Greetings!
After the "Last Post" Race of Remembrance 2019 .
After the bugle stops playing, that magical feeling of a podium finish fades, all the hugs good bye and tears are wiped away, what is left is reflecting on a journey. A journey of recovery for those affected by service. One that often starts with a leap of faith for many and one that is not defined by an end or conclusion, but is defined by the journey itself. After all this is about recovery, and each beneficiaries story is unique and personal. What is not unique is that although they have all returned to daily life, the struggles are still real and not over. What makes this journey unique is that we are all part of a larger extended family, one that reaches way past the race weekends and all of the shiny bits, one that sees them looking out for each other and looking forward to reuniting somewhere down the road. For everyone that has supported this effort in any way, thank you .
Honoring Heroes and Service....... Remembering Them
The personal stories..............
#22 Crew Member
Corporal (Ret) Dale Newbury
I don't post much about my life on social media like some do, I have, but not lately..... no food pics, no political posts, no criticism of others, no bullshit. But today I want to post about some of the great people I have in my life and what they have done for me.

I haven't worn my medals on a Remembrance Day parade in over 10 years, for my own reasons......but this year was different. I had "family" surrounding me and helping me through, what was a very emotional event. Not just any parade, but a Remembrance Day parade in Angelsy, Wales as I participated in the  Race of Remembrance .

Last year they helped me through the parade, this year they convinced me to be proud of my military accomplishments and to be proud of my medals as well.........

Thank you and much love goes out to my "family" at  Operation Motorsport .
#22 Driver Wrangler & Board Trustee
Lynn Friedman
Canadian and US beneficiaries and volunteers from Operation Motorsport came from all walks of life, experiences and military backgrounds to participate in the Race of Remembrance in Anglesey, Wales. Many of us were meeting each other for the first time.

Friendships were formed through cultural experiences and activities in the Welsh countryside and villages. We were introduced to the Welsh landscape as we walked along the cliffs overlooking the sea at our own pace and explored the ancient Caernaforn castle walls.

We dashed down the world fasted zip lines at the Penrhyn Quarry and raced each other at our own “Grand Prix” at the local Go cart track. We all got to know a little more about each other at our first dinner. Belly laughs were plentiful as well as a few tears.

As race day approached, our individual friendships became a cohesive team with defined roles and objectives. Leadership, drivers, pit crew and overall team support knew what was expected.

Professional motorsports teams devote weeks planning race day strategies and pit crew coordination. Operation Motorsport team accomplished this in less than a week. Faced with cold and wet conditions combined with the typical challenges that arise in endurance racing, the team saw the No. 22 car of Operation Motorsport through to the finish, and a third place in class.
The Race of Remembrance is presented as a Remembrance ceremony with a race attached, and it truly is.  I was humbled to stand among our heroes and families as we honored those who paid the ultimate price.
There is a special camaraderie unique to Operation Motorsport and its beneficiaries. I am grateful to have been a part of the team, they are my heroes.




#22 Crew Chief
Sergeant Christopher Anderson
Race Of Remembrance 2019 has come and gone, and I still have not fully digested the experience.

The emotional ride of working for the Beneficiaries and around all the other Veterans participating is difficult to describe. You really just have to come out and experience this wonderful madness for yourself.

What I can say is that I felt privileged to be part of the event, that I was trusted to crew chief for the team, and share stories and laughter back at the team house.

Thanks is not enough for all the efforts of the Crew, the Drivers, Volunteers, and of course all the Memebers of OpMo there and providing rear support back in Canada. Bravo Zulu.
#22 Race Engineer
Lieutenant (Ret) Theo Bruulsema
This year, Operation Motorsport had the knowledge, support, and people required to make our own team of [people from North America? Opmo people?, which is a huge accomplishment. I was selected for the role of race engineer, and also went over early to help prepare the car. In a situation with a car that we don't regularly use, at a new track, in a different country, all I could hope for was a phenomenal group of teammates.

This, we definitely had! We were not only able to run all practice sessions, knock out several setup changes, and execute many full service pit stops with time to spare, but Saturday evening the crew noticed and fixed a few developing issues allowing us to finish the race in good mechanical shape.

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work with such an incredible group of crew, drivers, and all manner of support staff, we learned an enormous amount about teamwork and racing, and to wind up on the podium is a huge bonus and testament to our teamwork at all levels.



#22 Crew Member
Sergeant Chad Failing
Hmmm... my thoughts on the past 7 days in Wales.

Where do I begin, when there was soooo much happening? 

The week was filled with meeting new friends and reuniting with family. The chance to have a few days to breath and enjoy the new country with chances to have moment filled with team events. It gave us a chance to prepare as a team and know how to work together for the days to come.

When we finally got to see the car and get on ground with it. The work begun with the crew working on the car while everyone worked around each other to take pictures, do maintenance, and install vinyls.

 The car had its challenges but we fought as a team to overcome each problem we had. My most memorable moment is when the original battery in the car had been giving us problems from the start. We finally figured out the battery had swelled and was bad. The new battery was tension strapped in with zip ties and made to hold. It was a great time seeing the fix work.

I will remember this week and share the moments with friends and family so they can feel like they were there and part of it. I can't say thank you enough to Operation Motorsports and the USO of North Carolina for the opportunities they've given me and the hope I have for the future.
#22 Team Photographer
Jake Galstad
Race of Remembrance is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. For me, as a civilian it’s a bit hard to truly understand and appreciate what these men and women have gone through. Over the last couple years of tagging along with this silly family, as I have gotten to know the men and women of Operation Motorsport, little by little I have felt like I’ve become part of the team. Not simply the civilian photographer tagging along. That’s the thing about Operation Motorsport and Race of Remembrance specifically, it doesn’t matter if you’re a service member, beneficiary, or volunteer, everyone is there for the same reason, with a common goal in mind, and when people from all walks of life come together, you end up with something magical.
Thank you to all of our 2019 Race of Remembrance partners and sponsors
About Operation Motorsport - Operation Motorsport is a veteran-operated not-for-profit based in Brighton, Ontario and was founded on the basis of three simple words – Excite, Engage and Empower. Its mission is to engage, through motorsport activities, ill and injured service members and disabled veterans, affected by military service, leading to aiding in their recovery and rehabilitation. Visit: http://operationmotorsport.org/