Disabled Veteran in Wisconsin Finds Passion Through Motorsports

Veteran Jon Winker had to adapt to a new way of life after being severely injured in an accident in 2009. 

Serving in Iraq, Winker was struck by a mine-resistant, armored gun truck. The injuries he sustained led to part of his lower left leg being amputated below the knee in 2013. 

While the amputation was a devastating blow both physically and mentally, it led Winker, a Green Bay, Wisconsin-area resident, to discover a new passion – racecar driving. 

“I found that getting in a car I could compete on a level playing field with able-bodied drivers and people wouldn’t even know I had a disability,” Winker told Spectrum News Wisconsin. 

In 2019, Winker co-founded Resilience Racing to attract disabled veterans and new drivers to the competitive adrenaline rush of auto racing. 

“There really weren’t people with physical disabilities racing, and it was very, very difficult,” Jon Winker said. Motorsports are inherently difficult to get into in the first place, even as an able-bodied driver. It was an uphill battle for someone like me who had a prosthetic left leg.”

Finding Ways to Bring Racing to Veterans 

Resilience Racing also helps build adaptive devices and works to improve devices in cars to make racing more accessible to drivers with disabilities.  

Winker had the chance to test his handiwork at the conclusion of last year’s racing season. Winker, along with his brother, Bryan, competed in a race at Virginia International Raceway with two adaptive cars. Both brothers served in the Army in Iraq in 2009 and were affected by their combat experiences. Bryan Winker watched firsthand how competitive racing had a positive impact on Jon.  

“You could definitely see a huge improvement when we spent time at the track,” he said. “You could tell he was feeling better, and he was more himself.” 

Bryan serves as a volunteer to the Resilient Racing team, working in the pit crew and jumping behind the wheel as well. He said disabled veterans often suffer from invisible injuries and look for ways to ease anxiety and depression.

“Having that experience and the kind of escape to be able to get out to the track and let all of that stuff melt away and be focused on something and be driven with a like group of people that you can all support each other with; it makes a huge difference,” Bryan Winker said. 

Reigniting Team Spirit 

Off the track, the Winker brothers work together in the cybersecurity and information services field at BAYCOM and their parent company, Owners Edge, in Wisconsin.

Besides giving veterans an opportunity to race, Resilience Racing is also providing chances to work in pit crews, and other ways to help the team, giving them that feel of camaraderie they enjoyed in the military. 

Jon Winker said it’s all about providing disabled veterans a shot at doing something they’ve maybe always wanted to do but never thought possible.

“I would love for Resilience to continue bringing new adaptive technology, or refining existing adaptive technology, to bring more disabled drivers or more adaptive drivers to the sport,” he said. “Be it disabled veterans or anyone with a physical disability who can benefit from this and has an interest in motorsport.”