It’s a unique proposition – the only British motorcycle racer riding a British bike in a top-line British championship, while also serving his country in the British Army.

Life in the fast lane is more than just a metaphor for Sergeant Stephen ‘Tommo’ Thomas, who has just completed his first season in the British Supersport Championship alongside his career as a sergeant in the Royal Military Police.

Sgt Thomas, 30, of Amesbury, has served in the forces for 11 years but racing is a more recent move for the dad-of-one, who is backed as an elite sportsman by the Army Sports Control Board and supported by the British Army Motorcycle Road Race Team, in recognition of his competing at the top national level of his chosen sport.

Salisbury Journal:

Just a year after he started racing in 2017, Sgt Thomas won the 2018 Thundersport GB A&R Racing Pre-National 600 championship and has quickly progressed up the ranks.

Aboard his British-built 2013 Triumph Daytona 675, Sgt Thomas has racked up a year’s worth of invaluable experience in the British Supersport Championship, which runs alongside the UK’s biggest motorcycle racing series, the Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB).

Sgt Thomas manages and rides for his own private, family-oriented team, Tommo 21 Racing, on just a fraction of the budget of corporate-backed teams (and much older equipment).

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Sgt. Thomas said: “It’s a small, family-run operation. I do all the management, ringing round sponsors and logistics, then on a race weekend, family and friends with experience in the BSB paddock chip in, too.”

Finding sponsorships is one of the most time-consuming parts of the sport, which is made even more difficult with his full-time job with the military and commitment to spending time with his family.

This year, Sgt Thomas is still searching for a title sponsor, but remains optimistic.

He said: “A title sponsor for the team, that’s the final major player and piece in the jigsaw – that’s what we need. Everything else is in place to grow and I’m backed up by people who are more than just sponsors. They are friends.”

Sgt Thomas is mentored in this dual role by David Stubbs, CEO of specialist security firm SSGC, whom he met through SSGC’s nominated charity Mission Motorsport. David is a former military policeman and motorcycle racer himself.

David said: “I know from experience how tough it can be to balance the commitments of serving your country with racing competitively. Both are very rewarding in their own way and both need a lot of time, effort and sacrifice to do well.”