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Riverhead, NY July 12th
By Bob Finan
Fans of all sports hear it all the time as broadcasters mention many athletes never forget where they came from. Such is the case with former four-time NASCAR Modified champion Kyle Soper of Manorville who Saturday morning stopped by Riverhead Raceway to donate all the trophies he accumulated for his 45 victories across four divisions; it is Kyle’s wishes the re-purposed hardware would go to INEX Bandolero winners starting Sunday July 27th.
“What a fantastic gesture from one of the all-time greats” an excited GM John Ellwood proclaimed Saturday morning, “Kyle knows coming from the Eastern Kart Racing Association how important these formative years are for these kids with the INEX Bandoleros, for them to win a trophy from one of their heroes is priceless. Can’t thank Kyle enough”. The trophies will debut for the Sunday July 27th INEX Bandolero events, a rain date makeup from early June.
After his formative years with the EKRA, Soper embarked on a career for the ages at the famed quarter mile. His 29 career NASCAR Modified victories, including one WMT triumph rank him 12th on the track’s win list. Kyle also racked up 9 Late Model wins, 6 INEX Legend Race Car tallies and a single Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified tally subbing for Jack Orlando. As impressive as his 45 victories are Soper’s seven track championships over a nine-year span starting with his 2014 Legend Race Car title take his career to another level. Teamed with Rob Pelis, Kyle won the 2017 & 2018 Late Model crown before teaming with iconic Wayne Anderson to capture four NASCAR Modified crowns in five years. 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022.
While not officially retired from driving, Soper has been inactive since winning the 2022 championship. Since then, Kyle got married to his now wife Christina, focusing on his career as a project foreman for a major Long Island construction firm. When he stepped away from racing after 2022, Kyle and his firm were in the midst a major modernization project at Good Samaritan University Hospital, part of the Catholic Health System in West Islip.
For further information concerning the INEX Bandoleros and all things Riverhead Raceway, visit http://www.riverheadraceway.com, emails reach us at office@riverheadraceway.com, our phone number is 631-842-RACE.
