Speedway motorcycles do not have brakes. Evidently, neither do some speedway riders.

While most 59-year-old racing veterans are only talking about their racing careers, long-time speedway motorcycle racer Eddie Castro is still competitive in nationals and shows no intention of slowing down, even after a bout with cancer.

In 2015, Castro’s career came to a temporary screeching halt. He was diagnosed with cancer and had to endure both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The speedway racing community rallied around him, holding a charity event in 2016 to help pay for his treatment.

In 2017, Castro’s cancer was in remission, and he was back on the track.

“I was a little apprehensive at first, but I got back into it,” Castro said. “I’ve been doing this too long to hang it up.”

The result sheets show that Castro still has the pace to remain competitive.

In his first year after returning to racing, Castro finished tenth in the 2017 AMA Speedway National Championship Series.

He plans to race in the 2018 AMA Speedway National Championship Series, which kicks off on April 21 with qualifying races at Perris Raceway in Perris, Calif.

Primarily a speedway racer, Castro has raced in a wide range of disciplines all over the world in his 39-year racing career.

He also raced some one-of-a-kind motorcycles, including several antique Indian motorcycles in the AMA Vintage Flat Track Series. Castro has even competed in board track racing and ice rink racing.

Castro recalled the first two motorcycles that got him started in the motorcycling lifestyle.

“My very first bike was a little Bultaco mini bike I used for my paper route as a kid,” he said. “The first bike I raced was a Honda XR75. I started getting into all kinds of racing on mini bikes, including TTs, motocross, flat track, and the races at Indian Dunes.”

“Fast Eddie,” as he is known in the racing community, doesn’t plan to put the brakes on his racing career any time soon.

How long can he race?

“Maybe 10 years or so?” he said. “It’s a total upper-body workout, going through sometimes 12 races per night, with restarts. My stamina isn’t what it used to be. I definitely still feel competitive though.”

No matter how much longer he keeps racing, Castro has already captured his most important victory.

“My world championship is just being here,” he said. “Thank God for every day, because anything can happen.”