9th Annual Race of Remembrance enjoyed by over 13,000!
9th annual race event
Over 60 beneficiaries participated across the Remembrance weekend, including veterans from the US, Canada and at Karting Race of Remembrance 1
Live stream watched by an audience of over 13,500.
Other activities across the weekend include a Biathlon of Foolishness, Karting Race of Remembrance at Thruxton, a Remembrance Dinner and Supercar Saturday.
The 9th annual Race of Remembrance, Mission Motorsport’s flagship event of the year held across Remembrance weekend, witnessed another packed event with 45 race teams lined up on the starting grid. The weekend is an opportunity for the Armed Forces community and UK motorsport community to come together for a profoundly poignant Service of Remembrance, attended by serving regular and reserve military personnel, veterans and their families, and motorsport regulars.
Delivered in conjunction with the British Racing & Sports Car Club (BRSCC) at Anglesey Circuit Trac Mon, this year’s event saw record numbers of volunteer marshals (144) making their annual pilgrimage to Anglesey from all over the UK to support the event.
Over the course of Remembrance weekend, Mission Motorsport supported its largest cohort of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, including those from Operation Motorsport, its sister charity based in America and Canada. We also supported five Mission Motorsport beneficiary drivers, four of whom were racing for the first time ever!
Former Royal Engineer Alex Westrope diagnosed with Complex PTSD and life altering spinal injuries, and former Royal Marine Alistair Braidie, who suffers from lower limb injuries, and both medically discharged from service, made their racing debut in the Cloudera sponsored Mission Motorsport Toyota GT86’s.
Danny Turnbull, a former soldier in the RLC diagnosed with PTSD, and Linda Noble, former AGC with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, formed part of the Mission Motorsport team racing in the donated Bad Obsession Motorsport Citroen C1, with Leon Grieff, former infantry soldier and student at the Mission Motorsport Training wing, making up the team as a driver racing with the Mission Motorsport Mazda MX-5.
In his first ever motor race, it was also Alex’s first time in two years that he felt able to participate in a Remembrance Service. Speaking about his experience he said, “Participating in RoR has given me a real focus and boosted my confidence. Thanks to Mission Motorsport, Paul and the Cloudera team who sponsored the car and welcomed me to the team, for the first time in a long time I felt able to participate in a remembrance service, wear my medals and donning my beret with re-instilled pride.”
Forming integral parts of the racing teams, beneficiaries were also put to task working as part of the pit crews supporting the race cars. Drawing on their knowledge and mechanical skills often learnt in Mission Motorsport’s very own Training wing, and also drawing on their experience and skills from military life such as team work, resilience, initiative and a good sense of humour, they were mentored across the weekend by Mission Motorsport’s Workshop Manager Aston Dimmock, bringing all four cars successfully through the 12 hour endurance race and taking the chequered flag at 3pm on Sunday afternoon to the cheers and support of a very proud Mission Motorsport pit team of beneficiaries, volunteers and staff.
Andy Brown, COO of Mission Motorsport, said, “This event continues to be so special to so many people who witness the passion, camaraderie and the poignancy of a pitlane service at the heart of a weekend of racing and remembrance. Marshals, officials, volunteers, race teams, staff and beneficiaries alike come together as one from all corners of the country and beyond, with a unifying purpose and bond, in such an amazing spirit and manner that one cannot failed to be moved and inspired.”
Other activity across the weekend included an endurance karting race held at Thruxton’s Outdoor Karting Centre, where more Mission Motorsport beneficiaries were able to race alongside corporate teams.
On Remembrance Sunday, all activity was paused at 10:45 across both sites as staff, beneficiaries, race teams and spectators came together as one community for a very poignant pitlane Service of Remembrance.
The service at Anglesey, the 12 hour endurance race itself, and the Biathlon of Foolishness, seeing the foolish and the hardy jump into the Irish Sea in aid of charity, were all live-streamed throughout the weekend, allowing those who could not be there in person to join and participate. An audience of over 13,000 people tuned in from around the globe to watch and participate online.
Andy concluded, “Race of Remembrance is Mission Motorsport’s and British motorsport’s rather unique and special way of marking Remembrance weekend, bringing communities together as one to reflect, and remember and recognise the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. None of this would be possible without such fantastic support from BRSCC, Anglesey Circuit and Thruxton Karting and the continued support of our sponsors. And next year will be our 10th year of RoR – not quite sure how we will but we will endeavour to make it even bigger, even better!”
Race of Remembrance will return next year, 8th – 10th November 2024.