El Segundo, California – The Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN) successfully hosted the 4th Annual Top Dog Motorsports Championship at Summit Point Motorsports Park in Summit Point, West Virginia, on October 12, 2024.
The Top Dog Championship is the only military motorsports competition in the world. It features drivers representing service teams competing for the coveted Top Dog title.
This year’s event saw fierce competition, with participants from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard testing their skills on the fabled Shenandoah Circuit.
The Air Force emerged as the Top Dog, outpacing their rivals to claim first place. The Army secured a strong second-place finish, followed by the Marine Corps team in third.
While the event focuses on fun and friendly competition, the mission behind the Top Dog Championships is deeply serious—raising awareness about the high rate of veteran suicide and generating funds to provide service dogs for veterans in need. On average, 22 veterans take their lives every day, a tragic statistic Rally4Vets and DVEN aim to change through community events and support networks.
“Losing 22 veterans every day is tragic, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Robert Hess, founder of DVEN and Rally4Vets and retired Army veteran. “Together, we can stay connected to veterans and help them access the support they need. The competition among service teams is all in good fun—we love some friendly smack talk—but at the end of the day, we are all on the same team, fighting to save veteran lives.”
Rally4Vets is a program of the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network that connects disabled veterans to a wide range of resources to improve their quality of life. In addition to the Top Dog Championships, Rally4Vets leads a cross-US road rally every summer from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. The 2025 Top Dog Championships will be back at Summit Point on October 11th and 12th. And, a "RallyTheRidge" is in planning stage.
In addition to the resources on DVEN.org, DVEN has partnered with the Columbia Lighthouse Project to help disseminate the Project’s Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). The protocol consists of six simple questions anyone can ask that identify whether someone is at risk for suicide. The App can be downloaded at cssrs.columbia.edu https://cssrs.columbia.edu/
The 2024 Top Dog Championships were made possible by the generous support of sponsors, including OG Racing, Navy Federal Credit Union, Just Driven, Riaction USA, and Apex Wheels. “We are grateful to our sponsors for standing with us in support of America’s veteran community,” said Hess.
Looking ahead, the 5th Annual Top Dog Championships will return to Summit Point Motorsports Park on October 11-12, 2025. Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 2025 event.
About Rally4Vets
Rally4Vets is a flagship program of the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN), a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to reducing veteran suicide through awareness, community engagement, and support initiatives. Details about the Rally4Vets events and Ambassador program are on the website at https://www.rally4vets.com/ambassador.
About DVEN
DVEN has a Two-fold Mission: 1) - To connect disabled veterans, their caregivers, and supporters with benefits provided by the Veterans Administration and other veteran charities that provide genuine support, and 2) - To play a meaningful role in reducing the suicide toll of America’s veterans.
For media inquiries, please contact Tiffany Vaughn, Communications Director at Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN)/Rally4Vets via email: Tiffany.vaughn@dven.org.
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For more information about DVEN, contact the company here:
DVEN
Robert Hess
3104305899
roberthess@mac.com
DVEN
840 Apollo Street
Suite 100
El Segundo, CA 90245
