Racing For Heroes ChumpCar VIR 12-hour Alton, VA March 4, 2017 Racing For Heroes' #773 BMW 325 made its inaugural showing in competition on Saturday at Virginia International Raceway. The ChumpCar 12-hour endurance event began at 0900, with temperatures in the mid-30's and a bright blue sky. Our driver lineup included multiple military Veterans, and the energy was electric. Ironically, it was an electric fuel pump that went sour early on in the race, which put our Team in the pits for multiple rounds of troubleshooting and finally finding the culprit. With and incredibly dedicated Team in the pits, there was a quick run to a local auto parts store to buy a new fuel pump, and the Team expeditiously made the swap with precision and got the 773 back on track to successfully finish the race. Even with the detriment of a major part failure, our Team wouldn't give up, it's not in our nature. Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, we were able to finish our first ChumpCar race, gain immensely valuable information, and came away with a total of 202 laps completed, 24th in class, and 45th place overall.
Annual Baja Race Team Orientation Each spring, a group of new RFH team members will participate in our Annual Racing Team Orientation and Driver Evaluation. The program serves as the unofficial kickoff of the RFH Racing Season. For five days, new team members will experience each critical aspect of the Racing for Heroes program has to offer including a Baja Adventure, Community Outreach & Engagement, and Personal Empowerment all run like a military operation. This new mission is led by retired US Army Special Forces Operators CW3 Mike Evock and Major Kurt Cook with the support of team therapy facilitator, former US Army Major Sean Macmillan. Vehicle safety and driver training will be at the forefront of the program as the team prepares for three days of racing through the wilds of Baja California. The final day will be spent racing the iconic Baja 500 & 1000 course. The team will be challenged by boulder-lined mountain passes, tight narrow trails, and tricky washes as they make their way back to Ensenada. Our teams will consist of service disabled veterans who struggle with the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The goal of the program is to provide adrenaline and adventure-based motor sports therapy through the foundation of brotherhood that each of our team members shares as a common bond. Community Outreach & Engagement is a key component of our Veterans Helping Veterans model. The team will return to San Diego to engage the extensive military-centric community, including a Meet & Greet hosted by San Diego business leaders and Veteran Advocates.