Toyota development driver Taylor Reimer has taken a unique path to the highest levels of midget car racing. After starring as a young and upcoming racer, she made the decision to step away from racing to focus on academics and competitive cheer. This month, she’ll be doing both – graduating with honors from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Health and Exercise Science and a minor in Business, as well as continuing to pursue her goal of becoming the first woman to win a USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature event, with a pair of races at her home track, Port City Raceway, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 22-23.

This comes after a partial season last year that saw her become just the sixth woman ever to earn USAC fast qualifier honors and then followed it up by qualifying second at the Turkey Night Grand Prix where she and teammate Kaylee Bryson became the first all-woman front row in USAC history. She has top-ten finishes in each of the last four national events this season.

(Rich Forman Photo)

Taylor Reimer

Keith Kunz Motorsports - BuzzBallz Cocktails Toyota Spike

Age: 22

Hometown: Bixby, Oklahoma

Taylor, you’ve had quite a journey to get here, tell us about how it started?

TR: I started racing when I was six years old. I began in go-karts and then I eventually moved over to dirt and started racing micro sprints.

I grew up racing at Port City Raceway in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I raced against Kaylee Bryson, Jason McDougal, Cannon McIntosh, and we would watch Christopher Bell. There’s a lot of great drivers that came from Port City and it shows. There’s not a lot of tracks in Oklahoma, but everyone knows the Chili Bowl and the Shootout, and the talent continues to grow.

As soon as my dad got me into racing, I knew that I loved it and had a passion for it.  I knew I was going to do it for a long-time and we started winning a lot at Port City. I am the winningest female at the track, which is an accomplishment that I’m extremely proud of.

After earning that accomplishment at a young age, what led you to step away from racing?

TR: I made a decision when I was 14 that it would be best if I took a break from racing to focus on academics and cheer. After graduating from Bixby High School, I went to the University of Oklahoma where I became a cheerleader on the OU All Girl team.

And what led you back to the racetrack?

TR: Last year, I had the opportunity to jump back into a midget after COVID hit and this year we’re back in it full-time. I always knew that I would race again. I just didn’t know if it would be possible with school. When covid happened, it opened up a lot of free time on my schedule and I got the opportunity and I’m just glad to be back.

When you left at 14, you were racing in Micros, now you’re in a national Midget. How’s the adjustment been?

TR: It was a major challenge just because of the huge difference in horsepower. Just trying to figure out what works best for me and the car. It was a bit of a struggle just trying to get back into racing again. Gaining the seat time and just getting comfortable in the car again is mainly what I needed.

Can you talk about your learning curve in running a partial season last year?

TR: I would say I grew a lot last year, especially the last few months with Keith Kunz and the KKM team. I’ve learned more about the car and how it all works. You could see my progression. I was getting faster each time I was on the track. Now I just need to figure out how to get around cars in traffic and get to the front because we are fast.

And what’s your goal for the 2022 season?

TR: My main goal this year is to win a midget race in either USAC or POWRi. We’re racing the full season with Keith Kunz Motorsports and Toyota in 2022 and we have an awesome sponsor in BuzzBallz Cocktails that’s coming along with us. We’ll see what we can accomplish. My main goal for sure is to win. That’s what it’s been for the last year, and now that we’ve gotten back into it for about a year, I’m super confident in my team and my ability. I think that it’s for sure possible. They make sure I have what I need to be successful, and I think that started to show at the end of last year.

What would it mean for you to get a win this year?

TR: It would mean a lot to be the first woman to win a national midget feature. It’s going to be a big deal for whoever accomplishes it. I know I’m completely capable of that, things just have to go our way. I’m confident in my team and my ability to win.

You’re no stranger to winning though, are you?

TR: I also was in competitive cheer and stunt. I won several state and national championships in high school at Bixby. In 2021 at OU, we won our collegiate national championship after previously finishing as a national runner-up in 2020. I like to do the best I can in everything that I do whether it’s a team sport with cheer or if it’s coming out to the racetrack.

So, what’s the difference between flipping in racing and flipping as a flyer in cheer?

TR: Flipping when you’re in a race car doesn’t feel so great. Flipping whenever you’re cheering is a lot more fun.

Finally, what’s your overall goal in racing?

TR: Whatever opportunities are available, I’m open to them all.