Well gentlemen, start your engines, it's time to hit the tracks! WXXV can say with confidence that this is one of the most unique and exciting sports we've ever featured on this segment, and we are highlighting a person who is so much more than just a driver of a car.
He's a boy in a man's sport, and he's our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week. Introducing Resurrection Catholic's very own, Carter Taylor!
"This is called an outlaw late model. It's similar to a pro late model just with a different body and different tires on it. They race them all over the place from Florida to Texas and Georgia and it's really a really fun class and there's a bunch of guys that have been racing for a long time in it and there's a bunch of people with a whole lot of experience," said Resurrection Catholic sophomore, Carter Taylor.
Carter Taylor has not always climbed into this red hot Outlaw Late Model, but he first entered the racing world at just eleven years old when he first got behind the wheel of this go kart. It is safe to say his need for speed then quickly became apparent and he has not looked back since.
"We ended up practicing and then I went out there for my first race and we started in the back and ended up winning," said Taylor. "Throughout that year, I won a couple races and came in second in a few, and I ended up coming in second in points for the Championship."
Five years later and Taylor is truly a boy in a man's sport as he is neck and neck with drivers who have more years of experience than years he has been alive.
"There's quite a few of them that don't like it whenever I win because they've been doing it for so long," Taylor said. " A bunch of guys that I race with have been doing it for 20 plus years and they've been winning and they don't really like me just stepping in there and running up front with them."
Whether these drivers are 16-years-old like Taylor or in their 30's and 40's like his opponents, he wants to make sure people have the right interpretation and respect for the sport.
"Some people say it's really easy and it's just going in circles, but it's really not all that easy. If you look into it and put time into seeing how much it takes to actually be good, it's just like any other sport," said Taylor. "You've just got to practice and do your best with it."
He knows it's just like any other sport because Taylor is a tri-sport athlete at Resurrection Catholic. Taylor has been starting for the Eagle football team since the 7th grade and even took up bowling after his mom. The sophomore stays busy to say the least, and he says it wouldn't be possible without his incredible support system.
"My family and friends mainly, but also Vice Construction as my sponsor and Viking Civil Services, Mr. Josh Bragg my crew chief and George Bragg. Coach Denmark is a great guy and he's not just a mentor on the field, but also a mentor off the field. He's always supporting me in football and he loves coming to the race track and watching me race and if I need to sit down and talk to him he's an amazing guy that I can sit to and talk to about anything," Taylor says about Resurrection Catholic Head Football coach.
It's only a matter of time that his support system will continue to grow as he is only four points away from an Outlaw Championship Title at 5 Flags Speedway which will be decided this weekend in Pensacola.
"It's great to have the opportunities that I have and being able to win and run up front and have the opportunity to run for a championship this weekend," said Taylor with a smile.
All of this could be achieved before Taylor gets his actual drivers license, and it doesn't stop there. We'll continue to follow Taylor's success as he is set to compete in the Snowball Derby in December which just so happens to be the biggest and most prestigious short track race in the entire country.
The sky is truly the limit for this young racer, and his story on the track is far from being over.
You can keep up with his journey too by following "Carter Taylor Racing" on Facebook.