Race For The Wounded is a grassroots nonprofit 501c3 organization founded with the vision and goal to support veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Race For The Wounded hopes to help heal the wounds of war through hardcore off road competition. They provide training, funding, equipment and support to Veterans in some of the toughest off road races in the world.

Race For The Wounded was founded by combat veterans of the Iraq, and Afghanistan wars. It was an idea born in Afghanistan with two friends talking about what they wanted to do when they made it back home. Scott Chapman, wanted to ride the TAT and was asking his friend Brett Robinson about that ride. That is when Brett told him it was great, but having ridden the TAT he now wants to race the Baja 1000.

That night Brett started thinking that it would be a great vehicle to bring awareness to our wounded veterans and a way to help them. That year they put together the team of combat veterans and took 2nd in class. After seeing how the off road community was much like the Military, Brett started the process to become a 501c3 and help as many wounded veterans as he could ensuring that it was 100% volunteer so all of the money would go to help those wounded servicemen.

Race For The Wounded will be putting wounded veterans on a motorcycle in the NORRA Mexican 1000 for the second year in a row, with the hopes of sending them home with the 1st place trophy in class again. For the last two years Race For The Wounded has been putting our wounded veterans into some of the toughest races in the world to include the Baja 1000 where they made history by putting the first double leg amputee on a motorcycle along with six other wounded veterans.

At last years Mexican 1000 Russ Pearlman a young Paratrooper from the 3/505th of the 82nd Airborne was the wounded veteran riding the 1971 Honda SL350 named “Honzilla”. In August of 2003 Russ on patrol in Iraq was caught in a firefight when he was shot through the leg and also sustained injuries for a large explosion of propane tanks. After going through 3 surgeries he was medically discharged in 2005.

On the second day of the race on the last leg of the day Russ had a bad crash finding himself lodged in a cactus with a broken leg, the same leg that he was shot through. The chase rider John Graves was behind Russ and came to his aid pulling him out of the cactus and immobilizing his leg. John then went to the next checkpoint and called for help.

The team arrived to find Russ on the ground with a big smile joking about his swan dive into the cactus. The NORRA aid team came to pull him out and get him to the hospital, at that point Brett told Russ that if he needed any surgery that he would have to get him back to the U.S. right away, but if he didn’t need it he could make the call on what he wanted to do. Without blinking an eye Russ told Brett that he will be going to Cabo with the rest of the team.

The team picked Russ up from the hospital and he went all the way to the finish helping work on the bike and chase trucks. At the end of the race the team presented Russ with the 1st place trophy to take home with him. It was that moment and that smile that makes it all worth it for the volunteers of Race For The Wounded.

This year Craig Hall a young tanker from Springfield MA. along with Tony Scott a diesel mechanic in the Navy from Kingman AZ. will be the wounded veterans on Honzilla. Craig was a tanker in Iraq who lost his left leg when his tank was hit by an IED in Samarra Iraq in October of 2007.

Tony was wounded in the first Gulf War in November of 1990 when 4 small Iraqi gun ships attacked his ship, Tony was on a 25mm gun when he was his by shrapnel in the stomach. Race For The Wounded took Craig to the Colin Edwards Texas Tornado Bootcamp this October for a 4 day riding school.

Colin and his team are a very big part of Race For The Wounded not only doing fundraiser and donations, but also helping the wounded veterans through his riding school. Together they have helped make the dream of racing come true for over 20 wounded veterans to date.

Race For The Wounded not only puts wounded veterans on motorcycles but also into the Scott Racing Trophy Truck, owned by Tony Scott the same wounded veteran that will be on Honzilla for the Mexican 1000. After following Race For The Wounded for a year Tony contacted Brett asking if they would like the use of his truck to help with the wounded veterans.

Tony and his team were a natural fit into Race For The Wounded and they have never looked back. John Graves (the Vice President) of Race For The Wounded, and Brett Robinson thought this would be a good way to say thank you to Tony for all he has contributed to our wounded with the use of his truck and leadership. With Tony being a wounded veteran, John and Brett thought that it would be good for him to see Baja for the first time on two wheels!

To date Race For The Wounded has put 8 wounded veterans into the Baja 1000, three into the Mint 400, one in the Battle of Primm, 3 in the Vegas 2 Reno, one in the Tuff Truck race, and 3 into the Rage at the River in Laughlin. They are planning on 7 races along with other events in the 2015 season. You can follow their progress or make a donation at Raceforthewounded.com