"daender" (daender)
08/21/2014 at 18:08 • Filed to: rally, veterans, humvee, hummer, h1, racing
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"daender" (daender)
08/21/2014 at 18:08 • Filed to: rally, veterans, humvee, hummer, h1, racing | 4
| 11 |
Remember that Top Gear episode where wounded UK soldiers were seeking therapy from their combat expereiences by rally-racing Land Rovers/Bowlers? Where's the US equivalent? Also, what are we going to do will all those decommissioned and shot-up Humvee? Here's my idea: put wounded and/or PTSD veterans into teams where they rebuild one or two decommissioned Humvee and/or a 4x4 custom Deuce support/raid truck and enter them into the Baja 1000 and Mint 400. Would they win? Probably not, their vehicles would be heavy and slow compared to those custom tube-frame entries but just surviving and finishing the those races/rallies are considered victories in their own right as it is to finish LeMans's 24 hours.
Deuces can be bought for under 10k$ in 7/10 condition. Upgrade the engine. drivetrain, suspension, and put in a THICK rollcage and you have a monster rally raid truck for likely under 50k$. Humvees are more expensive but buying a decommissioned one from a surplus auction or scrap-yard could shave several grand off the price at the cost of more work but many gear-heads find therapy in fixing up their rides! There's one for sale on eBay in 9.5/10 condition for 44k$ though...yikes. Anyway, same modifications as the Deuce; upgrade the engine, suspension, cooling, and roll-over protection and you have a tried and true off-road vehicle ready to go off-road once more.
On the flipside, this cause could be used as a means to promote awareness and care for veterans who are struggling to adapt to civilian life by mental and/or physical means. This program would need one helluva Kickstarter to fund the vehicle purchases, modifications, and transportation of the vehicles to CA/NV (since Humvees aren't street legal, thanks DOT; but Deuces apparently are but go through a lot of red tape to legalize). But hell, if a guy making potato salad can raise 15k$, this project could easily raise 100k$ if advertised right for at least one Humvee and maybe a Deuce. I think the first picks for this team would be struggling veterans who have either worked on them before or driven them in combat. They could also be wired up with hand-controls for those who have lost limbs in combat. If a Miata can win a race with a guy's artificial ankle bolted to the clutch, then an automatic Humvee can be rallied.
Thoughts, anyone?
For Sweden
> daender
08/21/2014 at 18:11 |
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I hear the burgers have a lot of MRAPS running around. Race those.
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daender
> For Sweden
08/21/2014 at 18:12 |
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Yeah...but they're way too heavy and slow. At least Humvees and Deuces are bare-boned enough to be considered. However, an MRAP or two would be great parts-suppliers to building a badass rally-Deuce!
Diesel
> daender
08/21/2014 at 18:13 |
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I'm not sure if putting someone with PTSD into a shot up Humvee is going to help anyone.
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daender
> Diesel
08/21/2014 at 18:18 |
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The bullet holes would be patched-up at the very least! You have a point but I think driving them once more in a safer environment could help heal old wounds. Sort of like riding a certain motorcycle once more after having a nasty crash on it in the past. Besides, those UK veterans are racing their somewhat-equivalent of Humvee with those Land Rovers.
TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
> daender
08/21/2014 at 18:28 |
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Race to recovery is actually for Allied soldiers so US troops also race the Bowlers and work on the team.
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daender
> TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
08/21/2014 at 18:35 |
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Did not know this! Still, we need need a program with more 'Murica, Humvees, and located in the North American continent. Also needs to be US-based to raise awareness/support locally since it's sort of moot trying to raise to the US's public attention when they're racing across the pond and out of public eye. Having them do the Mint and Baja would give them considerable time in US broadcasting limelight.
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TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
> daender
08/21/2014 at 18:50 |
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I believe that they were taking about doing the Baja at some point. They also raced in the Dakar which is now in South America due to all the conflicts on the old route.
Dusty Ventures
> daender
08/21/2014 at 18:50 |
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three of these raced Baja a few years back. I think an MRAP could work. Honestly it's the deuces I'd be worried about. I don't think they'll fit under the bridges in Ensenada
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daender
> TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
08/21/2014 at 18:56 |
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If that's the truth, then my case it moot and I wish them the best of luck!
Aaron James
> daender
08/21/2014 at 23:31 |
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I think it's a good idea, why did you classify it as a "Derp" idea?
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daender
> Aaron James
08/22/2014 at 07:44 |
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Derp's been a nickname of mine since I started using daender as an online alias, partially because my initials cover the DE portion of the word and the fact I'm known to make some pretty stupid mistakes on a regular basis.