Wounded soldiers get back on track at Silverstone

Almost 50 wounded servicemen and women gathered at Silverstone last Wednesday (7 March) for a special track day organised by Motorsport Endeavour, which provides motoring experiences for serving and former members of the Armed Forces who have suffered physical or mental injury.

The veterans spent the day on the Stowe circuit driving cars loaned by Alfa Romeo, Audi, Jack Barclay Bentley, Ford, Maserati, Nissan, Peugeot and Porsche. Silverstone provided instructors, while further support came from motoring school BSM and fuel company Total.

Kevin Hunter, 31, suffered a severe knee injury while serving with the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan and has since begun marshalling at Prescott with the Bugatti Owners Club. “I love motor sport, so when this opportunity came up I couldn’t put my name down quick enough,” he said. “A lot of the guys here today are lacking confidence following their injuries and many have been stuck at home for a long time during rehabilitation. Events like this help them understand that their injuries needn’t limit their ability to enjoy life. Some probably haven’t smiled for quite a while so if one person walks away with a grin on their face then it’s been a good day.”

Graham Raphael, founder of Motorsport Endeavour, added: “These boys have put their lives on the line, and some of them have lost limbs or their sight, so that we can stand here at Silverstone in complete safety. A key word on a day like today is ‘confidence’ and the ability to take control of a high performance car at Silverstone is sure to bring some of that confidence back.”

Attendees were invited through the charities Help for Heroes, Combat Stress, Band of Brothers, Talking2Minds, Blind Veterans UK and Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court. For more information, www.motorsportendeavour.com