Liam Dwyer had asked me a long time ago about whether I’d be there when he returned to racing, and my reply was, “Of course!” Well, last weekend was that return, and what a return it was!
Liam and I were co-drivers at Freedom Autosport, and he made headlines because he had lost a leg during a tour of duty with the U.S. Marines, but he never let it slow him down. Liam had some recent surgeries, including several stages for osseointegration, which means they installed a metal rod into his femur as a more efficient attachment for his prosthesis. Because of the surgeries, Liam was sidelined from racing for about 10 months. This was his first time getting back in a race car since October of last year!
Just two weeks ago, about the time his physical therapy had gotten him walking again, I got a call from Liam saying, “Guess what? I think I’m coming back for my first race.” Always up for a challenge, Liam had decided to make his return at the Lifeline 24 Hour Classic at Virginia International Raceway.
The preparation process for the event got underway immediately. In just a couple of weeks, Mazda sourced a Global MX-5 Cup car, and Long Road Racing and McCumbee-McAleer Racing prepped it and sorted the logistics to provide support during the race.
A unique addition to the support was an added partnership with Operation Motorsport, which places recently-retired veterans with race teams to help them adjust to life after the military. We had three military veterans join our team, and it was an honor having them with us.
Miraculously, it all came together in time and we found ourselves sitting on the grid with our Global MX-5 Cup car, which had a SADEV sequential gearbox to assist with Liam’s operation of the car. There was a huge sense of excitement as well as of pride in seeing all of the pieces fall into place. It was great to see Liam take the green flag amongst nearly 100 other cars!
The race got off to an incredibly smooth start and we got into a nice rhythm. As daylight turned to darkness, we moved into the lead both in class and overall, where our team led for several hours.
I was driving the car as the sun rose, and it reminded me how much I appreciate the Global MX-5 package as well as how exhilarating racing at night is. I was so lucky to get the sunrise stint, watching the sun come up over the trees and the front straightaway from the seat of a race car.
I handed the car back to Liam, and he wound up having a total drive time of over six hours throughout the race. He certainly jumped right back in! Unfortunately, with just a few short hours left, we had a drive shaft problem that sidelined us.
In the end, it was an incredible effort and experience that I know everyone truly cherished. I can’t wait to see Liam behind the wheel again soon! I’ll be back behind the wheel this weekend at VIR, as if I didn’t get enough laps there last weekend! Britt Casey, Jr. and I will be racing round eight of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge in the No. 77 TRUMPF Audi RS3 LMS. You can watch live at IMSA.com or on the IMSA app, starting at 2:05p.m. on Saturday, August 18.