March 13, 2026

Racing Through The Noise with Taylor Reimer

Send a text A single bad clip can turn into a full-blown verdict online, and Taylor Reimer knows that pressure firsthand. From her first ARCA Menards Series DNF at Phoenix to the wave of commentary that followed, she breaks down what fans rarely understand about stock car racing physics, visibility in smoke, and why a 3,000 to 3,500 lb race car cannot “just stop” when chaos erupts ahead. We talk through Taylor’s full racing story, starting in Oklahoma go-karts and dirt racing at Port City Ra...

Send a text

A single bad clip can turn into a full-blown verdict online, and Taylor Reimer knows that pressure firsthand. From her first ARCA Menards Series DNF at Phoenix to the wave of commentary that followed, she breaks down what fans rarely understand about stock car racing physics, visibility in smoke, and why a 3,000 to 3,500 lb race car cannot “just stop” when chaos erupts ahead.

We talk through Taylor’s full racing story, starting in Oklahoma go-karts and dirt racing at Port City Raceway, then stepping away for cheerleading and college at the University of Oklahoma. That detour becomes a strength as she returns during COVID, falls back in love with competition, and eventually moves to North Carolina to chase a professional NASCAR path through late models, late model stock, and part-time ARCA starts. Along the way, she shares what it feels like to move states alone, rebuild confidence, and stay race-ready when seat time is limited.

The conversation gets real about being a woman in motorsports without wanting to be treated differently, while still recognizing the double standards that show up in media coverage and social media comments. Taylor also opens up about the business side of racing: how sponsorship and marketing partnerships make or break opportunities, what she’s learned working with BuzzBallz Cocktails and Free Nicotine, and why an agent and a clear personal brand matter. We wrap with practical advice for young girls who want to race, plus how she protects balance with training, routines, and time off the apps when the noise gets loud.

If you care about women in motorsports, ARCA racing, NASCAR driver development, sponsorship strategy, and the mental game behind the helmet, this one’s for you. Subscribe, leave a review, share with a racing friend, and tell us: what’s the hardest part of building a career in racing today?

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00:02 - Welcome And Mission Of The Show

01:02 - Meeting Taylor Reimer

03:24 - Go-Karts Dirt Racing And A Pause

06:40 - Falling Back In Love With Racing

11:53 - Moving To NASCAR Country

15:36 - Handling Wrecks Criticism And Doubt

20:54 - Thick Skin And Social Media Boundaries

24:14 - What Brings Her Back To Racing

27:55 - Advice For Girls Who Want To Race

30:16 - Sponsors Funding And The Business Side

34:43 - Agents Partner Outreach And Brand Value

38:24 - Routines Training And Avoiding Burnout

42:08 - Social Platforms And Sharing Real Life

46:20 - Schedule Merch And Closing Sendoff

WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast, the show that puts the spotlight on the incredible women who fuel the world of motorsports.

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From drivers to crew members, engineers to fans, and everyone in between, we're here to celebrate the trail drivers, dreamers, and doers shaping the sport we love.

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Each episode, we share inspiring stories of females of all ages from every corner of the motorsports universe, past, present, and future.

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It's a journey through the seasons of life filled with heartfelt moments, laughter, and a whole lot of horsepower.

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So whether you're a lifelong fan, a racer yourself, or simply curious about the extraordinary women behind the wheel, settle in, relax, and enjoy a fun and uplifting ride with us.

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This is the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast, connecting and celebrating women in motorsports one story at a time.

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Let's hit the track.

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Hello everyone.

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This is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast.

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And I have a very familiar face and a familiar name with me today.

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And I'm excited that we get to finally connect.

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Taylor Reimer's with me today.

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She's a pretty well-known young lady in the racing community.

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And she's racing some ARCA and doing some really fun, exciting things.

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So, Taylor, I'm I'm glad we could connect.

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I'm glad I could have you on the show today.

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So why don't you start out by just sharing a little bit about yourself?

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Yeah, absolutely.

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First off, thank you for having me on.

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Excited to be a guest.

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It's been a while that we've been trying to set this up and we've we've finally got it together.

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But uh yeah, so I am originally from Oklahoma.

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I now live out in North Carolina as I try to pursue a career in racing.

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I have one younger brother.

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I have amazing parents that love me and support me so much.

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They love coming to my races with me, and I'm just so grateful to have a good support system.

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I have two dogs back home, Boomer and Dingo, Lab, and a German Shepherd.

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And then now out in North Carolina, I have two more.

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We just, Corey and I just got a puppy.

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He's a burnadoodle.

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He's now three months.

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So we're going through the puppy phase right now.

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And then we have a three-year-old bernadoodle as well.

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His name is Draco.

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I love burnadoodles, aren't they just the best?

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They are.

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They're great.

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They're very cuddly.

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And it's not, they're not athletic.

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And my dogs back home, they love to play fetch, they love to go on runs and walks.

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And so it's a little bit of an adjustment, but I do love how they like to cuddle.

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Like with my dogs back home, they weren't really cuddly.

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No.

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Um, I think they've turned to be cuddly, but that was after I moved out.

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So it's nice to have dogs that just like to snuggle up.

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I have a shih tzu.

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Anybody that listens to this show knows I have a little about 15-pound shih tzu, and he is quite the cuddler with both my husband and I.

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And I just love it.

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I I just absolutely love that.

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Yeah, he's the best.

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His name is his name is Crew, like Pit Crew.

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I love my husband wanted to name him Ricky Bobby, and I said absolutely not.

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And but he had to have some kind of yeah, he had to have some kind of motorsports name, right?

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So yeah, absolutely, for sure.

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So, Taylor, tell me how did you get involved in motorsports?

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Take it, take me back to day one.

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Yeah, so my dad got me in motorsports when I think I was seven years old.

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We started racing go-karts at our local track.

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My dad grew up racing all sorts of things from BMX bikes to drag cars to dirt cars, anything you can think of, jet skis.

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So he's always just kind of had a knack for racing.

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And he put me in a go-kart when I was a little girl.

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My mom was, she came home one day and we were out in the cul-de-sac riding around in a go-kart, and she wasn't very, she wasn't super sure of it at first.

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But once she kind of realized, like, oh, she's actually not bad, like she's she's pretty good.

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I think she kind of started to get used to it and accept it.

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So we raced go-karts for several years at our local track, track champion there, and then we decided to move to dirt racing.

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So we have a local track back in Oklahoma, Port City Raceway.

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That's kind of where I did a majority of my racing growing up.

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I started in junior spents and then we got the track championship there and then moved up to the restricted class, and I did that for a couple of years.

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And I think that was around when I was like 13, 14.

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It was a hot, it was more of a hobby for my dad and I.

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It wasn't really anything that, you know, we thought one day could, you know, potentially be make a career out of it at that time.

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You know, we didn't have tons of money to to go off and pay teams, and it was just a fun thing for for my family and I on the weekends on Saturday nights to get to go do.

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And I decided to stop racing.

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I ended up cheering throughout high school and then as well as college.

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So I went to the University of Oklahoma, got a degree in health and exercise science, and then minor in business.

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And about halfway through my through college, whenever COVID hit, my dad and I, we just I was home visiting for the weekend and we went out to Port City to watch watch a midget race.

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And we knew someone that I used that I grew up racing.

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He was starting a midget team and he asked if I wanted to practice.

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And I was like, yeah, sure, why not?

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I hadn't raced in like seven years at that point.

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So I I didn't really follow racing while I was in college.

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I was trying to be, you know, immersed in what I was doing, but I mean, it was always kind of in the back of my mind and practicing the midget and immediately fell back in love with it.

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I, you know, growing up, I always knew that I would get back into racing at some point.

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I just didn't really know when.

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And with all of that and how that kind of worked out, it just kind of worked out perfectly.

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I started racing midgets for a couple of years on dirt and then got the opportunity to move out to North Carolina and be about part of the Toyota development program.

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And I have now been out here for I think three and a half, almost four years, which is crazy.

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I moved out here all by myself.

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I didn't know anyone, but I was grateful to have the people that were a part of the Toyota program.

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Those were kind of like my first friends when I moved out here, and it made it a little bit easier.

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And again, if you want to be a race car driver, North Carolina is the mech of NASCAR.

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So um super, super glad that I'm out here now.

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And I kind of transitioned to pavement racing.

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So I did limited late models for a year, and then last year I did late model stock and part-time in ARCA.

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And then this year we're doing part-time in ARCA.

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And if I can get the funding, I would like to do some more late model races.

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Okay.

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So, where were you doing late model racing?

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Were you on in a tour or were you just racing like kind of locally there?

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Yep.

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I was just racing locally here with um leaf walk racing.

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We mainly race that hickory and tricounting, just locally in North Carolina.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So, you know, you say I you moved to North Carolina by yourself.

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Taylor, you'd be surprised how many girls have done that.

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Yeah.

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I mean, it sounds crazy, and but you were a little bit older.

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You were at the end of the year.

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I was older, so yes, yeah.

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I was for you makes a little more sense.

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23.

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There's a lot of girls now that are moving when they're freshly 18, which is wild to me.

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I can imagine.

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I mean, I guess it's when you turn 18, that's the point where you're going to college it either way.

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So I guess it's not super crazy, but I don't know, it's just weird.

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Like moving out to another state without your parents.

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Like it's a it's a scary thing.

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I went to school close to home.

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I've always been a homebody.

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And you know, I was two hours away from home, so I could just easily drive home if I wanted to.

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Whereas like moving all the way out of state, it's it's a big jump for sure.

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Yeah, one of my friends, Liz Bristella, she's a tire specialist in NASCAR.

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Nice in the Cup Series.

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And 18 years old from California.

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Yeah, she moved, she knew she wanted to be involved in motorsports and she just took took an intern, took a job, took a job till now she is a tire specialist in the cup series.

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And she actually, I can't, I'm not 100% sure what team she's on full time this year, but the tire specialist for Tyler Reddick got hurt.

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Okay, and she filled in for the two race two of the races that he won.

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Oh, that's awesome! Wow, so it wasn't that cool.

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Yeah, yeah.

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So that was fun.

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Yeah, I saw her on TV and I yeah, you know, she posted, of course, a bunch of pictures.

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So I was really excited for her to do that.

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So yeah, you just never know where your opportunities are gonna land, right?

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Exactly.

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Yeah.

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When I when I was, you know, in college figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, I was thinking kind of the medical device sales route.

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And then, you know, here I am now trying to be a professional race car driver and make a career out of it.

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It's you know, quite the opposite, but I I love this sport and I love what I'm doing, and hopefully I can continue to do it for a long time.

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Yeah, I hope so too.

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And you know, the nice thing about the way you kind of did it, you've got that college education behind you.

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Yes, and I know that nowadays you can always go back and fall back onto something that you trained for or learned there.

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And I know some people would say, well, nowadays college isn't as important maybe as it was back in the past or whatever.

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Yeah.

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But just on a resume, the fact that you graduated and you completed such a big task, I think is impressive to teams or employers or whatever it might be.

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So nothing nothing bad about how you, you know, your journey to get to where you are today.

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No, for sure.

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I, you know, I always kind of think in the back of mind, like, oh, where would I be, you know, if I if I didn't stop racing and I continue doing it.

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But I learned so many life lessons in college, and some of my, you know, favorite memories were with my friends in college, and I don't regret it one bit.

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And I think college is an amazing place to not only learn, but just to grow and build relationships with other people.

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Um, it teaches you responsibility.

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That's the first time you're gonna be, you know, typically away from your family on your own.

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Teaches you how to live by yourself, how to attempt to cook food for yourself to provide.

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So I definitely don't regret it.

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But there's I always do think in the back of my head, like, oh, where would I be if you know I never stopped racing?

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But I'm very grateful for the path that I've taken.

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And it's unique too, which is yeah, cool.

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Yeah, it it is more unique.

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And you know, I know it's hard probably not to think back, but you're doing so well, and you're you've got a lot of years ahead of you and and things ahead of you to the point where you have to look at what you did in the past as preparing you for what you're doing now.

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Absolutely.

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Yeah, and and so that that's always that's always good to have that to lean on.

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So, Taylor, I know that every day at the racetrack's not the best day, and you know, you can attest to it as well as any other race car driver, you're not alone in that.

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So, how do you deal with that?

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Especially, you know, you're in a little bit of an upper series, you're you have a lot of name recognition, you know.

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I think broadcasters and media are harder on the women for sure.

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They, you know, they they expect so much more, or maybe it's because there's not as many of us in, but how do you deal with all of that?

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Yeah, that's a great question, and something that I'm actually, you know, working on right now.

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It's it's not an easy sport.

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Being a female in racing, you know, I don't like to focus on that I'm a female, I want to be treated the same as everyone else.

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Um, but I feel like it's my job to be a role model for the up-and-coming girls and just just have them be able to look up to someone in the sport because you know it being a female, it's it is different than you know, being a male.

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Like we have our own, our own path that we are going through, and it's not the same.

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So you can't really compare it, but it it is very hard.

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This past weekend raced at Phoenix, and I think that was my 10th Arca start, and that was my first DNF, first rec that I've been involved in in the series, and I got a little heat for it.

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And people just if you're not, if you've never been inside a race car or you don't know the sport and you're just sitting and watching, like you you don't understand what's going on inside the car.

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Um, arcade cars weigh 3,000, 3,500 pounds.

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Those cars don't just stop on a dime, like they don't just stop.

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No, no matter how much brake pressure, if you're full throttle off the corner, like it's it's hard to get them slowed down and anticipate the wrecks in front of you.

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So I think just having the support system that I have and trusting in myself and not letting it get to me too much.

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I know social media these days is a very brutal.

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I don't love social media.

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It's brutal.

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Yeah, it is.

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It's great for marketing and trying to make a brand for yourself and a name for yourself.

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And that's how I get partners is by posting on social media.

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But at the same time, it's hard.

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People, people always have an opinion.

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You have to have thick skin to be in the sport.

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And I was just saying the other day, I was like, I do not have thick enough skin for this.

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But it, you know, it's a reality check and just trying to focus on the positives.

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I was it's 150 lap race.

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I think we made it to like lap 130, and I'm getting to go back there in the fall.

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So yeah, taking the positives away from it and knowing, you know, I did learn a lot in the race.

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And my goal is always to finish the race, right?

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I think that's everyone's goal, but that's one that I really, really focus on because I get limited starts in this series.

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I don't race 30 to 40 times a year like all these other kids do.

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So um, I'm only able to do what I can by bringing in the sponsors, sponsorship that I do.

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So I know each lap is very, very important to develop my racecraft and to get better behind the wheel.

00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.879
See time is one of the biggest things, you know, is important to me.

00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:05.759
So wanting to get all those laps and then just the aftermath of like replay it in your head so many times and trying to think of like, oh, what could I have done differently?

00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:07.360
Could I have avoided it?

00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.559
And in that moment, I really don't think I could have.

00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.000
It it all happened so fast.

00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:15.519
And you know, you're I looked up and I saw a car stopped on the top.

00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.799
All you can see is smoke.

00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.559
I look down, people are stopped.

00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.559
And then I'm like, well, I don't know if I'm clear up, so I don't know if I can go up.

00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.879
I don't know if there's cars coming around me on that side.

00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:26.480
I'm trying to slow down as much as I can.

00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:32.480
You're trying to grab a gear to downshift to slow your momentum, and it just it all happens so fast.

00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:33.120
So yeah.

00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:42.720
For me, I I really am trying to focus on the positives and then just having the support system of my significant other and my parents and my family.

00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:53.679
And really the only people that matter are your family and the people that are good people that surround you, the people on social media, they don't matter, they don't know, they don't get it.

00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:05.039
And it is hard because I I've always like looked at the comments and and I work so hard to create a positive name for myself and for female in the sport.

00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:06.399
I try to at least.

00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:13.200
And for you know, that to happen and then to get all the backlash from it, like it's just it's so frustrating because I don't want that.

00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:19.679
I don't want that to be the rep for girls that we just like plow into wrecks, but sometimes there's things you just really can't avoid.

00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:25.200
And I know deep down that I'm doing everything that I can to try to be a good sample example.

00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:41.360
You know, it's it's so and it tailored not just you, any all the girls are getting, you know, Natalie got got a lot of got a lot of crap, if you will, uh after the Daytona, but and I I've known Natalie for a long time.

00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:48.240
Natalie does not want to cause drama and and do anything any more than you or anybody else does.

00:16:48.399 --> 00:17:06.240
Yeah, but and and the thing that I I just I listened to a lot of podcasts and I was just listening to I want to say it was either the teardown or or may I I'm not sure, maybe it was door bumper clear, whichever one it was.

00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:11.279
What they said was, what if that had been a guy?

00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:16.079
Would they have gotten all the backlash that a girl gets?

00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:25.599
And the same goes for uh, you know, so I live in Michigan and I'm from Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan is the home of Carson Hosbar.

00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:28.400
So of course, he's one of my favorite drivers.

00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.880
I've watched him race since he was a little boy, race quarter midgets.

00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:44.480
My granddaughters raced against him, so I I've a huge fan, and I love that he's making waves, yeah, because Alley is important in the sport.

00:17:44.880 --> 00:18:02.000
NASCAR needs NASCAR needs to be a little bit shook up, but when you know they were saying, Oh, I think it was on the broadcast, they were saying, you know, there was a wreck, I think Joey Logano was involved in it, and the comment was you know, they don't say anything when Joey Logano does that, yeah.

00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:19.279
But if Carson had done it, the double standard is yeah, and and it's the same for girls, it is, you know, yeah, and so I think it's hard to navigate it is, and the media needs to needs to look at you as a driver, not as a woman, yeah, right.

00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:24.400
And the thing too is like these people they've never watched one of my races before.

00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:38.319
They see this one clip and completely judge me based on that, and you know, that's they're allowed to do that, but they don't really have a room to make an opinion, and people are just miserable with their own lives, honestly.

00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:48.319
Like, I could never imagine going and accommodating something terrible underneath someone's post and talking badly about them when they don't know the situation, they they have no idea.

00:18:48.559 --> 00:19:02.480
So I think just right now trying to navigate and realize that and just honestly, after you know, I I saw the wreck and I knew that it was gonna look bad for people that don't get it and they don't understand.

00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:12.160
So my took a couple days off social media, and I think it's important to sometimes do that if you need to, because this the sport is grueling and it's not all sunshine and rainbow.

00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:17.359
So taking time for yourself and you know, focusing on what really matters is is important.

00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:25.119
Absolutely, and you know, a lot of those people that are making those comments have never sat in a race car.

00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.160
No, no, that's the thing, you know.

00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:43.359
If it was if it was a woman who had raced a lot and and she really had knowledge about what happened, she would never post anything because she knows it's people who don't have a freaking colour.

00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.119
No, yeah, they don't know.

00:19:45.519 --> 00:20:03.759
And I just sometimes like, and it's what I've also had to learn is to like not engage and respond to these people, which is very hard because I like to defend myself and and just try to stick up for myself, but that's what the commoners the that's what they want.

00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:10.000
Like they want you to respond and they want to go back and forth with you, and it you're never gonna be able to change their opinion.

00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:22.000
So I I try my best to not, but sometimes in the back of my head, I'm like a little extra time, like I want to go go at it with them, but you really can't because it it never you're never gonna change anyone's opinion.

00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.759
You're it's not gonna do you any good, so you might as well just stay silent.

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:34.079
Absolutely, and the people that matter are the the only people that matter are the people that matter.

00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:45.519
I love that saying, and and you know the people around you and your crew chief, your your pit crew, you know, your family, Corey, all those people, those are the people that matter.

00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:51.279
And you just surround yourself with them and let the other people just let them go.

00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:52.480
Yep, for example.

00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:53.759
Yeah.

00:20:54.160 --> 00:21:03.200
So when you started racing and then you took a break and you came back, what what do you think actually drew you in?

00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.759
It's like, oh, I miss this.

00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:09.839
What was it that was like, oh, I just love this about racing?

00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:12.720
Yeah, I'm a very competitive person.

00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:18.720
I love to compete, I love to win, I love to try to beat everyone, and I love to go fast too.

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:21.279
Like I I have a need for speed.

00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:25.759
So I think just a combination of both of those things really, really drew me in.

00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:32.319
And and just knowing that like I can do it, like I can win, I can compete against these guys easily.

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:42.960
I think just a combination of all those, just being driven and ambitious and always wanting to better myself, I think is you know, just the I'm always up for a challenge.

00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:44.400
Like I want to try different things.

00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:47.279
I like to try different disciplines of racing.

00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:51.119
You know, I did midgets for a couple years, I did junior spends and restricted growing up.

00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:56.400
I did, you know, gofarts, and then now I'm trying, you know, late models and NASCAR and ARCA.

00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:57.920
So just trying different things.

00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.599
I love just trying.

00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.960
New things, I guess.

00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:01.599
Yeah.

00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:13.519
Well, and the challenge of it, you know, you can get complacent if you just, you know, if you're running late models and you've never done anything for the last 10 years but late models, you can get complacent about it.

00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:22.640
And trying something new is exciting, and yes, you have to surround yourself with new people and you make new friends and relationships.

00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:25.839
That's that's really what it's about, is those relationships.

00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:26.799
100%.

00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:27.599
Yeah.

00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:28.240
Yeah.

00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:32.799
So do your parents get to come to like did they go to Phoenix to the race?

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:35.039
Do they get to come to a lot of your races?

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.400
They do, yes.

00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:41.519
So when I started racing again and we did midgets, we'd race like 40 to 50 times a year.

00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:46.400
So they actually got a motor home and were able to travel with me to all of my races.

00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:53.440
And then now we actually sold our motorhome and they just fly to the races because it's not as consistent.

00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:57.200
But yes, they they come to as many of them as they can.

00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.440
My dad was in Phoenix, and then my older dog, he actually just had surgery.

00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:05.119
So my mom stayed back with him, but I knew that she wanted to be there.

00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:11.279
So every race that I do, they always try to come and just makes me feel at home having their support.

00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:13.759
Without them, I wouldn't be in this position.

00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:19.680
I wouldn't have been able to get where I am because growing up, like my parents were the ones who funded me.

00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:26.319
And now I'm trying to now I'm fully sponsored by the you know the sponsors that I bring in myself.

00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.039
I don't have my parents' money to that anymore.

00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:34.640
So I'm super grateful for where they were able to get me and love having them in my corner.

00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:36.000
Yeah, absolutely.

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.880
Now, do you have a brother that also races?

00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:42.400
So he doesn't race right now.

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.920
He's in college actually at OU as well, where I went.

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:48.720
But he he's actually kind of getting back into it.

00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:55.519
Like he started, he has a simulator at his house, and he tried it when he was younger, and I think he had a wreck that kind of scared him.

00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:08.480
Um so you know he stopped for a while, but I think he's actually gonna race a micro for the first time in a couple weeks with my dad, him and I or him and my dad are gonna go out to Port City and run with a you know a friend that we grew up racing with.

00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:09.920
So I'm excited for him.

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:11.119
I'm excited to see what he thinks.

00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:13.200
I I know he would be really, really good too.

00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:19.039
I I think he just whenever he was younger and he had that accident, he kind of it kind of pushed him away.

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:20.720
So yeah, yeah.

00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:26.000
I was thinking I read something about your brother had raced or whatever.

00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:28.000
So yeah, that's cool.

00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:41.599
So if you had somebody come up to you, a mother with her daughter, little girl, and they said, you know, my little girl just loves you, Taylor.

00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.079
How can she get involved in racing?

00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:49.680
What would be your best advice for a family if their daughter wanted to start racing?

00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:53.440
Because, like you said, it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:57.599
It's not, it's you got to be honest with them and yet encourage them.

00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:59.599
So, what would you say to them?

00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:01.200
Yeah, absolutely.

00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:04.799
I would say, you know, make sure you go at your own pace.

00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:10.960
There's lots of parts of racing that are difficult and it can be very, very overwhelming.

00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:18.799
But if you have a passion for it and you have the money to be able to race at the level that you want to, I would say go for it.

00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.960
I would say that it's not easy.

00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:25.039
And once you get higher up, it requires a lot of money.

00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.200
And most people can't afford that on their own.

00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:31.759
It's very not normal to have the amount of money that it takes to be in the sport.

00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:41.039
So I think definitely, you know, being able to just learn the business side of things is very, very important.

00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:45.279
But, you know, I would say always always chase your dreams.

00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:48.000
You, you know, you can come back to it at one point.

00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:50.960
But if that's something that you want to do right now, I say go for it.

00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:52.079
Yeah.

00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:59.440
We have to keep encouraging those kids for sure, and not just girls, boys too, but yeah, no, I'm in the balance of it.

00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:00.400
Yeah.

00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:07.839
You know, it's it's like you said, like it's not all sunshines and rainbows, but there are very, very rewarding parts of it.

00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:19.599
And for me, like that's the reason I keep doing it, is because I have people reach out and say that I'm a role model for younger girls, and that that is something that makes me very happy and is one of the reasons why I'm still racing.

00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.079
Yeah, absolutely.

00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:25.359
So, Taylor, let's talk about your sponsors.

00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:27.839
We've you've mentioned, you know, you can't do it without them.

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.319
Do you want to talk about your sponsors?

00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:41.759
Let's give them some some glory because yeah, it's hard, it's hard for anybody to get a sponsor or a marketing partner, more even difficult for a girl.

00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:42.880
It really is.

00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:44.559
So talk about them.

00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:46.240
Share, share who they are.

00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:46.880
Yeah.

00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:53.200
So my main sponsor that I've had for the last this is year five, is Buzzball's Cocktails.

00:26:53.359 --> 00:27:03.440
They're a pre-male cocktail, and they were originally owned by Marilyn Kick, and she is a woman in a male-dominated space, which is alcohol industry.

00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:13.039
And so I think that it is what initially drew them into me, and that's kind of why they were like they had never sponsored a race car driver, and I'm the only one that they currently sponsor.

00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:16.880
So um, for them to pick me out of everyone is is really, really special.

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:25.920
And I think just having that common bond of me being a female in a male-dominated industry and then merely being the same in the alcohol industry was really, really special.

00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.200
And they've been an amazing sponsor for the last five years.

00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:32.720
I've truly like I wouldn't be racing without them.

00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:38.160
And they actually just got recently bought out by Savusrak, a large sphere company.

00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:42.720
But so I have Buzzwalls, and then I have a new sponsor this year.

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:48.640
It's Free Nicotine, and they are sponsoring me as well as Riley Hurst in the Cup Series.

00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:55.680
And they're amazing to work with, they're super fun, they're, you know, a growing company as I'm, you know, growing in the sport as well.

00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:05.119
So I think it's a really, really cool partnership and looking forward to growing with them and hopefully, you know, meeting the needs that they're wanting out of our partnership as well.

00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:06.240
Yeah.

00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:28.319
And we know that having those names on the side of the car are it's a good way to to promote your business because they get talked about and you're going around, and businesses don't understand the eyes that are on those cars.

00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:30.240
And it might not, yeah.

00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.279
So I record the races if I'm not gonna be home.

00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:35.519
There it's automatically on record.

00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:36.079
Yep.

00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:40.319
So even if I can't watch when I'm home, I'm gonna watch it later.

00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:54.799
A lot of people do that, they go to the racetrack, and I it doesn't matter if you're a late model driver at Kalamazoo Speedway or if you're you know in the cup series, there's a lot of eyeballs on those businesses.

00:28:55.119 --> 00:29:13.279
And and people, people that own these, you know, companies, especially, I just think companies that cater to women are missing the boat because number one, women are the major purchaser of items in the household.

00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:23.039
Yep, yeah, and so you know, if buzzballs going around the track, when they go to the grocery store, what are they gonna look for?

00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:24.000
Yeah, buzzball.

00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:40.480
Yep, right, and and it's true of anything, Maybelline, you know, makeup, clarol shampoo, whatever it might be, those are huge companies, yes, but you've gotta you've gotta get to the person that cares or that understands.

00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:45.440
How do you like how do you go about reaching out to those sponsors?

00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:48.000
Is it sharing what you do through social media?

00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:50.880
Do you try to get one-on-one appointments?

00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:53.920
How do you go about getting those sponsors?

00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:55.119
Yeah, absolutely.

00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:59.920
And then I'm gonna backtrack a minute to when you were talking about the sponsor.

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:05.440
So I've had several people come up to me and have never heard of buzzballs before in the racing community.

00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:10.480
They, you know, they watch me race all the time and they'll come up and be like, oh, what's a buzzball?

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:11.279
And they'll have no idea.

00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:25.200
And I'll like show them a picture of it or just show them, you know, the car, and they will go out and buy them and they'll like report back and they're like, oh my god, this is incredible! Like, I'm going to add it to my you know, week weekend drink or whatnot.

00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:36.400
So I definitely think there is a market there for sponsors, and it's really, really cool to help help the brand grow doing that through being on the racetrack, but then also social media.

00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:39.119
And sorry, what was your question?

00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:40.160
How do you go?

00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:44.640
How would you go about like reaching out to Maybelline or Clarel or somebody?

00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:45.839
It's so hard.

00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:47.039
Yes, it is.

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:57.920
I so I have an agent that helps me, and we reach out to companies and share my deck, and it it's definitely hard, but sometimes people reach out to me, and then we reach out to a lot of companies as well.

00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:00.160
My my agent's a big help.

00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:09.279
Yeah, I would think you'd need somebody because you're trying to you're trying to do everything to stay in shape and do all the things to be ready to race.

00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:10.480
It's a lot, yeah.

00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:22.720
It's a lot, there's not enough time in the day for somebody to do everything, and agents certainly help, and they're a good representative of you, and so that's yeah, absolutely.

00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:25.359
So, how do you maintain balance, Taylor?

00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:42.240
Because you've got, I'm sure you still buy groceries and do laundry, and and you probably have to vacuum every once in a while, and and all the things that all that everybody does, and then you probably train, you know, you go to the gym, you do all those things.

00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.240
How do you maintain that balance?

00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:50.000
Yeah, so growing up, I've always lived a very chaotic, busy lifestyle.

00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:52.319
It's something that I've I love doing.

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:53.359
I'm just used to it.

00:31:53.440 --> 00:31:58.319
I hate just sitting at home and doing nothing, like I always have to be doing something, keeping myself busy.

00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:06.559
So in in college, I cheered, I was working towards my degree, and then I was also in a sorority, so used to the chaotic life.

00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:13.839
But honestly, just having a daily routine, working out is my passion outside of racing.

00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:18.559
I love, you know, staying in shape physically and then mentally as well.

00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:27.200
But yeah, just you know, having a routine, sticking to it, like to work out in the mornings and then just trying to balance it all.

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:31.039
It's definitely not easy, but it's something that I just prioritize.

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:34.960
I always have like in my notes a little checklist of things I have to get done for the day.

00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:40.720
And then, you know, making time for myself and you know, my family is very, very important too.

00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:46.400
Like if you are way too immersed in in the business and in the sport, you can get burnt out easily.

00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:53.920
So I always make sure to make time for myself and prioritize me and do the things that I love to do outside of racing as well.

00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:55.440
Yeah, absolutely.

00:32:55.599 --> 00:33:02.000
You've gotta have you've gotta have something besides racing because after you have to have a balance or it's not gonna work.

00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:03.680
You get to access it too quick.

00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:04.400