In the wake of Hurricane Idalia, the recent earthquake in Morroco, the heartbreaking wildfires out West and the unrelenting flooding that has devastated so much of the Southeast, there is clearly a perpetual need for first-responder heroes. Fortunately, the Tennessee-based Aerial Recovery Group is well-trained well-versed and highly-experienced when it comes to answering the call to provide and support recovery both from natural disasters to human trafficking to the psychological impacts for our brave soldiers upon their return stateside.

And for Sunday’s highly-anticipated Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing will recognize and honor this organization of heroes on driver Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 Chevrolet.

This isn’t merely a one-week race sponsorship for Trackhouse Racing, it’s a new relationship between the Aerial Recovery Group and the team – with Trackhouse Racing’s talent and experienced group of off-track corporate experts joining forces to help Aerial Recovery Group gain notoriety and fund-raise to support their unique “mission.” 

Having a dedicated mission is, after all, exactly what Aerial Recovery members know best as former Special Forces soldiers.

“I have spent a lot of time with the Aerial Recovery Group leadership over the last few months and the more I learn the more I want Trackhouse to embrace their mission,’’ Trackhouse Racing founder and owner Justin Marks said. 

“Positively impacting the lives of those in need, and in many cases, saving their lives all together is a mission ALL of us can get behind. This is what Trackhouse is about. Finding opportunities for good and we want to bring as much recognition to these efforts and help raise money to fund these incredible recovery missions.’’

This elite, highly-trained group of former active duty soldiers brings exactly the kind of motivation and know-how to this effort you would expect of America’s best. Their past-experiences in the military make the Aerial Recovery Group of men and women ideal to take on these massive tasks whether it be search-and-recovery, medical assistance or even transporting people to a safer living situation in the midst of natural disasters.

Already the organization has spent time helping people in countries from Haiti to Afghanistan, from Pakistan to the Ukraine, where it recently safeguarded more than 5000 citizens trapped in that war zone. 

“We repurpose military veterans primarily from the Special Forces community,’’ Aerial Recovery Co-Founder and CEO Britnie Turner explained. “We take these operators and we respond to some of the most critical missions all over the world and provide life-saving aid to people in their greatest hour of need. Veterans and first-responders are incredibly effective with the humanitarian space.’’ 

Truth be told, the opportunity to continue making a difference in the world around them is a mutually beneficial aspect that drew this group of decorated soldiers to the sport of NASCAR and vice versa. And for a non-profit organization, exposure, donations and fundraising are vital elements to keeping Aerial Recovery Group poised and ready to help.

“These men and women are expertly trained and highly-skilled and it us an honor to know people who put these skillsets to work in the hardest and worse conditions like war zones, sites of tornadoes, hurricanes, fires and floods,’’ Marks said. “They are less trained in branding, marketing, public relations, corporate sponsor support and fundraising and that is where Trackhouse can make the biggest impact.’’

That’s the benefit of Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR – both are high-energy conduits in getting the word out about Aerial Recovery Group. Making a difference to assist this organization in making a difference.

“These guys are amazing,’’ Suarez said of carrying the company on his car this weekend at Bristol. “The more I have learned about them the more honored I am to represent them.

“I have learned that they respond so quickly that they are often the first group to the disaster, beating all of the other recovery agencies there. At Trackhouse, we are always about speed and execution too, so that is very impressive to me.”