Founders Day 2026 –

The Beginning of Our Tenth Year

Nine years ago today, Tiffany and I officially launched Operation Motorsport. Looking back, it is remarkable to think how much has changed since that day, and equally remarkable to realize how much of our mission remains exactly the same.

The truth is that Operation Motorsport did not begin with incorporation documents, strategic plans, or a vision of becoming an international organization. Its origins go back a year earlier, to a trip that neither of us expected would change the course of our lives.

In 2016, we traveled to Anglesey Circuit in North Wales to attend the Race of Remembrance. We were not there as founders, organizers, or representatives of anything. We simply wanted to see the event for ourselves. What we witnessed over that weekend left a profound impression on both of us. We watched veterans and serving military personnel become fully integrated into race teams and the motorsport community. They were not being treated as spectators or recipients of support. They were mechanics, crew members, marshals, drivers, and teammates. They had responsibility. They had purpose. Most importantly, they belonged.

As the weekend unfolded, it became increasingly clear that what we were seeing was about far more than motorsport. We were witnessing recovery in a form we had never seen before. We saw people reconnecting with confidence, rediscovering purpose, and rebuilding the sense of identity that can sometimes be lost during the transition from military service. The environment was familiar in all the right ways. Teamwork mattered. Trust mattered. Mission focus mattered. Everyone had a role to play.

During the flight home, we talked endlessly about what we had experienced. One question kept resurfacing: why did nothing like this exist in North America? At the time, we did not fully appreciate the significance of that question. We certainly did not realize that we had already discovered the foundation for what would become Operation Motorsport.

Like many veterans, I understood firsthand that the transition out of military service is often far more complex than simply changing careers. For many, it involves the loss of identity, purpose, structure, and the camaraderie that comes from belonging to a team. What we saw at Anglesey offered something different. It demonstrated that recovery was not solely about what a person had lost. It was also about helping them rediscover what remained. Motorsport simply happened to be the vehicle that made that possible.

What followed was not a carefully scripted plan. It was a leap of faith.

When we founded Operation Motorsport in 2017, there were no guarantees that it would succeed. There were plenty of reasons why it might not. We were introducing a concept that was largely unknown in North America. We were asking race teams, sponsors, volunteers, and veterans to believe in something that existed only as an idea. We spent countless hours explaining what we were trying to accomplish and why it mattered. There were many conversations that went nowhere and many doors that remained closed. Fortunately, there were also people who immediately understood.

A veteran willing to take a chance on us. A volunteer prepared to donate their time. A race team willing to open its garage. A sponsor willing to support the mission. One by one, those individuals became the foundation upon which everything else was built.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of watching something extraordinary happen. We have seen beneficiaries discover new careers, develop new skills, build lifelong friendships, and regain confidence in themselves. We have watched individuals who once questioned where they belonged become leaders, mentors, and role models for others. We have seen families reconnect and futures change direction. Those moments have always mattered far more than statistics, budgets, or organizational milestones because they represent the true impact of what this community has built together.

Today, as we begin our tenth year, we find ourselves reflecting not on the growth of the organization but on the people who made that growth possible. Operation Motorsport has never been about race cars, racetracks, simulators, or events. Those are simply tools. The heart of this organization has always been the people who believe in its mission and the veterans and service members whose lives are touched by it.

Every beneficiary who trusted us, every volunteer who gave their time, every donor who made a contribution, every partner who opened a door, and every sponsor who invested in our vision has played a role in shaping what Operation Motorsport has become. This organization belongs to all of you as much as it belongs to us.

As proud as we are of the past nine years, what excites us most is the future. We are entering our tenth year stronger than ever before, but we are also acutely aware that the need continues to exist. Every day, there are veterans and service members searching for purpose, connection, identity, and belonging. Every day, there are opportunities to make a difference in someone’s life.

That is why we remain focused on the road ahead. The next chapter of Operation Motorsport will not be defined by anniversaries or milestones. It will be defined by our ability to continue creating opportunities, expanding our reach, and helping more people discover what we witnessed for the first time at Anglesey nearly a decade ago: that recovery is possible, that purpose can be rediscovered, and that nobody has to make the journey alone.

Nine years ago, Operation Motorsport began with a simple belief that motorsport could help change lives. Thanks to all of you, that belief has become a reality for veterans and service members across North America. As we begin our tenth year, we do so with gratitude for everything that has brought us to this point and with excitement for everything that still lies ahead.

The story of Operation Motorsport is still being written, and the best chapters are yet to come.

Diezel Lodder

Co-Founder & Chairman

Tiffany Turner Lodder

Co-Founder & Executive Director

A Story Nine Years in the Making: Veterans and the Checkered Flag – Race of Recovery

As we celebrate Founders Day and mark the beginning of Operation Motorsport’s tenth year of service, we are proud to share something special with our community.

For the first time ever, we are releasing the award-winning documentary Veterans and the Checkered Flag – Race of Recovery for public viewing.

Produced by Foster Films in 2022, the documentary tells the story of Operation Motorsport through the voices of the veterans, serving members, volunteers, and partners who have shaped our journey. More than a film about racing, it is a film about recovery, purpose, identity, and belonging.

The documentary follows beneficiaries as they navigate life after military service and discover a renewed sense of mission through motorsport. It captures the challenges many veterans face during transition, while highlighting the power of community, teamwork, and shared purpose found in the paddock, pit lane, workshop, and simulator.

What makes Race of Recovery particularly meaningful is that it was filmed during a pivotal period in Operation Motorsport’s history. The organization was still growing, still proving its concept, and still building the partnerships that would help shape its future. The stories captured on film represent the foundation upon which everything that followed was built.

Since the documentary was produced, Operation Motorsport has expanded across North America, achieved registered charitable status in Canada, supported dozens more beneficiaries, launched new programs and partnerships, and created opportunities that many thought impossible when we first began in 2017. Yet the message of the film remains as relevant today as it was then: recovery happens one person at a time, and purpose can be found in unexpected places.

The film has received recognition for its authentic storytelling and its honest portrayal of military transition and recovery. More importantly, it has become a lasting record of the courage, resilience, and determination demonstrated by the veterans and families who entrusted us with their stories.

As we look toward the future and our vision for 2031, we believe it is important to also look back and remember where we started. This documentary serves as both a reflection of our first years and a reminder of why Operation Motorsport exists.

Nine years ago, Operation Motorsport began with an idea. Today, it is a community that spans thousands of volunteers, supporters, partners, beneficiaries, and alumni. This film captures the spirit that made that growth possible.

We invite you to watch Veterans and the Checkered Flag – Race of Recovery, share it with others, and celebrate the remarkable journey that has brought us to this moment.

Thank you for being part of the story.

The next chapter starts now.