RACE OF REMEMBRANCE POST RACE
Two Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type – R complete a top 10 finish
Anglesey, Wales, UK (November 16, 2022) – On Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm GMT at Anglesey Circuit in Wales, UK, the pair of Operation Motorsport (OpMo) entries crossed the finish line of the 12-hour Race of Remembrance (RoR) the same way as the pair started the race, side by side, as one team. The entire team on the pit wall cheering them on, grinning from ear to ear with a tear here and there. The P6 & P8 finishes in class (P8 / P12 overall) for Canada #220 and USA #22 exceeded the teams’ expectations for the first endurance outing for the Operation Motorsport / Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Type – R and clearly demonstrated the power of Veteran recovery through motorsport.
Operation Motorsport was the only North American team in the field of 55 entries competing in the Mission Motorsport sportscar endurance race, which was highlighted by a pit lane Remembrance Service on Sunday morning. The OpMo crews were made up entirely of OpMo beneficiaries (mentored by three Skip Barber Racing School personnel) and for the first time, thanks to driver development training provided by Skip Barber and TWOth Autosport, two of the eight drivers representing the US and Canada were Beneficiary drivers.
“Returning to RoR after a 2-year break with a larger team and multiple cars was a tremendous undertaking. Watching the team form and prep the cars on Thursday morning after never really working together created an atmosphere of anxiousness and excitement.” recalled Race Team Manager & OpMo COO Jason Leach, “The mentorship from the professionals from Skip Barber Racing School ensured the teams’ two fielded cars could and would finish the race. Watching our Beneficiary drivers run within a second of each other and not far off the pace of our pro drivers was a previously unimaginable success story. The team struggled from time to time and was challenged across this 12-hour race, but everything came together when we witnessed the Canadian and US car cross the finish line together. I’m truly proud of everyone involved with this program and am already awaiting the next time we can race together.”
“The night of the Heroes dinner I was privileged to meet the force of nature that is James Cameron. (CEO Mission Motorsport UK) He asked me how I was enjoying the track,” recollected Jason Bivins, driver #22, “I let him know that it’s great, but our practice sessions were cold and wet, and a bit of a challenge for this California boy. He smiled and told me…just wait. You’re going to be out on track this weekend and all of the sudden you will see the Irish Sea gleaming, and then off in the distance the beautiful peaks of Snowdonia, and you’ll realize how special this place is. This is exactly what happened for me on Sunday afternoon! I was breathless. An unforgettable event.”
“So proud of this incredible group of men & women who crossed oceans to come together as a team and compete in the 2022 12-hour Race of Remembrance,” reminisced Travis Hill OpMo board member, TWOth Autosport Principle and driver #220, “Operation Motorsport was created to support medically retiring and retired service members from Canada and the United States. On Remembrance Day weekend, they showed just how much progress has been made, both as an organization and individually, over the past few years and the impact it’s had on all of our lives. It’s an honor to get to know these fine people, compete alongside them, and build lifelong friendships. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey.”
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“Congratulations to all the beneficiaries, words cannot describe how incredibly proud we all are of this team, each one of them have come together and stepped up to the challenge and demonstrated to all of us how powerful Veteran Recovery Through Motorsport can be”, says OpMo CEO & Cofounder Diezel Lodder. “Thank you to all the drivers, volunteers, partners, and supporters for believing in the mission and helping us get to the finish line with our heads held high.”