Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Schmidt back with Treadway for IRL season

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002 | 12:09 p.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Sam Schmidt is reuniting with Fred Treadway for the 2002 Indy Racing League season in hopes of rekindling some of the magic they enjoyed when Schmidt drove for Treadway in 1999.

Schmidt, a Henderson resident, won his lone IRL race in 1999 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a Treadway-prepared car. After operating his own team last season following a career-ending accident, Schmidt has merged his operation with Treadway's and will field a car this season for driver Anthony Lazzaro under the Sam Schmidt Motorsports banner.

"The bottom line is I want to win races and I want to make it financially viable as well," Schmidt said. "This situation, I think, will allow us to do that."

Schmidt is bringing his driver, engineer, equipment and existing sponsors to the partnership while Treadway will supply the race shop at Indianapolis and the personnel that worked on Felipe Giaffone's car last season. Giaffone left Treadway Racing at the end of last season to drive for Mo Nunn.

"Treadway's personnel is basically intact since we won here in 1999 so I know they're capable of winning races," Schmidt said. "At the same time, from a marketing standpoint, it will allow me to associate myself with a team that has won the Indy 500 (with driver Arie Luyendyk).

"This entry will be Sam Schmidt Motorsports but all the personnel, all the over-the-wall people, are going to be Treadway personnel. It's kind of the best of both worlds: I get to maintain my team status and the ability to promote the (Sam Schmidt Paralysis) Foundation ... but I don't have to manage the technical side of it as much as I did last year."

After operating his team last season on a limited budget, Schmidt said the new alliance with Treadway will allow him to "ramp up the program on the testing side of things and the motor side of things" and make the team more competitive.

"I think Anthony is an excellent talent and I think he will thrive in this environment," Schmidt said. "Fred has been extremely reasonable about this and it has allowed me to raise the level of the program from last year because we were on such a shoestring (budget) last year and we had to cut a lot of corners."

Although Schmidt said the team is without a primary sponsor, he expected to have one in place by the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Northern Light Technology signed a five-year agreement in January 2000 to serve as the title sponsor of the IRL.

IRL founder Tony George said the series would begin a search to find a new title sponsor for the series.

Pook last month was named to replace Joe Heitzler, who helped get a tax break passed into law for race teams and sanctioning bodies that relocated to Nevada.

Carpentier said he was extremely impressed by the agility of the Cobra AH-1W helicopter and the dexterity of Captain Aaron Marx of the 'Stingers' squadron during the 90-minute training flight. Carpentier compared the mission to a ride he took aboard a Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 in June 2000.

"You feel less G-force (than in the jet) but the speed effect is greater and although nothing can match the acceleration of a Champ Car, I held my breath a few times, especially when the pilot went into attack mode to hit his target," Carpentier said.

"During my visit, I was amazed to see the many similarities between a racing team and a military squadron, especially in the areas of teamwork, the important role of the mechanics and the precision of the setups on the aircraft."