For many of us, it’s all about the racing. Everybody goes to the race track because they’re race fans and it’s something fun to do, whether behind the wheel or not. Though for Canadian Heroes Racing, it’s more than that.
While competiting for race wins, they’re also remembering the soldiers that have died. The drivers carry the colors, paying tribute to those soldiers and encouraging others to do with each lap that they make on track.
The idea came about by Chris Ecklund to remember the soldiers at the track.
“When a soldier is killed in action, they are repatriated via the Highway of Heroes where civilians can pay their respects,” Ray Keeso, the National Team Manager for Canadian Heroes Racing, says. “The racing element was started to allow those regions that cannot make the journey to the overpasses, the opportunity to pay their respects to the fallen hero and the family at the track.”
By doing this, Kesso says that it shows that the sacrifice the person made in the military is not forgotten.
“It is emotional, proud, stressful and satisfying,” Kesso says. “Racing awards trophies for winning and only those who do well receive that. Well we award a trophy at every race, our hood to the family. That is a sense of pride in country, of respect to the fallen soldier and to their family.”
On top of having cars carry their cars, Canadian Heroes Racing, sponsored by Lincoln Electric, runs races some events in memory of a fallen soldier. This weekend, the Canadian Heroes Lucas Oil Sportsman Series car driven by Kevin Trevellin will be racing at Flamboro Speedway in honor of Sgt. Shawn Allen Eades. Born in 1975 in Hamilton Ontario, Eades served with the Canadian Military Engineers 12th Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). Sadly, Eades was killed in action on August 20, 2008 in Afghanistan.
“Sgt. Eades was respected for his outstanding professionalism and remembered as a devoted father who liked to share stories with his children with colleagues and friends,” the Canadian Heroes press release stated. “Sgt. Eades, who was on his third tour of Afghanistan, was remembered by family and colleagues as a dedicated soldier and devoted father. Shawn has worn a uniform almost his whole life. He joined Cadets at 12, then he served in the Reserve Force and he joined the Regular Force when he turned 18. As dedicated as Shawn was to his job, he was even more dedicated to his family. He always had strong family values and it was difficult for him to be away, but he always knew that his family would receive great care from his extended family and from the military’s services.”
At events like this, the Canadian Heroes Racing team brings the family of the fallen solider out to the race and at the end of the night, the family gets to take home the hood that has a picture of the solider out.
He adds events like this mean a lot to the family because “they physically see fans wearing red to show support, they meet people who come up and thank them for their son or daughter’s service. One only has to sit in the grandstand during a race and see the family. Their smiles, their laughter but their tears. We have been told, ‘Thank you for a great night. We really enjoyed ourselves it’s too bad that it was for this reason’.”
Also at the event, they ask the family to provide something that belonged to the fallen solider to have it in the car during the race so the fallen
hero can ride with them.
“At Peterborough the driver was given the Military Medal of Valour (MMV),” Kesso says. “The family told us that the medal had never been taken out of its case, only this one time. Words cannot accurately explain how we feel or what this means to us. We truly beliive that ‘Freedom is Never Free’.”
On top of the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series car, Canadian Heroes Racing has four other cars in action.
Lucas Lubin (military reserve) completes weekly in the Mini Stock division at Ohsweken Speedway, driving the No. 29 sponsored by Eggz Custom Fab and Lincoln Eletric. The hood is wrapped in memory of Captain Richard Steven Leary and Trooper Larry John Zuidema Rudd.
Chad Strawn drives the No. 77 Canadian Heroes OSCAAR Open Wheel Modified to honor all fallen soldiers. Recently, Strawn picked up a heat win at Kawartha Speedway a couple weeks ago.
The No. 74 Canadian Heroes CASC-OR Trans Am is not racing this year, but was driven last year by Ian Michael Patterson.
Lastly, they have a No. 33 Junior Late Model with Canadian Heroes Development driver Austin Fisher behind the wheel. The 11-year-old has impressed already, picking up some impressive finishes in his career.
Some people race for the pure joy. Others race together because that’s what they do as a family. For Canadian Heroes Racing, it’s something totally different. It’s to remember the fallen soldiers, while reminding people that ‘Freedom is Never Free’.
Thanks for this, on behalf of those friends and colleagues of mine that you honour in this way. It means a lot.