JT Taylor Takes 12th Checkered Flag at 2013 King of the Hammers
With months of prep behind them, OG13 JT Taylor, co-driver Doug Nagy and crew headed out with the Torchmate #13 racer to the sand and rocks of Lucerne Valley, CA. Pre-running the racecourse on Sunday and Monday, and then qualifying on Tuesday went well. JT took it easy on the car during qualifying putting them in the 85th starting position out of 127 starters. By the end of the day on Friday, they had earned a 12th place finishing position of only 19 finishers within the time limit, where only 27 actually finished the race.
Race day dawned cold and clear with a decent breeze to clear the dust. JT and Doug had a plan to run a smart, car saving pace to get through the toughest one day off road race in the world. “It was tough getting passed by other competitors that I knew I could outrun on the mainly desert lap, but we stuck to the plan. It wasn’t long before that race strategy began to pay off for us,” said JT Taylor. After the first desert loop it was time to pit for a car check and fuel. At the pit we had a great crew with some high profile members, namely Torchmate and Amsoil team members Brad and Roger Lovell.
Lap two was where prep, patience, and JT’s knowledge of this race came into play. Working through some of the toughest rock trails around using every advantage the King shocks and the Goodyear tires on Raceline Wheels provided, JT steadily gained positions. Upon entering pit two the car was in good shape so a quick check by the Streetwise Motorsports very experienced rally race crew was all that was needed.
JT had bypassed the optional route at Backdoor and Resolution trails on lap one and two due to traffic, so now it was time to hit two of the toughest rock trails of the race on lap three. The first obstacle in Backdoor is an 8 foot tall near vertical rock face. It can and has been driven, but keeping to the race plan meant it was time to put the Warn winch to work. The Warn 9rc winch made quick work of the obstacle so back into the fray they went. JT continued to drive the smart and steady race plan as the finish line drew closer.
12:01:24 was the elapsed time from green flag to checker when JT crossed the finish line. The crew and a large crowd of spectators and friends were there to congratulate JT and Doug for a job well done. They soon learned that after corrected time they had earned a 12th place finishing position of the only 19 finishers within the time limit. Of the 127 starters, only 27 actually finished the race.
JT Taylors next race will be the NORRA Mexican 1000 with the Torchmate racer as part of the Ultra4 Bucket List Series.
Many thanks are due to all of the companies and people who made this great race effort and finish come to be. Torchmate, Tube Shark, GoodyearTires, Raceline Wheels, Go Rhino, Warn Winches, Power Tank, King Shocks, CTM Axles, Amsoil, Motive Gear, Howe Power Steering, JE Reel Driveshafts, Shirt Force, Crawlorado Graphics
About JT Taylor: JT Taylor is the epitome of “been there, done that”. A retired First Sergeant who returned from the Iraq conflict with a Bronze Star, Taylor uses the skills that he honed as a soldier to manage multiple racing teams needs. His strategic and mechanical capabilities have served him well in Crew Chief positions with Brad Lovell, winning the 2012 TORC pro light championship, Speed Technologies, Shannon Campbell, Dirt Sports, Chris Kemps Trophy truck, Mike Palmers Trophy truck and SuperLite #16 race teams. He was the Crew Chief for Speed Technologies 2008 Class 1 Baja 1000 win, 2009 Baja 500 Torchmate Racing finish, and co-drove and was crew for the 2009 Baja 1000 and the 2010 and 2011 NORRA 1000 win. It would be foolish to think that Taylor is only handy with a wrench, he is just as comfortable behind the wheel. JT Taylor is one of the original thirteen competitors of King of the Hammers who has raced every year, winning the 2011 Torchmate Stampede, placing 3rd at the 2011 Ultra4 Grand Prix and 12th at the 2013 King of the Hammers. JT Taylor consistently held a top ten position in XORRA for five years and is the two-year reigning champion of the XORRA Germany Series. He is the 3 time Colorado Hill Climb Association Ultra4 Champion and made history as the first Ultra4 competitor to run Pikes Peak, where he won the Exhibition class in 2010 and was 2nd in the Pikes Peak Open Class in 2011. JT Taylor added a 2012 NORRA 1000 win to his resume including the respect of being the first Rock Buggy to join the race. JT Taylor is the person you want on your team.
JT had bypassed the optional route at Backdoor and Resolution trails on lap one and two due to traffic, so now it was time to hit two of the toughest rock trails of the race on lap three. The first obstacle in Backdoor is an 8 foot tall near vertical rock face. It can and has been driven, but keeping to the race plan meant it was time to put the Warn winch to work. The Warn 9rc winch made quick work of the obstacle so back into the fray they went. JT continued to drive the smart and steady race plan as the finish line drew closer.
12:01:24 was the elapsed time from green flag to checker when JT crossed the finish line. The crew and a large crowd of spectators and friends were there to congratulate JT and Doug for a job well done. They soon learned that after corrected time they had earned a 12th place finishing position of the only 19 finishers within the time limit. Of the 127 starters, only 27 actually finished the race.
JT Taylors next race will be the NORRA Mexican 1000 with the Torchmate racer as part of the Ultra4 Bucket List Series.
Many thanks are due to all of the companies and people who made this great race effort and finish come to be. Torchmate, Tube Shark, GoodyearTires, Raceline Wheels, Go Rhino, Warn Winches, Power Tank, King Shocks, CTM Axles, Amsoil, Motive Gear, Howe Power Steering, JE Reel Driveshafts, Shirt Force, Crawlorado Graphics
About JT Taylor: JT Taylor is the epitome of “been there, done that”. A retired First Sergeant who returned from the Iraq conflict with a Bronze Star, Taylor uses the skills that he honed as a soldier to manage multiple racing teams needs. His strategic and mechanical capabilities have served him well in Crew Chief positions with Brad Lovell, winning the 2012 TORC pro light championship, Speed Technologies, Shannon Campbell, Dirt Sports, Chris Kemps Trophy truck, Mike Palmers Trophy truck and SuperLite #16 race teams. He was the Crew Chief for Speed Technologies 2008 Class 1 Baja 1000 win, 2009 Baja 500 Torchmate Racing finish, and co-drove and was crew for the 2009 Baja 1000 and the 2010 and 2011 NORRA 1000 win. It would be foolish to think that Taylor is only handy with a wrench, he is just as comfortable behind the wheel. JT Taylor is one of the original thirteen competitors of King of the Hammers who has raced every year, winning the 2011 Torchmate Stampede, placing 3rd at the 2011 Ultra4 Grand Prix and 12th at the 2013 King of the Hammers. JT Taylor consistently held a top ten position in XORRA for five years and is the two-year reigning champion of the XORRA Germany Series. He is the 3 time Colorado Hill Climb Association Ultra4 Champion and made history as the first Ultra4 competitor to run Pikes Peak, where he won the Exhibition class in 2010 and was 2nd in the Pikes Peak Open Class in 2011. JT Taylor added a 2012 NORRA 1000 win to his resume including the respect of being the first Rock Buggy to join the race. JT Taylor is the person you want on your team.
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