Meet ORMHOF Inductee Scott Taylor in this Conversations with Big Rich Podcast

In this episode of the Conversations with Big Rich podcast sponsored by the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, learn more about ORMHOF Class of 2022 Inductee Scott Taylor. (Scroll down for show notes and podcast link.)

Scott Taylor turned off-road racing into a full-time career and opened his own 8,000 square-foot fabrication shop in Belvidere, Illinois. Scott’s shop was open to other racers and competitors, where he shared his knowledge and abilities with the off-road community.  With his manufacturing and fabrication experience, Scott thrived on getting other racer enthusiasts out on the track.

Scott dominated the CORR Series, winning six consecutive Pro 2 Championships from 1999 through 2004. He also made history at the Off-Road World Championship in Crandon, Wisconsin in 2002, where he became the first two-wheel drive Pro 2 truck to win against the four-wheel drive Pro 4 trucks. Scott won the prestigious World Championship race three times: The Borg-Warner Cup in 2002 and 2008, and the 2002 Governor’s Cup Race.

Scott Taylor (left) with fellow ORMHOF inductee Rob MacCachren at the 2022 Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala

Scott raced buggies and trucks for an impressive 40 years, winning 18 championships in SODA, SCORE, ESPN Pro, and the CORR Series. He was also recognized with the Ford Hard Charger Award and was honored as the SODA Sportsman of the Year and CORR Driver of the Year award two years in a row.

There are many good racers, but Scott is more than that. He attracted sponsors, racers, and positive recognition to the sport of short-course off-road racing. His special ability to give back to the fans, other racers, sponsors, and the sport of off-road made a difference and helped elevate the sport to where it is today.

Scott Taylor flying high as a member of the iconic Ford Rough Riders team

Scott Taylor was introduced to short-course off-road racing by Phil Reusche, the owner of Phil’s Inc., a Chenowth chassis distributor, where he ordered his first chassis.  Scott and his friends quickly built a two-seat buggy and went racing. His first race was in the Fall of 1973 on a farm in Joliet, Illinois. By the following year, Scott got his first win at the 4x4 Unlimited Indian Summer Sprints at Lake Geneva Raceway driving a Class 9 Buggy.

After a couple of years, it was common for Scott to race in two or three different buggy classes during a weekend from Class 1 to Class 10, as well as Class 2 tandem. Having found success in the Midwest, Scott traveled throughout Canada as well as out West to the SCORE Off-Road World Championships, and he continued to add wins to his resume.

In 1986, Scott moved to Class 7, driving a Ford Ranger truck with his first major sponsor: BFGoodrich Tires. While racing Class 7, Scott quickly became known for his ability to manufacture quality race parts. Working with Walker Evans and Venable Racing, he was inspired to build his own short course Class 8 Ford F-150 race truck.

The Early Days:  Scott Taylor

Thanks to his fierce competitiveness, Taylor’s early buggy and truck off-road racing career produced numerous short-course championships. During that time, he produced an impressive number of wins -- well into the triple digits -- while driving his Class 7 and Class 8 (which became Pro 2) race trucks.

Over the years, with Scott’s winning attitude and track records – along with ten titles in two separate truck classes, he has proven to be a favorite with the fans as well.  Scott was selected to join forces with the iconic powerhouse Ford/BFGoodrich Tires Rough Rider Program and success continued. He won the SODA Class 8 Championship for the fourth year in a row on the strength of seven victories during the ten-race series.

The Taylor Family:  Scott with his wife Kellie, and their two daughters

LISTEN HERE

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS

5:41 – I would take things apart I shouldn’t take apart

10:38 – I advocate deeply with high schools on how important it is to keep the five things of vocational training…                                

19:29 – I had a really good car and I drove the wheels off of it 

27:29 – He was a lot faster than me, but I had my eyes set on somebody I had to beat

36:26 – we weren’t cheating, but we were building our own stuff and ahead of our times

45:25 – it’s like an old girlfriend calling you up after 10 years and wanting to start dating again

ABOUT CONVERSATIONS WITH BIG RICH

Rich Klein has recorded more than 170 episodes of his popular podcast series, Conversations with Big Rich, which is available on major streaming services.  Rich is also the publisher of 4LOW Magazine and promoter of the W.E. Rock rock crawling series.  He was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. 

ABOUT THE OFF-ROAD MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME

ORMHOF is a proud sponsor of the Conversations with Big Rich podcast series.  We invite you to support the mission of the Hall of Fame to educate and inspire present and future generations of the off-road community by preserving the history of those who came before. ORMHOF has earned a Gold Seal of Transparency from the non-profit rating service Guidestar.  Join, partner, or donate today.  Thank you.