Cancer Survivor pursues race car dreams
By Sarah Whitman
Accelerating to 100 mph around the Daytona Speedway racetrack, Land O’ Lakes resident Tom Harrison felt his pulse race. He pressed down hard on the gas, remembering a few months before when he was too sick to get out of bed.
“I was going around at top speed and I pictured myself lying bald with a chemo needle in my arm,” Harrison, 56, said. “At that moment, I thanked God for my life.”
Harrison, a family man and proud patriot, was diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer last September. Uncertain about the future, he made a list of things he wanted to accomplish in life. Getting his race car driver’s license was at the top.
He underwent surgery to have a tumor removed; then endured the pain of radiation and chemotherapy. The treatments worked and Harrison went into remission. In April, he hit the track at driving school and walked away carrying a dream come true, a regional Sports Car Club of America racing license.
“It was exciting, exhilarating and a little bit scary my first time on the track,” Harrison said. “You’re going really fast and I wondered if I’d actually have what it took to not be afraid, to just pay attention and drive. I was surprised how well I did.”
Harrison lives in Lake Padgett Estates with his fianceé Colleen and sons, Alex, 19, Adam, 17, Westley, 14, and Dean, 10. He’s spent most of his life working in construction, specifically in the field of building materials, and previously worked as an auto mechanic. He was laid off from his job around the same time he was diagnosed with cancer.
“It couldn’t have happened at a worse time,” Harrison said. “I’d been laid off from work. I had no job and no insurance. I was faced with my own mortality and I realized there were a lot of things I wanted to do in my life, all the would of, could of, should of dones.”
Harrison decided to pursue life’s what-ifs. What if he’d pursued racing? What if he’d spent more time building a family business?
Alex wanted to help his dad achieve those dreams. 
“I was worried he wasn’t going to make it,” Alex said. “It was pretty tough and nerve wracking for a while. I told him I would help him do whatever he wanted to do. When he got better and we were able to do those things, it was pretty awesome.”
Alex, like his father, is a longtime NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt fan. So, he was excited to accompany his dad to driving school in Daytona and stand on the same track where Earnhardt raced.
Alex acted as his dad’s pit crew at the weekend-long school.
“He was there every step of the way,” Harrison said. “The Honda Civic I was driving broke once but because Alex was there, we were able to fix it and I was able to finish.”
Alex will go to school to earn his own license at Homestead in Miami in June. He will drive a 1993 Mustang restored in the family garage.
Harrison raced his Civic, which was given to him by a friend, at driving school and at his first official race at Daytona, an SCCA regional competition this May.
The father and son will hit the track for two more races this summer, in Sebring and Brooksville.
Alex and his dad are also in business together. They own Eaglespeed US, a company specializing in door and window replacements. The company operates online at www.eaglespeed.us.
Since going into remission, Harrison has had more time to focus on growing the business. He’s also added a side business. Eaglespeed now restores and sells muscle cars, like Alex’s Mustang.
“Our business is doors and windows, but we tied racing in with the business,” Harrison said.
Alex said he likes fixing up cars and even installing windows with his dad.
“I enjoy spending time with him and working with him,” Alex said. “I always have but what he went through was still such an eye opener. People are not in our lives forever so it’s important to spend time with family while they’re here.”
Harrison’s fiancée and his other sons are also incredibly supportive.
Harrison said he’s learned to value family above all else. He attends church regularly at First United Methodist of Land O’ Lakes and attributes his survival to never letting go of faith. He is looking forward to marrying Colleen and seeing his youngest son Dean grow up.
“I’m excited about everyday now,” Harrison said. “The race car thing is what got me back out of bed but there is so much I want to do.”
