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SAN DIEGO – High up in the California mountains surrounded by nothing but dirt, cars roar around the track in the distance. Dust and the pungent smell of oil fills the air as the earth below rumbles from the power of high octane. A figure gets in the car, with the same steady demeanor and passion in his eyes as always, waiting for the green light to shine. Suddenly, all speakers bellow, “And they’re off!” Cars fly around the dirt track as family and friends cheer from the stands.
Despite being assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Thomas Soper stays true to himself by following and accomplishing his racecar driving dreams.
Ever since he was a kid, Soper tagged alongside his dad as his right-hand man fixing the car and preparing for the weekly races while he raced street stock, super stock, and IMCA stock class cars. That’s where the passion started.
Fast forward 20 years, Soper is racing the pure stock class, continuously placing in the top 5 out of 15-17 other drivers.
“It all started with dirt track racing,” said Soper. “When I was a kid my dad raced, and Iwas always around it and always had a passion for it and loved it. So when we moved back here to California and the pandemic happened, I had more free time on my hands, so I bought a car and started building my racecar.”
After a year of building the car, thousands of dollars and countless hours later, Soper is now participating in every race he can while in port.
“You realize that you have the chance to do it when you have built a car and the skillset that allows you to run with the top of the class,” said Soper. “When you’re running with the guys who week in and week out are the cream of the crop and ahead of everybody and you come in your first year and running with them, you know you’re doing something right.”
Soper couldn’t have done it alone though. He explains that it was his friends Brad, Bryan, and his pit crewman, Jacob “Bobby” Ellis, who helped him build the car, and his mother, wife, and kids who continue to support him every step of the way.
“I’ve been here for every race, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Ellis. “This isn’t friendship – this is family. Racing is the best thing I’ve been a part of. I can say I’m proud of him or grateful for him, but that doesn’t extinguish the volumes that I feel for it. He gets to do something he loves and has the backing of his family and friends and that’s something everyone wishes for.”
For Soper, racing and the people at the racetrack are his extended family.
“Racing has taught me that your friends are family,” said Soper. “Your wife, your kids, brothers, sisters, that’s not where your family stops. The sport of racing is a family, and that’s the best part about racing – when you’re out there on the track and you break something or hurt the car, the other racers are going to help you get your car out there to run. That’s what sets racing
apart from any other sport.”
To Soper, the sport is more than the rush of driving, it’s about the family and friendships that are unique to the racetrack. Throughout the whole process, Soper’s wife, Cassie, and son, Landon, have been by his side supporting him.
“Some of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life outside of getting married and the birth of my children have been around racing,” said Soper. “No matter where you go or what geographical area you’re at, everybody relatively stays the same, family is always there, and everybody is there to enjoy the same thing for the same reason. It’s a welcoming feeling that I don’t get anywhere else. It’s something I will continue to pursue or be a part of. Whether it’s driving or working on somebody’s car, this is a sport I will continue to stay with.”
The level of focus in Soper’s eyes is unmistakable when at the track and working on the car. He has a passion, love and drive for the sport that is inspiring to watch.
“You get in the car, fire the engine up sitting on the starting line and it sinks in that you’re about to go out there, and you get butterflies and a little nervous,” said Soper. “Then when you put the car in drive and start to come over the ramp to come into the racetrack, it’s instantly game time, you’re ready to go and you’re focused. It’s a level of fun that’s not matched anywhere else.”
Soper believes that sticking with hobbies and chasing goals are imperative to maintaining a work/life balance. When he doesn’t focus on his hobbies, goals and dreams, eventually his work ethic and quality of work decline.
“If you only focus your whole life on the Navy and work, you’re going to lose who you are,” said Soper. “So it’s important to follow your hobbies and your goals to maintain your personal identity and to continue to be the person you are, while also maintaining your work.”
Soper’s background as a mechanic and helping his dad with racing has helped him in his Navy career and the Navy has now contributed to his success on the track.
“The level of discipline in the military allows you to be patient out there, and especially when you’re racing other guys who bump you or wreck you, you’ve got to be patient,” said Soper.
During one of his most recent races, Soper started 17th and made it all the way to third with four laps left, when suddenly he had a tire blowout, his race came crashing to a halt before he had time to take the lead.
“It just goes to show when you set your mind to something,” said Soper. “Whether it be life goals or hobbies and pursue them, you can accomplish them.”
Soper successfully follows and accomplishes his racecar driving dreams on a daily basis, even with his operational Navy commitments. As hard as it is to find time, it is important for Sailors to stay true to themselves and their personal goals.
“They can be done,” said Soper. “It takes a level of discipline, a level of focus, but it doesn’t matter how big your goals are. You can always accomplish them.”
Soper’s story is just one of many Sailors who practice their incredible hobbies and chase amazing goals.
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2021 19:26 |
| Story ID: | 410673 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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