SCORE Journal

SCORE Journal - December 2018

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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Racing Heals Hidden Wounds Film Producer Justin Roberts hopes to showcase how teamwork and adrenaline in Baja racing helps veterans heal By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some photo “I’ve been living in a military bubble and had no experience in the racing world,” says Echo Bravo Production CEO Justin Roberts. As a film producer focused on the military, Roberts was interested when a friend called and told him there were military veterans running in a race called the SCORE Baja 1000. “I wanted to check it out and was intrigued at the dynamic there,” said Roberts. “Veterans are using the race to process what they’ve been through and to find the brotherhood that is lacking in their lives after returning from war.” According to Roberts, it’s extremely difficult for military veterans to get back into society after having the stimulus of being in high-adrenaline, fighting situations for a long time. “This is something that can compare to the adrenaline from combat and gives them that surge that they’re needing, but in a safe way.” Robert’s last film, No Greater Love, (italic) dealt with combat in Afghanistan. He filmed on the front lines and during the largest battles in the war, capturing it and the military personnel going through it. After that experience, he realized that military veterans need to transition back into civilian life and saw that teams like Warrior Built, were doing just that through racing. “I drove down with Nick Hamm, president of Warrior Built, and he introduced me to the world of SCORE Baja racing,” said Roberts. “The race itself had so much energy, the military-like planning, the brotherhood of competitors helping each other as a team, the pre-race tension, feat, and anticipation. You can see it in their eyes at the starting line. I was caught off-guard at how familiar everything was, in relation to being in the military.” In cooperation with BCII and with the help of executive producer Dana Brown, Roberts is hoping that once the film is put together, it will allow more veterans to learn about SCORE racing and how it can help them in the long run. “During the race we worked not only with the Warrior Built team, but also with the Baja Challenge teams, BC1 and BC4 as well as with motorcycle rider John Hodel, to capture some footage for the film,” said Roberts. “We want to tell the story about the race and these warriors. Many people underestimate the value that something like this can bring to veterans. I can see how it can help individuals crawl out of depression and help to become a way to move forward.”SJ

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