The Army Claims Rally4Vets' 2022 Top Dog Championship Trophy

Rally4Vets has announced that the Top Dog Championship just finished its second annual event on 22nd October 2022 in Summit Point, West Virginia. Rally4Vets is an initiative by the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network or DVEN, a program that focuses on fighting for the issues faced by the country’s sizeable disabled veteran population. Readers can find out more about Rally4Vets by visiting its website at www.rally4vets.com.

The Top Dog Championship is the only inter-service military motorsports championship of its kind in the country. The 2022 event saw 33 military motorsports enthusiasts battle it out for the Top Dog Trophy on the Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point Motorsports Park, West Virginia. The Army team emerged victorious yet again, its second win in a row after a successful showing at the 2021 event at the same venue.

The Top Dog Championship was patterned on the SCCA’s track sprint/time attack format and the TrackCross program that Jon Felton runs at Summit Point and Virginia International Speedway. Drivers take several runs to familiarize themselves with the track and then drive the course 8-10 times with 30-60 seconds between each car. Drivers compete for individual standing and points in classes with classes for every type of car, regardless of the level of modification. There also are separate classes for novice and experienced drivers.

The Top Dog Championship Trophy is awarded to the military service collecting the most points during the competition year. The 2022 trophy went to the Army with the Marine Corps and Air Force taking the second and third spots on the podium respectively. The Top Dog Championship events are 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 Presenting Sponsor for the event was Radial Tire Co., a trusted provider of high-quality, new tires, custom aftermarket wheels, and tire repair and maintenance services in Silver Spring, MD. Readers can visit the company’s website at www.radialtire.com to find out more about its range of automotive products and services.

Other sponsors for the event include Navy Federal Credit Union and OG Racing. The Navy Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution whose membership is open to every branch of the armed services which includes the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Air Force, the Space Force, the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, veterans, and their families. OG Racing is a Sterling, Virginia-based company that offers a full line of racing suits including the latest helmets and neck protection.

The founder of DVEN, Robert Hess, brings attention to the glaring issue of veteran suicides in the country by saying, “Around 18 veterans commit suicide every day. You have seen them. They are the invisible people who walk among us when we are out grocery shopping or meeting up with our friends and families at our favorite restaurants. They are always in the background. However, our brain blocks out their sights and sounds because it would then force us to grapple with hard truths that most of civil society is not ready to face head-on. The freedom and security we enjoy were built on the backs of our veterans who fought valiantly for American values thousands of miles away in non-descript bunkers and trenches, in urban warfare in desert cities, among the dead bodies of their fellow soldiers. The blood that was spilled bought us the lifestyle we enjoy today and makes us the envy of the whole world. However, haven’t we failed as a nation if we aren’t able to care for those same brave souls in their time of need? Depression. Financial stress. Homelessness. PTSD. Drug abuse. Broken families. Lack of support systems. These are just some of the issues that drive our veterans to the end of their ropes. At DVEN, we are fighting hard to draw attention to the heart-wrenching problem of veteran suicides. Visit our website at www.dven.org to find out more.”