April 2023 issue of East Cobber, by Adam Darby
For most, taking part in a televised professional sporting event isn’t something that happens every day.
But for Javier Soto, a seventh-grade Honor Roll student at Dodgen Middle School, this was exactly how he spent a Sunday afternoon.
Javier was one of the lucky few invited to partake in the opening ceremony of the NASCAR race held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway broadcasted live on FOX on Sunday, March 19. Joined by 29 other Bandolero & Legends youth drivers, he had the privilege of wearing his driver’s suit while helping hold a giant American flag over the field. He was the only child from East Cobb asked to attend.
“I thought it was really cool! I got to see the driver introductions up close from where I was standing. Everyone was so excited,” Javier said. “I was a little nervous at first that I was going to miss the start of the race and the drivers’ ‘start your engines’ command, but I was happy there was a mobile staircase to enter the grandstands from the field.”
Not only is Javier a passionate racing fan himself, but he also has his own fair share of experience behind the wheel. For the past three years, he has competitively driven both Go-Karts and Bandolero cars for U.S. Legends Cars with the dream of one day becoming a NASCAR Cup Series driver. He was overjoyed to see some of the cars up close before enjoying the rest of the race with prime seating.
“I saw the unveiling of Daniel Suárez’s new Quaker State car that will be driven in Richmond and the next Atlanta race. It’s a good-looking race car,” Javier said. “Joey Logano’s win was really impressive. He had the dominant car of the day. This is his first career win at Atlanta and it’s cool because he used to race Bandoleros there as a kid.”
Throughout his time as a racer, Javier has garnered 4 wins, 22 top 5’s, and 18 appearances on the podium. When he’s not earning high-scoring grades as an Honor Roll student or winning trophies racing on the track, he enjoys collecting NASCAR memorabilia, playing video games, and spending time with his family and friends. Although he loves climbing into his racing vehicles, he certainly wouldn’t mind sitting behind the wheel of a 2024 Ford Mustang as soon as he gets the chance.