Army Claims 2022 Top Dog Trophy at The 2nd Annual Top Dog Championship Organized by Rally4Vets

Rally4Vets, an initiative by the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN), has announced that the 2nd Annual Top Dog Championship was a success and the Army team took the top spot for the second year in a row. Readers can find out more about the initiative by visiting its website at www.rally4vets.com.

The Top Dog Championships are an annual series of amateur motorsports events that aim to bring together the community, increase awareness of veteran issues, and generate funds to support important veteran programs. The 2022 event took place on 22nd October on the Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point Motorsports Park in Summit Point, West Virginia.

The championship follows a Track Cross/Track Sprint format that allows experienced drivers and novices to compete on an equal footing for class Top Dog honors and points toward the overall Top Dog Championship Trophy. The annual trophy is awarded to the military service collecting the most points during the competition year. It is open to all drivers including veterans, active-duty personnel, national guard members, and civilians who have a veteran family member or those who simply wish to support the military/veteran community.

The 2022 Trophy was claimed by the team representing the Army. The Marine Corps and Air Force took second and third place respectively. Four drivers from the Army claimed the top four of the first five positions and a driver for the Navy took the fifth spot. The drivers competed in classes based on their car's technical specifications and their own driving experience to ensure that everyone competed on an equal basis.

Robert Hess, the founder of DVEN, is a 90% disabled Vietnam veteran who battled Agent Orange-related prostate cancer and combat-related PTSD. On its website, DVEN puts forth its two-fold mission - To connect disabled veterans, their caregivers, and supporters with benefits provided by the Veterans Administration and other veteran charities that provide genuine support, and to play a meaningful role in reducing the suicide toll of America’s veterans.

Robert talks about the disturbing statistics of veteran suicides in the nation by saying, “There are approximately 22 million veterans in the general US population and roughly 30% of them have a service-related disability. Even more distressingly, 8% of all veterans live in poverty. To date, this year, 6,387 veterans chose the drastic step to end their life and put a stop to their suffering. The sad part is that it didn’t have to be this way. This hardship was inflicted on them by a bureaucratic system that was supposed to protect them but failed to live up to its promises.”

When asked about how the Rally4Vets program plays a role in DVEN’s mission, Robert says, “It is a sad and discouraging state of affairs when those who put their lives on the line to serve the nation are cruelly discarded when they come back home. Veteran suicides don’t get as much attention as they should be getting from our lawmakers, our media, and even those within the armed forces. DVEN was established to give these forgotten voices a platform from which their concerns can be heard. We want their issues to reverberate loudly in the same halls where policymakers set military budgets and formulate strategies to send these soldiers on deadly missions thousands of miles away. We hope that DVEN’s efforts to support the disabled veteran community and its role to reduce the veteran suicide toll are amplified by initiatives such as Rally4Vets. We are just in our second year and there is a long road ahead before we successfully achieve the structural and legislative impacts that we need to make a difference. We hope that you will come along with us for the journey.”

Readers, who want to make a difference and contribute to the cause that DVEN is fighting for, can reach out to it at info@dven.org or (424) 290-1940. DVEN has published a list of strictly vetted charities, donating to any of which will directly benefit veterans and their families.