AN EMOTIONAL WEEKEND FOR MISSION MOTORSPORT AND NISSAN
23 September 2012.- Despite disability, despite preparing to go back to Afghanistan and despite crippling post-traumatic stress disorder, a team of soldiers from Mission Motorsport took the chequered flag at the end of the Britcar 24 Hours this afternoon at Silverstone. Racing a Nissan 370Z, the soldiers finished in 17th place overall after 24 hours of racing in changing weather conditions, against professional race teams and drivers. Tpr James ‘Jimmy’ Gillborn, was also awarded the ‘Driver of the Weekend’ award by the organisers for the incredible job he did in the race but he was the first to say that he would share the award with his team mates Major James ‘Jim’ Cameron, L/Cpl Martyn ‘Copey’ Copleston and Sgt Gary ‘Gaz’ Dunning.
The story of the race for Mission Motorsport was full of the usual endurance race battles, which were dealt with in the same way as a professional race team. It was hard to remember that the car was being driven and prepared by soldiers, not race mechanics and racing drivers.
It looked like it was game over during the night when the Nissan, travelling at full racing speed, came around the first turn at Silverstone to be confronted by a broadside Marcos. With nowhere to go Jim took avoiding action but sustained heavy front-end damage. The team at Mission Motorsport don’t understand the meaning of giving up so, with the help of RJN Motorsport – and a fender from RJN boss Bob Neville’s own Nissan 370Z – the team set about fixing the car and in under two hours it was back out on track.
The Mission Motorsport spirit attracted people from far and wide throughout the Silverstone event: the garage was always full of people, interested to see the drivers and pit crew in action, and it was hard to get near the car on the grid as everyone came to wish the team luck and shake hands with the drivers.
After the race Jim Cameron reflected on what the team had achieved in just a few short weeks: “It was an ambitious and crazy idea that was potty enough to work. I didn’t think for a moment that we wouldn’t get here (to the finish) as I know what high quality the guys are. The car was so strong, a really fantastic racing car that is engaging to drive, once you have tamed it!
“All of the guys had to deliver all the way through the programme and they haven’t let me down once. We’ve done two 24 hour races now and we’ve never had a DNF or even been summoned to Race Control. This is a very emotional moment for everyone involved with Mission Motorsport. We could feel the emotion building through the event as word spread about what we were doing here. I brought a team of 24 people here and I couldn’t find many of them on the grid as they were obscured by a crowd of people wearing Mission Motorsport t-shirts and caps.”
The Mission Motorsport Nissan 370Z was running inside the top ten overall before the Marcos incident, an incredible feat when you consider that the soldiers didn’t even have racing licences until very recently. Single-amputee Jimmy Gillborn came to the programme very late and only had a month to get his licence.
“I never expected Jimmy to be on the programme,” explained Jim Cameron. “He came along to a drifting day we did at Silverstone and I noticed he was left foot braking so I asked him where he had learnt to do that. His reply of ‘I haven’t got a right foot’ did it for me!”
The trusted job of taking the car to the chequered flag was given to Jimmy, who made sure it came back in (almost) one piece.
“I felt really proud that the lads let me do the last hour of the race,” he explained. “It was really slippery but it was also a lot of fun. The team had to tell me to slow down a couple of times but I wasn’t trying to break any records, I just wanted to do a good job for the team. I wasn’t expecting the driver of the weekend award but I feel very honoured to receive it, as there are some great drivers here. It goes without saying that I will share it with my team mates.”
Darren Cox, General Manager of Nissan in Europe added: “This journey started as a conversation 18 months ago and initially attracted its doubters. Yet again we have proved the doubters wrong and more importantly started an adventure that has deeply touched all of the Nissan people involved.
“This is just the beginning as Major Jim and I have plans that extend beyond motorsport,” he continued. “I would like to personally thank RJN Motorsport, Dunlop and the technicians from our European Technical Centre who all supported this crazy idea, way beyond the call of duty.”
Major James Cameron is 39 and from Harrogate. James joined the Army in 1995 and served in Germany, Cyprus and Canada before becoming an Afghanistan and Iraq frequent flyer. Latterly, he commanded the independent Armoured Group in Helmand, Afghanistan, resolving on his return to do everything within his gift for those whose lives had been affected by their experiences or the injuries that they sustained. A seasoned racer and instructor, he co-founded Mission Motorsport in order to find opportunities for those affected and their families, using a tried and tested sports therapy mechanism with very real educational and vocational outlets. The impact in just a short time has been dramatic.
Tpr James Gillborn is 23 and was born and raised in Cambridge. In 2009 Jimmy enlisted in the army and joined the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, Princess of Wales Regiment. After completing his training Jimmy joined his regiment at Hohne, Germany and in March 2011 Jimmy was deployed to Afghanistan as part of an advisory and training team where he patrolled and toured assisting the Afghan National Army. On the 8th of June Jimmy stood on an IED which resulted in him being flown back to the UK and under doctors’ advice his leg was amputated below the knee. After his operation he attended Headley Court where he learnt to walk again using a prosthetic leg. Jimmy has completed his rehabilitation and is now walking, running; cycling and swimming, living life to the fullest as a family man and enjoying his new found success in motor racing.
L/Cpl Martyn Copleston ‘Copey’ is 22 and was born and raised in Poole, Dorset. Copey enlisted in the army on 14th December 2006. After completion of his training he joined the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 2RTR. His first and only tour was to Afghanistan, being deployed in 2010 as part of Badger Squadron. Towards the end of his tour in 2011, the ‘Warthog’ armoured vehicle that Copey was driving encountered an IED. He sustained a large laceration to his right leg from shrapnel and was casevac’d by helicopter, where after two days in hospital at Camp Bastion he was flown back to the UK for further treatment. Copey spent time in rehab at Tidworth and was eventually declared fully fit and back to Regimental duties in April 2012. Copey is a confirmed petrol head and is never far away from a vehicle, now holding a race licence he was Mission Motorsport’s first racing driver, learning in Lotus Elises. A very capable mechanic, Copey has also supported Mission Motorsport racing, learning his trade as part of the pit crew team.
Sgt Gary Dunning, 40, from Birmingham started his career in the army in 1991 in the Royal Pioneer Corps. His first posting was with the Engineers, preparing bridges for deployment to the Balkans. Gary then moved on to dealing with ammunition, based in Germany and then Cyprus and was sent on tour to the Falklands and Northern Ireland and in 2003 was deployed to Iraq. That experience left its mark on him. At the end of his Iraq tour he was posted to Germany for two years but on his return to the UK his friends and family noticed a huge difference in him, the Gary they all knew and loved had changed. A very difficult time followed for Gary and his family, he was diagnosed with PTSD and life was then made worse by a huge motorcycle accident resulting in broken bones in his leg, ankle and foot, requiring large amounts of meccano and screws holding them together along with serious nerve damage, elbow injuries, broken ribs, lung damage and a new knee being required. Completing further tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gary is finally due to be medically discharged later this year. He is regaining his confidence fast through his chosen sport, and is hoping to identify opportunity, through the engagement that motorsport is bringing, for a second career.
Mission Motorsport
Mission Motorsport was formed in 2012 as the Forces’ Motorsport Charity at the request of the British Army Motorsport Association. It has the lead for the provision of disabled and adaptive motor sport to the Defence Recovery Capability, and seeks to merge where possible the activities of the disabled with able bodied personnel. Its main audience are those who are brought to the charity through BattleBack – a tri-service initiative that aims to improve and formalise the use of adventurous training and sport in the aftercare of wounded Service personnel; in order to aid their rehabilitation and return to an active life. Through the provision of experiences and in engendering competition, Mission Motorsport’s activities generate interest and insight, which is channelled into vocational outlets, inspiring, educating and supporting the individuals in their life – post injury.
Text and photograph by: Nissan.
