaced by Russian driver Mikhail Aleshin. Pagenaud would go on to win the inaugural GP of Indianapolis and finish 5th in points. Aleshin would carry multiple top-10 finishes with a best finish of second at Houston round 2. However, a crash at Fontana ruled him out of the finale, and visa restrictions forced Aleshin to sit out 2015. Pagenaud would leave for Team Penske, with SPM taking on James Hinchcliffe and James Jakes. While the team would have a 1-3 finish at 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana with Hinchcliffe winning, the season would come undone at Indianapolis. During qualifying. Hinchcliffe crashed hard in turns 1-2 and was airlifted to a hospital. Eventually forced out due to his injuries, Ryan Briscoe and Conor Daly shared the car for the remainder of the year.
For 2016, Hinchcliffe and Aleshin would return to SPM. While neither driver scored a victory, Hinchcliffe would lose a close battle in Texas to Graham Rahal, while Aleshin would win his first pole at Pocono Raceway and Hinchcliffe sat on pole for the 100th Indianapolis 500. The No. 77 would return for Indy, with Jay Howard driving with support from Tony Stewart. The team's lineup would remain unchanged for 2017. While Hinchcliffe would win at Long Beach, Aleshin would struggle heavily his second year. During the Road America weekend, Aleshin was delayed by visa issues coming from France for 2018. Leena Gade became Hinchcliffe's lead race engineer for the 2018 season, becoming the first female lead race engineer in Indycar. Wickens then suffered a horrific crash during the 2018 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, a crash that left him a paraplegic. Wickens issued a further statement clarifying that he was hopeful to be able to walk again, due to his spinal cord being bruised rather than completely severed and that he had felt 'some feeling and movement' back in his legs although the nerves were not in a state to walk, with Wickens hoping that he will be able to walk on his own within two years of the accident.
In 2019, Arrow became title sponsor of SPM, with the team name changing to Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. In addition, the team also signed former Sauber Formula One driver Marcus Ericsson to become one of the team's drivers for the 2019 season. Marcus will drive the No. 7 as the No. 6 is reserved for Wickens should he be able to make a return in 2019.
In August 2019, SPM joined into a collaboration with McLaren for the 2020 championship,with the team to be named Arrow McLaren Racing SP and thus terminating Honda's engine remaining contract in favor of Chevrolet engines.
Patricio O'Ward and Oliver Askew drive for the team in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted the season, the team was revealed to have received a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program along with numerous other race teams and race tracks in order to keep employees on the payroll and protect from any potential loss of sponsors.

Indy Lights

Schmidt's Indy Pro Series – later Indy Lights – program has been one of the most successful in the series' recent history, winning the 2004 championship with Thiago Medeiros, the 2006 title with Jay Howard, and the 2007 title with Alex Lloyd. After two less successful seasons, it captured its third championship in 2010 with Jean-Karl Vernay. Once again on top the team took home a 2012 Lights championship title with Tristan Vautier. For 2013 the team's Indy Lights drivers were Jack Hawksworth, Gabby Chaves, and Sage Karam. Karam won the championship in 2013, becoming the eighth rookie to become series champion.
Schmidt fielded four drivers in 2014. Jack Harvey was runner-up with four wins and ten podiums in fourteen races. Luiz Razia ended fifth with one win and five podiums. Juan Pablo García finished sixth and Juan Piedrahita was seventh, both with no podiums. In 2015, Harvey was runner-up again with two wins and eight podiums in sixteen races. RC Enerson finished fourth with one win and five podiums. Scott Anderson and Ethan Ringel ended ninth and eleventh respectively with one podium each.
For 2016, Schmidt would field cars for Santiago Urrutia and Andre Negrao. While Urrutia would win the most races of any driver, he would lose the Lights title to Ed Jones of Carlin. In late 2016, Schmidt announced that he would end his Indy Lights program, wanting to divert resources to the team's IndyCar program.
In April 2017, Schmidt Peterson announced a driver development program partnership with Indy Lights team Belardi Auto Racing. As part of the deal, Schmidt Peterson sponsor Arrow Electronics will also sponsor Belardi driver Santiago Urrutia.

Racing results

IndyCar Series

* Season still in progress
  1. In conjunction with Chip Ganassi Racing.
  2. In conjunction with Bryan Herta Autosport.
  3. Dan Wheldon was killed during the running of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship.
  4. In conjunction with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
  5. In conjunction with AFS Racing.
  6. The final race at Las Vegas was canceled due to Dan Wheldon's death.
  7. In conjunction with AFS Racing and Kingdom Racing.
  8. In conjunction with Team Pelfrey.
  9. In conjunction with SMP Racing.
  10. In conjunction with Meyer Shank Racing
  11. In conjunction with MotoGator Team Stange Racing
  12. In conjunction with McLaren Racing

    IndyCar Series wins

#SeasonDateSanctionTrack / RaceNo.Winning DriverChassisEngineTireGridLaps Led
12013June 2IndyCar Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix77 Simon PagenaudDallara DW12Honda HI13TT V6tFirestone618
22013September 1IndyCar Grand Prix of Baltimore77 Simon Pagenaud Dallara DW12Honda HI13TT V6tFirestone37
32014May 10IndyCar Grand Prix of Indianapolis77 Simon Pagenaud Dallara DW12Honda HI14TT V6tFirestone46
42014June 29IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston77 Simon Pagenaud Dallara DW12Honda HI14TT V6tFirestone343
52015April 12IndyCar Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana5 James HinchcliffeDallara DW12Honda HI15TT V6tFirestone1615
62017April 9IndyCar Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach5 James Hinchcliffe Dallara DW12Honda HI17TT V6tFirestone425
72018July 8IndyCar Iowa Corn 3005 James Hinchcliffe Dallara DW12Honda HI18TT V6tFirestone1145

Complete Indy Lights results