Liam Dwyer Named Grand Marshal for Military Appreciation Day at Mazda Raceway - Speedway Digest

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has named retired Marine Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer as grand marshal for the Sept. 12 Military Appreciation Day during the Pirelli World Championship/Mazda Road to Indy event Sept. 11-13.

The third annual Military Appreciation Day is the continuation of Mazda Raceway’s almost 60 years of involvement with the armed forces since the facility was built in 1957 by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) on property once part of Fort Ord. The raceway will provide free general admission to active military and veterans with military ID, and one guest, who attend the Pirelli World Challenge/Mazda Road to Indy on Sat., Sept. 12.

Dwyer was gravely injured May 22, 2011, after stepping on an IED during his second tour of combat duty in Afghanistan. Since that time, he has gone through more than 50 surgeries and, despite losing his left leg above the knee, is now a Mazda-backed race driver in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series. He races with a custom-designed prosthetic that attaches to the clutch pedal and can be disconnected quickly for driver changes. His team, Freedom Autosport, currently leads the team point standings in the ST category. After winning at Lime Rock (Conn.) Park last year on Memorial Day weekend, he won again in dramatic fashion with co-driver Andrew Carbonell on May 2 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“It is an honor to have Liam Dwyer serve as the grand marshal for Military Appreciation Day,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Liam’s story of bravery, honor, and determination should be an inspiration to all of us, whether in the military or not. On top of everything else, he’s a great race car driver. All of us at Mazda Raceway welcome him and all of the military who will be here for Military Appreciation Day and throughout the weekend.”

Champions in 10 different classes of sports car and open wheel racing will be crowned at Mazda Raceway during the season finale event for both the Pirelli World Challenge and Mazda Road to Indy. Tight battles for final season point positions are on the line in the Pirelli World Challenge’s four Grand Touring classes (GT/GTA/GT Cup/GTS) and three Touring Car classes (TC/TCA/TCB) as well the three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy: Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires; Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires; and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. Gates open each day at 7 a.m. for three days of almost non-stop on-track racing activity.

Tickets to the Pirelli World Challenge/Mazda Road to Indy weekend include a variety of options, from single day tickets to multiple-day and hospitality packages. For more information, visit MazdaRaceway.com or call 831-242-8200.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.