User:ZappaOMatic/Liam Dwyer

Liam Dwyer is an American sports car racing driver and Staff Sargent in the United States Marine Corps. He currently drives the No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

In 2011, Dwyer lost his left leg after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) and later began racing with a prosthesis.

Military career
After the USS Cole bombing, Dwyer enlisted in the military in October 2000 and trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He was deployed to Iraq in January 2001 and served as a Humvee turret gunner. He returned from Iraq in 2007, after suffering injuries from fragmentation of an IED. Dwyer later encountered a major he had previously worked with and re-enlisted to serve in Afghanistan. On May 22, 2011, Dwyer was clearing a Sangin compound, when he stepped on an IED, which led to the loss of his left leg and injuries to his abdomen and torso from shrapnel. To prevent infection, Dwyer underwent surgery every fortnight for five weeks, followed by reconstructive surgery. Additionally, he would spend up to five hours rehabilitating at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Racing career
Dwyer entered track days after returning from Iraq in 2007, followed by attending the Skip Barber Racing School before officially beginning racing upon returning from Afghanistan in 2011. In 2012, Dwyer ran in vintage car racing, before joining the National Auto Sport Association the following year. He also participated in autocross and rally racing.

To race, Dwyer uses a special prosthesis, with it being attached to the clutch pedal. When switching with a co-driver, Dwyer would remove the split pin joining the prosthesis and the clutch.