Taylor Reimer is one of the most accomplished female dirt racers of her generation, holding the record as the winningest woman at Port City Raceway and becoming the first woman to win a national Midget race in 2022—but her path to racing’s upper echelons took a four-year detour through national championship cheerleading.

EARLY YEARS

Born December 2, 1999, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Taylor Reimer discovered racing at age six when her father brought her to Tulsa Kart Club in 2005. The introduction to 50cc go-karts sparked an immediate passion. “As soon as my dad got me into racing, I knew that I loved it and had a passion for it,” she’s said. “I knew I was going to do it for a long-time.”[2] She quickly graduated from karts to dirt micro sprints, making Port City Raceway in Oklahoma her home track and racking up wins that would eventually cement her status as the venue’s winningest female driver.

But racing wasn’t Reimer’s only competitive outlet. At Bixby High School, she competed in cheerleading and stunt, collecting multiple state and national championships. When she enrolled at the University of Oklahoma—following her mother’s side of the family, who were all OU fans—she joined the cheer team and stepped away from racing entirely to focus on academics and athletics. The decision paid off: her OU squad finished as national runner-up in 2020 and won the national championship in 2021.[1][2][5]

OTHER INTERESTS

Outside the cockpit, Reimer enjoys surfing, golfing, and playing pickleball. She lists pasta as her favorite food and the military film Lone Survivor as her go-to movie. Family and friends remain central to her life, and she prioritizes spending time with them between races.[4]

EARLY SUCCESS

After graduating from OU, Reimer returned to racing full-throttle, transitioning back into dirt midgets and joining Keith Kunz Motorsports’ BuzzBallz Cocktails Toyota Spike for the 2022 USAC National Midget season. The comeback was immediate and historic. That year, she became the first woman to win a national Midget race, taking the checkered flag at Millbridge Speedway.[1] She also became the sixth woman ever to earn USAC fast qualifier honors and finished the season with top-ten results in each of her last four national events.[2]

Her performance at the 2022 T-Town USAC Midget Showdown at Port City Raceway—her home track—underscored her return to form. Later that season, she qualified second at the Turkey Night Grand Prix, creating the first all-woman front row in USAC history alongside Kaylee Bryson.[2] “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,” Reimer explained, a philosophy that’s defined both her athletic careers.[2]

By late 2024, Reimer had shifted her focus to pavement racing, notching wins in Limited Late Models at Hickory and Tri-County. The transition to asphalt was intentional and permanent. “I’m really enjoying it,” she said of her early Pro Late Model testing. “I think we were a little tight in our mock run but that’s also just me not having a lot of experience in knowing how to adjust for it.”[1] She compared the intensity of Pro Late Model competition week to USAC Indiana Midget Week, noting that while the car setup differs—”mostly just lower powered momentum racing”—the competitive atmosphere is just as fierce.[1]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2005–Present: Winningest female driver at Port City Raceway in micro sprints[1][2].
• 2020: OU cheer team national runner-up[2].
• 2021: OU cheer team national champion[1][2].
• 2022: First woman to win a national Midget race (Millbridge Speedway)[1].
• 2022: Sixth woman to earn USAC fast qualifier honors[2].
• 2022: Top-ten finishes in each of last four USAC national events[2].
• 2022: First all-woman front row in USAC history at Turkey Night Grand Prix (with Kaylee Bryson)[2].
• 2024: Wins in Limited Late Models at Hickory and Tri-County[1].

INSPIRATIONS

Reimer credits her father as the catalyst for her racing career, introducing her to the sport at age six and fostering the passion that’s driven her ever since. Her family’s connection to the University of Oklahoma influenced her decision to pursue cheerleading there, creating the rare intersection of two high-level competitive careers.[2][5]

REPUTATION

Taylor Reimer is widely recognized as a trailblazer for women in dirt racing. Her record as Port City Raceway’s winningest female driver and her historic 2022 Midget victory have earned her respect in a sport where female drivers remain underrepresented. “I am the winningest female at the track, which is an accomplishment that I’m extremely proud of,” she’s stated.[2] Media coverage consistently highlights her unique path—balancing national championship cheerleading with a racing career—and her role as a Toyota Racing Development driver underscores the industry’s investment in her potential.[1][2][3][5]

Her transition to pavement racing has been met with curiosity and support, positioning her as one of the few drivers successfully navigating the dirt-to-asphalt pipeline in pursuit of NASCAR’s upper tiers. She’s described as a “decorated athlete” whose journey from go-karts to college cheerleading and back to racing again defies conventional motorsports narratives.[1]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Reimer is all-in on pavement for 2025 and beyond. She kicked off the year competing in Pro Late Models at the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway, where the division represents her primary focus moving forward. She’s also returning part-time to the ARCA Menards Series, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet for five races.[1][6] Her stated ambition is clear: break female stereotypes in racing, inspire others, and ultimately become a NASCAR driver.[4] Having moved to North Carolina to work more closely with Toyota Racing Development, Reimer is positioning herself geographically and competitively for the next phase of her career.[3][5]

References:

Short Track Scene – Taylor Reimer Interview[1]
FloRacing – Driver Spotlight: Taylor Reimer[2]
Sooner Magazine – Taylor Reimer Profile[3]
Taylor Reimer Racing – About Taylor[4]
Lemon8 – Sooner Girl Sports Podcast Feature[5]
Wikipedia – Taylor Reimer[6]