Dorna Communications 

A combat-wounded United States Army veteran who was embedded with MotoAmerica SuperStock 1000 team Dead Presidents Racing through the VETMotorsports program has been hired on by Fly Street/Motul/ADR Motorsports for the remainder of the season.

SPC Rod Abraham, who was first embedded with the team during April’s season-opening Championship in Texas at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, served two tours of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was previously deployed to Baghdad and was honorably discharged in 2011.

“We were so honored to have Rod join us in Austin, and were so pleased with his attitude and abilities that we decided to hire him on as a crew member,” said ADR Motorsports Team Owner David Anthony, who fields the #25 Fly Street/Motul/ADR Motorsports Superbike. “He’s proof positive what an incredible resource our returning veterans are, and why they deserve every opportunity available to them in the American workforce. We’re grateful to Dead Presidents Racing and VETMotorsports for bringing us together.”

VETMotorsports is an award-winning, non-clinical outreach program that honors and empowers injured warfighters through active participation in motorsports. The program was created to provide inspiration and motivation to post-9/11 veterans with service-connected injuries by making them part of a new team and giving them a new mission.

VETMotorsports recruits participants, embeds them with professional race teams and covers all expenses for them a caregiver to take part in the experience. This is the program’s second direct hire into the MotoAmerica paddock in as many years.

“I heard about VETMotorsports through some fellow veterans who participated in the program in 2015, and had been waiting for an opportunity to be part of their mission,” said Abraham. “To be given this chance by ADR Motorsports to work at something I love and be a part of something bigger is truly a dream. I’ve seen a lot of fellow veterans struggle after their service ends, and it’s programs like VETMotorsports and organizations like ADR Motorsports that are giving us a chance to be inspired and succeed after the checkered flag drops. I’ll be forever grateful.”

“This couldn’t possibly be a better outcome from our standpoint, as well as for Rod and the team,” said VETMotorsports CEO Peter Cline. “Our mission is to help injured warfighters re-engage as civilians, and when that re-engagement leads to opportunities like this, we couldn’t be more pleased and gratified. Veterans have value, and they rise to the occasion when given an opportunity. This is another example of this and VETMotorsports wishes Rod and ADR Motorsports nothing but success the rest of the season.”

About VETMotorsports

Founded in 2012, Veteran Empowerment Through Motorsports (VETMotorsports) is an award-winning, non-profit, non-clinical outreach program that embeds qualifying warfighters with existing race teams to provide them with unique motorsports experiences. By placing veterans in hands-on, high-stress, team environments that mimic active duty, the organization gives them direction, empowerment and challenges that help them focus on ability and moving forward rather than disability and the past. To date VETMotorsports has helped more than 160 injured veterans participate in 60 motorcycle and auto racing events across the United States. To learn more about VETMotorsports, participate in the program, or make a donation, visit www.vetmotorsports.org