 All it took was a glimpse of a bright orange car for four year old Stephen Taylor to find his love for NASCAR. Since that day, racing has been a part of his life and will hopefully be something he can call a career. Not long after he first saw that bright orange car, Taylor was begging his parents to let him watch the races on TV so he could cheer on his favorite driver, Ricky Rudd. “As someone who gets attached to something I didn't let it go easily and auto racing has been my passion ever since,” Taylor said. He started to learn all he could about racing and soon became a fan of all things with a motor and wheels. Even after Ricky Rudd retired, Taylor started cheering for Carl Edwards as his passion for the sport grew stronger. Around the age of eight, his parents bought him a go-kart and Taylor got to experience what it was like being behind the wheel for himself. He and his father went racing out of the back of their pick-up truck, spending a lot of time together working on the go-kart. With 17 career wins, a Championship in 1998 and two runner-ups Championship finishes, Taylor had shown that he had a knack for racing. “I was fortunate enough to achieve success and had a blast doing it,” Taylor said! In 2004, his personal racing career came to a halt when his family moved to Alaska, far from any form of racing other than the kind with four legs and fur. Although he was far away from auto racing, Taylor’s love for the sport continued to grow.  Keeping up with the motorsports world in Alaska was not ideal, but that didn’t stop his passion for the sport. TV, the internet and especially Twitter helped him keep up with all of the NASCAR action in Charlotte and around the country. After high school, Taylor attended college at the University of Alaska at Anchorage and recently graduated with a BA degree in history. His passion for racing is stronger than ever and his love for history has led him to pursue a career in the historical aspect of NASCAR. “I want my career path to be something from a historical perspective in racing or one that deals with the collectible aspect of the sport,” Taylor said. As a collector of NASCAR trading cards, the sports history has always fascinated him. Taylor has written multiple NASCAR history pieces for many non-professional websites as well as school papers; all have which solidified his dream of being a racing historian. His road to Charlotte hasn’t been without its ups and downs. In January 2012, he lost his mother to skin cancer and thanks to his family and friends, he worked even harder to make his dreams come true. In May of 2013, Taylor finally found himself on his way to Charlotte, North Carolina. “It was a very hard time but in a way I think it forced my hand even more to want to achieve my dreams sooner,” Taylor said. Since moving to Charlotte in May, Taylor has focused on making his dreams come true. “I have applied for jobs within the NASCAR Media Group and also applied to Press Pass, the manufacturer who makes NASCAR trading cards,” Taylor said. Although no positions have opened up yet, he is making many important connections within his desired field and is far from giving up hope. Stephen Taylor may still be chasing his dream of being a racing historian, but his journey is just beginning. 
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