By Victoria Beaver

Zac Taylor enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 by taking home three championships in a single year. Taylor closed out the season with a trio of titles: one at El Paso County Raceway in Calhan, CO; the second in the Blood, Sweat and Tears/Colorado Alliance Tour; and the third in the International Motor Car Association Colorado State tour.

Taylor stood on the top rung of the podium seven times during 2017, including once for his first-ever Midget win.

"By far this was my best year of racing," Taylor said. "To win three championships in one year is beyond belief. It was close down the stretch and that was nerve-wracking."

Next year, Taylor will continue to race his 305 Sprint and a Midget but will also move into a 360 Sprint and has scheduled a few Paved Modified races. Taylor and his family will focus on 360 racing to build his skill as a racer and attempt to get his name heard outside of the state of Colorado. To that end, Taylor will make his 2018 debut in several major races in the  regional tours of the American Sprint Car Series.

"Running the 305 has been great and was a fantastic way to learn how to handle a Sprint Car, but that won't get you noticed too much outside of Colorado," Taylor said. "If I'm going to get my name out there and get more opportunities we need to move up."

He has a chance to make some major noise coming out of the gates. Taylor will hop behind the wheel of Todd Henry’s Midget during the 2018 Chili Bowl in Tulsa, OK, at the River Spirit Expo Center from Jan. 9-13. Embarking on his first Chili Bowl will be easier alongside a team that he’s grown comfortable with during his 2017 campaign.

"We had a great season with Todd, and I learned a ton," Taylor said. "Todd worked hard on setups for dry slick tracks, and we just got better and better as the year went on. That will give me a better chance of success at the Chili Bowl. It will put me in a lot better comfort zone. I'll be in equipment I know with a crew chief I trust.”

In 2018, Taylor will attempt to pull double duty some weekends between the Sprints and Midgets to maximize his exposure and chance of success. On weekends when he’s not signed up for open-wheel events, he’ll try his luck in the Paved Modified to give him the greatest breadth of experience.

"I'm so excited for 2018 and the opportunities that are out there. I want to race more and continue to learn,” Taylor said. “It will be a challenge and won't be easy, but I'm committed to working hard to improve and grow in this sport."

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