Aston Martins Lock Out Front Row for Race of Remembrance

It had already been a weekend full of poignant moments for veterans competing in the CrowdStrike Veterans Race of Remembrance powered by AWS before qualifying even began.

But after two days of getting seat time in test sessions and practice, the drivers and crew took on qualifying with a greater level of comfort as new crewmates gelled and drivers became confident in new-to-them cars at Virginia International Raceway.

The green flag for the six-hour event drops at 9 a.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 8. It features racing in four categories based on horsepower/ton: Freedom; Valor; Remembrance; and Honor.

Teams competing are largely owned or operated, crewed and driven by veterans or those who support them. It’s also broken into two sections. Teams will pause halfway through for a Remembrance Ceremony to remember all those who have given their lives for their countries.

In the Freedom category featuring GT4s, the No. 16 Skip Barber Racing School Aston Martin finished on pole with driver Lawrence Anderson at the wheel.

The U.S./British collaboration of Resilience Racing and Team BRIT were P2 with driver Aaron Morgan piloting their No. 249 Skip Barber Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

“It’s been an amazing first day,” said Morgan. “Our Skip Barber Aston Martin is running brilliantly. Our hand controls are working well and this track is challenging, but I’m loving it.

“After a successful test session this morning, improving our lap times, I took on qualifying, bringing home a P2, second only to the other Skip Barber Aston.

“Now we’ll analyze our data, re-group and get ready for the long six-hour race tomorrow. It’s been an absolute honor to be out here and part of this event. I can’t wait to get back on the grid.”

The Nos. 11 and 22 of Operation Motorsport rounded out the Freedom class with Louis Palley and CJ Moses qualifying third and fourth in the BMW M4 GT4s supported by Random Vandals Racing.

In the Remembrance class, Calum Beldun qualified on pole in the the No. 240 Resilience Racing Ford Mustang.

In the Honor class, TWOth Autosport driver Joel Watts topped the charts in the No. 68 TWOth Autosport Mazda MX-5.

“The car felt great,” said Watts. “The TWOth team always prepares a really good car… This is a very cool event for me to come to with TWOth and Operation Motorsport.

“I’ve known many of the people involved in Operation Motorsport for several years. I was lucky enough to go to Wales (the Race of Remembrance) with them in 2022. So this is very special because I know so many people involved.

“I also work with the military but am not military myself, so this holds a special place for me. The Miata is such a fantastic, fun car to drive. Really I’m just lucky to be able to drive here.”

The No. 022 and No. 011 Operation Motorsport Mazda Miata MX-5s supported by Powersports Garage qualified third and fourth.

Ford Racing Extends Support to Operation Motorsport eMotorsport League

The race has long been a goal for motorsport non-profit Operation Motorsport, which works with medically released-retired military veterans in the U.S. and Canada through its Operation eMotorsport (iRacing) League and Motorsport Immersion program, where veterans are paired with professional racing teams in SRO, IMSA, FEL, NASCAR Canada and more.

Operation Motorsport’s four-car team is competing with names of military heroes submitted by supporters on the hoods of their cars.

Before the event, four veterans in their Operation eMotorsport League visited the Ford Racing Technical Center in Concord, N.C. courtesy of Ford Racing and Ford Philanthropy, where they competed in a fastest lap challenge.

On Friday, Ford Racing’s Chris Ward presented the winner of the challenge, Ian Carney, with a grille from a Ford Mustang Dark Horse R.

“I was very excited because It’s something I always wanted to do, to get to be in a much more high-end setting,” said Carney, who appreciates the community he’s found with other veterans in the eMotorsport League.

“It was so immersive. I had no chance left to focus on anything else other than driving. It took my mind off of everything else. It was nice of (Ford Racing and Ford Philanthropy) to do that.”

The CrowdStrike Veterans Race of Remembrance Powered by AWS will be broadcast live at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday on Operation Motorsport’s YouTube channel.

Tickets for the CrowdStrike Veterans Race of Remembrance are free for Active Duty military and 50 percent off for veterans with a code from GovX.com.