Drag Illustrated Issue 118, February 2017 | Page 91

TheHOTTEST2017
DRAG WEEK
DYNAMO
Alex Taylor
A
s well as pre-
vious years have
gone, there is a
little extra excite-
ment in Alex Tay-
lor’s voice when
she talks about
her plans for 2017. The 19-year-old
Arkansas native – and also honored
as a member on Drag Illustrated’s
30 Under 30 list in 2016 – has made
a name for herself with her success
at HOT ROD Drag Week over the
last several years. Taylor, though,
has even bigger goals for this year,
even if they are not quite yet set in
stone. But whatever it ends up be-
ing, she knows 2017 is an important
time for her progress.
“I feel like it’s a pivotal year and
may be the last year that I drive the
Camaro for my race car just because
it’s maxed out,” said Taylor, refer-
encing the “Badmaro” she’s raced
with since her first Drag Week in
2013 as the youngest participant
ever. “If this season goes well, I’ll
decide what I’ll do after that. But
this is going to be the year I step
out in some different areas of rac-
ing. It’s going to be bigger than in
previous years.”
Thus continues the impressive
ascent for Taylor, who has earned
the attention of many in the drag
racing world before even entering her 20s. She
has looked into some X275 and heads-up racing
this season, and expects to participate at the inau-
gural Holley LS Fest West, which will take place
in May at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Of course,
Taylor already is signed up for Drag Week, making
her 2017 season the busiest – and perhaps most
important – of her young and burgeoning career.
“The past few years haven’t been totally planned
out and it’s been a battle of getting the car to
hook,” Taylor confessed. “Drag Week (last year)
was super good to me and it was the first time I
was confident in the car. Now I’m
confident in the set-up and I’m
ready to go out and do more stuff.
This is the most confident I’ve felt
in the car, and I feel like I can go
somewhere and compete.
“Previously, it wasn’t that I didn’t
have interest in going to races, I just
wasn’t confident in the set-up. Now
I’m more confident and knowledge-
able with the data. Leading up to
this has been a process, but this is
the time. I think it will be a good
year for the car.”
The “Badmaro” has certainly
blossomed as well, going from an
11-second daily driver to one that’s
now consistently in the 8.50-second
range. The plan is to eventually go
faster, even if that means moving
beyond the Camaro. But Taylor
won’t press the issue, fully assured
the timeline will take care of itself.
“The process has been really bene-
ficial,” Taylor said. “I’m happy with
how it’s played out and it’s been the
best way to go for me.”
Taylor is also wise well beyond
her years. She’s aware of her place
in the sport as a young, female
ambassador, but instead of lean-
ing solely on the example of others,
Taylor is content to blaze her own
path. Her father, Dennis, continues
to be Taylor’s biggest influence and
her insistence on staying positive has set up what
will undoubtedly be an exciting future.
“My favorite part of this is getting to talk to
people and making friends,” Taylor expressed.
“It’s cool to have that support and I feel like I’m
very lucky.” - JOSH HACHAT
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D r a g Il l u s t r a t e d . c o m
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