Greetings!
The beginning of a new day with opportunities in recovery.
ALTON, VA. (August 28, 2019) – Operation Motorsport convened once again to unite disabled veterans and wounded warriors at Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, for the Michelin GT Challenge from Aug. 23-25, 2019. Participants had the opportunity to work with well-established teams and gain hands-on experience in all areas of a race teams operations including working directly with the vehicles, hospitality, and media operations.
Operation Motorsport Beneficiaries discover
 new sense of team and purpose.
The USO of NC was there to support us at our first event at VIR, and has continued to provide immeasurable support through the years as we work together providing recovery paths for our beneficiaries and their pathfinder clients.

This year they saw them step it up by bringing their mobile unit and Bob was an amazing ambassador to all who connected up with him.

The boots on the ground so to speak, LaTonia and Talia, both Pathfinder's from the USO were brand new to the racing scene, and certainly were great sports about the entire four days!

From endless bumpy golf carts rides, long hot days, and being fed through a firehose about sportscar racing, these two were troopers. And they understand, they get it now how motorports is a vehicle for recovery. It's a different path that we can show to those individuals that are still wondering how they fit in. We're all misfits of one kind or another, but in motorsports, we fit it.
VIRginia International Raceway extended a strong helping hand as we engaged our returning veterans and excited those new beneficiaries to the program. VIR is the test of endurance as the heat and the first time working long days can sometimes get to you. But with it's beautiful facility, the amazing staff, and the generosity of Connie, Kerrigan and Mike, things just go a bit more smoothly for us at OpMo. 
It’s been a once in a lifetime experience for first-time beneficiary Scott Paul, paired with Lamborghini team, Paul Miller Racing. “There’s true team camaraderie and professionalism in the desire to win,” said Paul. “It’s been an amazing experience-- something that I’ve always loved and dreamed, but never thought would happen.”

Paul had the opportunity to see what it takes to make a car successful in a race, from checking the tire pressures, to learning the day-to-day routines and expectations that come with working in a professional race team. Paul heard about OPMO through a presentation held by the USO of North Carolina at Fort Bragg’s Warrior Transition Battalion. “I was a little hesitant and nervous before coming, but I’m so glad I did because I learned that there’s so much more than what they show on television. There’s so much more in the background that people don’t get to see,” said Paul.

Cody Reinecker, a beneficiary embedded with PF racing and previous Ford mechanic, thought that his previous experience would help in his time with the team. “The team understood that I was lost in the new parts and different ways to improve that car for a race,” said Reinecker. “They taught me their way to change the setup, as well as how it will change the handling in the different turns and tracks... The team brought me in like a family member the second I walked under their tents.”
For Director of Race Operations at Park Place Motorsports, Mike Johnson, working with OPMO is a no-brainer. “The people that have come to join us have been extremely enthusiastic,” said Johnson. “It’s really great to see the smiles on their face as they participate with the team.” Johson hopes to continue working with OPMO. “It’s a fantastic organization. Anything we can do to support it, we’ll just keep doing. In a year or two, I might have a whole team with operation motorsport,” said Johnson. 
Founded in 2017, OPMO has made several cherished event partnerships with teams competing within the International Motor Sports Association, SRO Motorsports and Canadian Touring Car Championship series across North America. Teams include TWOth Autosport (Audi), Alegra Motorsports (Porsche), Paul Miller Racing (Lamborghini), Action Express Racing (Cadillac), Park Place Motorsports (Porsche), LAP Motorsports (Honda / Mini), Bodymotion Racing (Porsche), Core Autosport (Porsche), Pfaff Motorsports (Porsche), PF Racing (Ford) and KohR Motorsports (Ford).
For Tiffany Lodder, Executive Director of Operation Motorsport, the events themselves aren’t her favorite part. “It’s the 24-48 hours after the event starts, when you can see the changes in them” said Lodder. It’s Monday morning or Wednesday afternoon. It’s not a one-time thing for me. It’s the relationships and friendships that we’ve built and the futures we’ve helped show them that are there.”
OPMO has the following upcoming events: Blancpain GT World Challenge America at Watkins Glen International, in Watkins Glen, New York, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, IMSA Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, Sept. 13-15, and the IMSA Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia Oct. 9-12.
ABOUT TWOth AUTOSPORT - With a home base at Calabogie Motorsports Park, TWOth is only steps away from one of North America’s most technical race tracks. The perfect location, paired with valuable experience and strong industry partnerships, allow the Hill brothers to manage every aspect of the motorsport experience, giving them the logical tagline: Develop, Build, Support, Drive.
Visit http://travishillracing.com/ 
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About KohR Motorsports -Mustang Focused
KohR provides a variety of services for Mustang owners. Our main focus is build Mustang Race Cars. We also sell performance parts at the lowest possible price. We service what we sell!

About LAP Motorsports - Luis A. Perocarpi and Rob Ridgely founded LAP Motorsports LLC in 2008 and established LAP in Indianapolis, Indiana as a leading provider in building, operating and managing race programs and racing teams.






About VIRginia International Raceway - Stadium, Arena & Sports Venue · Alton, Virginia VIR is America's Motorsport Resort. Located between Danville and South Boston, Virginia, the track opened in 1957 and closed in 1974. Reopened in 2000, it is one of America's finest and most beautiful natural terrain road courses. www.virnow.com
About the USO of NC - The USO of North Carolina strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. Founded in 1941, the USO of NC is a non profit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of North Carolinians to support its programs and services. The USO of NC serves the fourth largest military population in the U.S., touching nearly 600,000 lives annually, helping our service members and their families through education, wellness, transition assistance and resiliency programs across the state. Visit https://uso-nc.org/donate-now/ .
About Paul Miller Racing - Paul Miller Racing is the fourth racing program owned and operated by Paul Miller. The team is backed by a wealth of experience and talent and a long history of success. Paul Miller has extensive experience as both a driver and team owner. He led the Porsche factory effort in Trans-Am Series racing in the 1980s. He was also a leading IMSA endurance racer, driving with sports-car stars Bob Akin, Brian Redman and Hans Stuck. He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times and in the Rolex 24 At Daytona nine times, topping the GTO class in 1988. Paul Miller Racing’s international crew have worked at all levels of sports-car racing, bringing a world of expertise to the team’s operations.
Paul Miller Racing is based in Buford, Georgia with satellite support coming from Parsippany, NJ. The team’s technical operations are year round and official team testing is primarily conducted nearby at their home circuit Road Atlanta. The team also retails driver coaching services, aftermarket street tuning and upgrades, ride-along and race weekend experiences, and official team gear.






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/