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Brett Taylor: ‘My opportunity to put Alberta on the NASCAR map’

Calgary, Alberta, native Brett Taylor, is named to drive for Canada’s Best Race Team in 2018 in first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

Brett Taylor signs autographs

Brett Taylor signs autographs

Brett Taylor
Brett Taylor
Brett Taylor
Brett Taylor, Dodge
Kaz Grala and Brett Taylor
Joey McColm
Brett Taylor, Dodge

Many NASCAR fans watch races and dream of someday being able to join their favorite drivers on the track and compete in the sport they love. Fortunately for Taylor, he’ll get to live his dream full-time next season in Canada.

Taylor didn’t grow up in a racing family or surrounded by a lot of racers as the sport has few tracks and access in Calgary, Alberta, but once he went go-kart racing as a child and got to watch NASCAR, he was hooked.

After making six starts over the past two seasons, Taylor will compete full-time next year in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series driving for Canada’s Best Race Team in cars prepared by veteran Joey McColm.

“I’m so excited to get this opportunity next season and I’m happy that I’ll finally get a chance to compete full-time in the Pinty’s Series,” said Taylor, who will run for rookie of the year honors. “I’m so lucky to get this opportunity and I’m ready to learn more and drive as hard as I can for Joey and the entire CBRT team.”

Taylor added that it’s rare to have many racers in Alberta but that’s something he hopes to change.

“There’s not a lot of racers out West like there are based in Ontario and Quebec, but there are some of us who love racing and hopefully having a driver from out West again, competing full-time will help raise awareness of the great NASCAR racing we have in Canada,” said Taylor.

“There are a lot of great companies in Alberta that support Canadian sports and I feel they’ll support racing too if we can show them our commitment to the Pinty’s Series and bringing this great series here to the province through this team and me driving and competing for rookie of the year.”

Taylor, 34, owns his own home building business and feels he can bring a special connection to drivers and race fans.

“I’m just a guy who’s a big race fan that’s lucky enough to get to drive a race car,” he said. “I feel I can bring a connection to a race fan that other drivers might not be able to because I didn’t grow up in a racing family or around it all the time.”

In fact, Taylor credits the movie “Days of Thunder” for amplifying his racing dream.

“I would watch ‘Days of Thunder’ countless times and after watching it for the first time I knew racing was my passion and something I craved my whole life.” Taylor said. “That’s what inspired me to want to have the No. 46 when I started racing.”

Taylor got his start driving in the Confederation of Autosport Car Club in British Columbia and enjoyed quick success which led to wanting to push himself to the next level.

“I won rookie of the year and my coach at the time, who was a Pirelli World champion, told me I needed to put myself in tougher competition,” he said. “So I thought the best competition in Canada was in the Pinty’s Series so I made the next move in 2016.

“I feel the series has some of the best racers in North America and I couldn’t think of a better place that I wanted to compete.”

Taylor made three starts with four-time Pinty’s Series champion Scott Steckly’s team in 2016 with one top-10 before moving over to CBRT in 2017 and also scoring one top-10 in three starts this past summer.

“I’m thankful to God for this blessing and I can’t thank my wife Christine and my kids (Titus, Talia, Audrina and Briella) for their support in helping me live my dream of competing on a full-time basis,” said Taylor. “It’s hard getting into a rhythm when you only drive part-time and this opportunity will help me improve as a driver with a great race team.”

One goal Taylor has set for himself is to become the first Albertan to win rookie of the year.

“I want to help put NASCAR racing on the map here in Alberta and being the first driver to win rookie of the year would go a long way in accomplishing that,” added Taylor.

Taylor is also working to add some partners for his effort on the race track. He’ll be announcing his marketing partners for the 2018 season next spring.

The 2018 race schedule should be released before the holidays. The 2017 season featured 13 events at 11 tracks in five Canadian provinces.

 

 

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