Gray Squad Motorsports & Yokohama Give Back to Special Ops Agents

Gray Squad Motorsports, or GSM as it is more commonly known, is an intriguing off-road entity. Chief driver and owner Michael London is a career special ops professional racing the Ultra4 series in a custom Jimmy’s 4×4 sponsored by Yokohama Tire. But he’s not just doing this for an adrenaline rush, finishing line accolades, or fame. GSM is raising donation money for each mile, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to aiding those who have served under the CIA’s Special Operations division.

Most Americans are familiar with the term “special ops,” yet many remain completely unaware of the fact that the majority of the CIA’s Special Operations units and their families go unrecognized and unnamed due to the nature of their service. This means that they and their loved ones cannot receive the same level of support made available to other branches of the U.S. military.

By racing a badass 4×4 for charity, Michael London has found a way to provide a creative and fun way to raise money for the “Third Option Foundation,” an organization that offers a way for average citizens to provide support for these specialized soldiers, all while keeping anonymity a priority. That said, the mission statement is simple: “Provide crucial survivorship assistance and resiliency programs to heal the wounded, help the families of those we have lost, and support those who are still serving.”

London’s original concept for King of the Hammers was to have people pledge a small donation per mile completed, with every last penny raised going to said charity. As quick as you can say “Hey ya’ll, watch this….” 50 teams had signed up, in the process raising a hefty $21,463 for the foundation. From what we can tell, no one is doing anything like this for special ops survivors and their families, and London tells us that he is “excited to keep pushing and promoting more charitable organizations in future endurance races.”

Asking about the team’s decision to run Yokohama rubber season after season, Michael London was quick to answer. “We’ve always been a fan of Yokohama Tire, as I cut my car teeth in the import scene,” he explained. “When we decided to partner with a tire company, we reached out to Yokohama, and they were on board. We’ve found that the MT and X-MT are extremely tough and provide traction comparable to a competition compound ‘sticky.’ Per the rules, we have to run a 37-inch street-legal tire, and we feel we’ve hit the jackpot with Yokohama backing us.”

Now as for the rest of the vehicle itself, don’t expect to see much of it moving forward, as it is currently in the process of being sold in order to make room for a cutting-edge Jimmys 4×4 chassis. Here’s what the outgoing setup is rocking in case you were interested:

Ultra4 4800 Legends Class #4825
Chassis: 2016 Jimmys 4×4 Podium
Body: Fybr Concepts Early Bronco
Paint: Ford “Leadfoot” Grey
Motor: Ford 347 with FAST injection
Trans: Jimmys 4×4 Turbo 400
Transfer Case: Atlas 3.0
Axles: 14-bolt front and rear
Shocks: King 2.5 internal bypass
Bumps: King 2.0
Lighting: KC HiLiTES
Wheels: KMC Machete
Tires: Yokohama Geolander MT and X-MT
Seats and Harnesses: PRP
Winch: Warn RC 9.0