PIRTEK Team Murray and the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation created a unique program which saw seven military veterans and first responders from across North America moulded into a pit crew for the 100th Indianapolis 500.

With the support of Warner Bros. Entertainment, who distributed the Academy Award-winning movie, American Sniper – based on the life of Chris Kyle, the CK Crew competed in the prestigious Tag Heuer Pitstop Competition on Coors Light Carb Day – the Friday of race weekend, May 27.

The concept was developed and managed from start to finish by the BAM Group in conjunction with CKF Foundation leader Stewart Smith and received national and international exposure and opportunities for all the program’s partners.

The program was officially launched by Kyle’s wife and PIRTEK Team Murray Ambassador, Taya Kyle at the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg in Florida, the opening round of the Verizon IndyCar Series and rolled out over coming months.

Through friends of Taya and Chris Kyle, seven CK Crew members from key markets around the country were brought together for 10 days training and coaching in Indianapolis with leading experts headed by Pit Fit’s Jim Leo.

The ‘CK Crew’ trained three times a day before bringing the ignited Carb Day crowd to its feet when the crew took to Gasoline Alley waving the American flag.

As part of the partnership, the CKF Foundation was given the rights to team merchandise.

Warner Bros. Entertainment used the CK Crew program to launch a Limited Edition DVD on Memorial Day Weekend.

A partnership with the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation saw the team host more than 500 military veterans, first responders and their families over the two weeks of the race program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The general consensus in the review of the program was that it ‘Changed the lives of everyone involved’.