Jeff Taylor Racer's Scrapbook - NHRA.com

Racer’s ScrapbookJeff TaylorWith impressive credentials that include four national championships, 38 wins, and a host ofother honors, Jeff Taylor long ago established himself as one of NHRA’s best Sportsmanracers. Born into a racing family, Taylor began his career in Stock and has also raced in Super Stock,Super Comp, Comp, and even Pro Stock. He has proven to be one of the most versatile individuals inthe sport, enjoying success as an engine builder and a crew chief. Currently, Taylor races in Comp aspart of a two-car effort with reigning NHRA Comp champ Bo Butner.With the help of the NHRA photo department and National DRAGSTER Senior Editor KevinMcKenna, Taylor recently took a trip down memory lane.(Left) “This ’69 Camaro convertible belonged to Jimmy Morton, whowas a friend of ours from Jacksonville, N.C. I had raced a few bracketcars before, but this was my first serious Stock effort. This car was alot of fun to drive, and Jimmy had the money to race at a high level. Iwon my first national event, the 1981 Cajun Nationals, with this car,then went to Indy and won there as well.” (Above) “That’s me and mybrother Charlie in the winner’s circle at Indy. I finished the year bywinning the national championship in Stock.”“This car belonged to Fred Adkinson, who was a great racer and a great friend.I had sold the Camaro I was racing and needed a car to drive, so Fred loanedme his car. We put one of my engines in it, and I drove it for a few races in1987, including Indy. Fred was like a second father to me, and anytime Ineeded anything, he was right there for me. Fred passed away a few yearsago, but I still have a great relationship with his son Jeff.”“I raced with Mark Klein for a number of years, and we had a lot of success together. I ran thisSuper Stock Camaro in 1988 and won another championship. I also think I was in nine finals thatyear. That was when you could run a delay box in Super Stock, and Mike Saye and I were two guyswho really took advantage of it. I blew up an engine early in the season, so we took a month off.When we got back, it seemed like I was winning every other week. I wasn’t even in the top 10 inJuly, but I ended up winning the championship. Ed Quay built the car, which, at the time, was thenicest car I’d ever driven.”56 ✦ National DRAGSTER(Left) “I ran this SS/DM Olds Calais in 1991, and it is probably one of thewinningest race cars of all time. I think I won eight or nine national eventswith this car, then sold it to Grant Lewis, and he started winning, then hesold it to Edmond and Scotty Richardson, and they won a lot with it. Aboutthis time, I realized that in Super Stock it was a big advantage to have a fastcar, and with a Modified car, the rules were more liberal than with atraditional Super Stocker.” (Above) “I hooked up with Steve Bagwell in theearly 1980s, and we started racing in Super Stock, then decided to go ProStock racing. I think we could have done well with this car, but we neverhad the money to do it right. We qualified for a few IHRA races and wonsome rounds over there but didn’t do much on the NHRA side. Still, it wasa lot of fun to drive. I remember the first time I drove it: We went to BlaneyDragstrip in South Carolina, and Ronnie Sox was there. I almost crashed ita couple of times but then ended up making some good runs. Ronnie helpedme a lot, and so did Lee Shepherd. I think I ran a best of 7.77, but, moreimportantly, I learned a lot about clutches and suspensions.”

“In 1994, I was racing as a part ofHarold Stout’s Winnebago teamand had a good deal withOldsmobile, so we built a SuperStock Achieva. What was so coolabout my relationship withOldsmobile was that I always hadthe first new cars. Everyone elsewas still racing the Calais, andwe had the first Achieva; Iactually had three or four of them.I would build them, run them for awhile, then sell them. I had a newone all the time. I was sort oftheir golden child. Luckily, I wasable to win some races for them,which was always a big deal.”(Above left) “This Grand Am, the first one built for Super Stock, is one of my favorite race cars. I first ranit in Winnebago colors, then, when I went to work for Jegs in 1996, we painted it yellow and black. I wonsix national events with this car in 1996: Seattle, Sonoma, Memphis, Englishtown, Houston, andGainesville. Later on, when I went to work for Arnie Martel, he paid a lot of money to get that car back,and I won a couple more times. All told, I think I won 12 or 13 national events in this car.” (Above right)“I ran this Super Stock truck in 1999; it is the worst vehicle I’ve ever raced, bar none. It was uncomfortableto sit in, the visibility was bad, and if the wind was blowing, it was just about impossible to pick a dial.I only raced it one year and didn’t have much success with it. I was in the final round in Pomona and redlightedagainst Bo Butner. It was sold shortly after that.” (Below left) “I was racing with Arnie Martel in2000 and won my first Comp race at the U.S. Nationals with this D/A Camaro. My Pro Stock experiencereally helped when we built this car. I also had the help of a lot of smart people to keep me pointed inthe right direction. This car wasreally fast, and I was alsorunner-up with it in Memphis,but it wasn’t a big favorite ofmine because it was hard forsomeone my size to get in andout of. I was pretty crampedwhen I was driving it.”“While I was racing with HaroldStout, he encouraged me tobuild a dragster, which madesense because I had a trailerthat would haul two cars. So weordered this dragster (above)from Kurt Damron. I won a lot ofbracket races with it, then wewent to Denver in 1995 and wonnot only in Super Comp but alsoin Super Stock. I remembercalling Harold that night andtelling him that I’d won SuperStock. He wasn’t too surprised;then I told him that I won SuperComp, too, and he couldn’tbelieve it. I think I went on tofinish No. 8 in the world thatyear, which was a pretty bigaccomplishment. (Left) That’sme and Willie Evans, mylongtime crew chief, in thewinner’s circle in Denver.”“Of all the cars I’ve raced, this C/A Grand Am is my favorite. I won seven races with it, and it’s the most fun carI’ve ever driven. It was built to fit me, and it had a stick shift and was fast enough so that I was usually doing thechasing. I finished fifth in 2001 and probably would have won the championship, except I got into an accident atthe Division 1 race in Numidia, Pa. It took about a month to get it back, then I went to Indy and qualified No. 2. Ialso doubled with this car and my Super Stock Grand Am in Memphis in 2002, which was a big highlight for me.”“This is the Grand Am that I won the Comp championship within 2005. It was built by Vic Custer at EasTexas Race Cars. Whenthe car was built, I had him put steel floors in it so I could racein Super Stock and Comp. I won three national events in SuperStock and another three or four in Comp. Obviously, I had a lotof help from my team owners, Jim and Bo Butner.”“My current Comp car is a newEasTexas-built Cobalt that wedebuted in April. This car is atotally new design. I gave Vicsome ideas, and he builtsomething special. We had afew issues with it at first, but Ican already tell it’s going to bea really good car. It’s alreadythree-hundredths quicker inthe first 60 feet than our oldcar. I think it’s a step up fromall of the other Super Modifiedcars out there now.”June 15, 2007 ✦ 57