Dad Driven X Track Heroes | Veterans Uniting

We are excited to announce our partnership with fellow Veteran owned business and organization, Track Heroes. Founded by Luke Ryker in South Carolina in November 2020, Track Heroes is a mental health support non-profit (501(c)(3) for Veterans and First Responders (V1Rs) focused on the healing effects of High Performance Driving (HPD) to address many symptoms common to V1Rs struggling in our community. Track Heroes offers specifically sequenced HPD opportunities to trigger emotional responses while teaching participants, called “Heroes,” the fundamentals of HPD handling, braking, cornering, and successful and safe driving on the track. Track Heroes' signature Adaptive Control Program (ACP) utilizes HPD to trigger and learn adaptive positive mental health responses.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

"I created Track Heroes after I experienced the positive mental health benefits of HPD. As a Veteran who was a bomb technician, including tours to Afghanistan, Pakistan and two tours to Iraq, I had many post-service interactions with the VA’s mental health system. After years of working with the VA, my progress plateaued and I became frustrated. It was at this time that I discovered HPD education events and their amazing mental health benefits. That discovery changed my life and I knew that it could change the lives of many of my brothers and sisters with the same mental health challenges. Track Heroes was founded to provide V1Rs with opportunities to experience these benefits." - Luke Ryker, Founder/CEO, Track Heroes.

HOW DO HPD EVENTS HELP V1R'S? 

During an Adaptive Control Event, Heroes drive dedicated vehicles on a closed course with professional driving instructors and run through a sequence of HPD exercises. Very difficult exercises are held at the beginning, challenging the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) to acknowledge that it does not possess the skills/knowledge necessary to accomplish the exercises. This “cognitive confrontation” forces the ACC to activate the front side, allowing the creation of new neural pathways. These novel paths represent a new “racing mindset” and are reinforced throughout the rest of the day-long event. This mindset, combined with mental drills and knowledge gained during the course, reduces or eliminates inappropriate sympathetic activations, lowering hormone levels, rebalancing the HPA axis, and thus reducing the associated symptoms of the dysregulation.

Since 2021, Track Heroes has held 43 Adaptive Control Events involving over 80 V1R participants and the results are impressive: 

40.6% felt more relaxed
40.1% reported being calmer
30.5% stated they felt “safer”
30.0% reported improved sleep
20.7% indicated less muscle tension
20.3% experienced increased energy

HOW DOES TRACK HEROES TRACK PROGRESS? 

To verify and quantify that the ACP is helping, an evaluation of each Heroes' “Sympathetic Activation Level” pre-event in writing and in interviews occurs to establish a baseline. A re-evaluation of each Hero  happens immediately after the event and a comparison of the pre/post results is made. Track Heroes then follows up one-week and one-month post event to observe the program’s longer effects. These initial findings indicate that Track Heroes is doing something positive for participants’ mental health. However, more in-depth and professional research and evaluation is needed to prove our novel approach can positively impact many struggling V1Rs.

OUR PARTNERSHIP

Dad Driven X Track Heroes partnership combines Veteran forces to help V1R's in the time they need it most. In our effort to assist Track Heroes in positively impacting the lives of V1R's, 5% of net proceeds from any purchase and 50% of net proceeds from our Collab Shirt are donated to Track Heroes. We believe in their mission and vision and we hope our supporters do as well. 

CLICK HERE TO SHOP ALL GEAR TODAY & SUPPORT VETERAN DRUG FREE THERAPY

Want to learn more about the science behind Track Heroes, click HERE. 

Want to give a tax deductible donation to support Track Heroes, click HERE.