Alex Taylor

Arkansas-born drag racer Alex Taylor is one of the most successful women in modern motorsports, known for her record-breaking performances in drag-and-drive competitions, her 200+ mph land speed records, and her role as co-host of MotorTrend’s Hot Rod Garage.

EARLY YEARS

Born July 14, 1996, in Booneville, Arkansas, Alex Taylor grew up surrounded by high-performance engines and drag racing culture.[1] Her father, Dennis Taylor, ran a performance shop and was deeply embedded in the nostalgia drag racing scene, which meant Alex spent her childhood around gearheads, throttle therapy, and the smell of race fuel.[2] By the time most girls were thinking about prom dresses, she was thinking about eighth-mile times.

At just 16 years old, Taylor made her HOT ROD Drag Week debut in 2013, piloting her 1968 Camaro—affectionately nicknamed “Badmaro”—through a grueling week of racing and road-tripping.[3] She clocked 12-second passes and proved she could hang with seasoned racers twice her age. It wasn’t just a cute father-daughter bonding experience; this was the real deal, and she handled it like she’d been doing it her whole life. Because, well, she kind of had.

OTHER INTERESTS

While earning her marketing degree at the University of Arkansas, Taylor balanced academics with her growing racing career, managing a full course load while prepping cars and traveling to events.[4] Her goal was always to work in motorsports, and she made that happen by building her personal brand early—launching her YouTube channel “Riding With Alex Taylor” to document her builds, races, and day-to-day life in the shop.[5] The channel became a hit, giving fans an inside look at what it’s really like to be a young woman trying to run sixes in a male-dominated sport.

Taylor also developed a knack for wrenching, learning to build and tune her own engines alongside her father. She didn’t just drive fast cars—she built them, too. That combination of mechanical skill and driving talent made her stand out in a field full of people who specialize in one or the other.

EARLY SUCCESS

By 2016, at just 19 years old, Taylor was named to Drag Illustrated’s prestigious “30 Under 30” list, a recognition of young talent shaping the future of drag racing.[6] Her mantra? “Figure it out, learn it, and do it.” And she did. By her fourth consecutive Drag Week in 2016, she was competing seriously in her class, refining the Badmaro into a legitimate contender with consistent performance improvements year over year.[7]

The Badmaro itself became a legend in drag-and-drive circles: a daily-driven 1968 Camaro packing a 427 tall-deck LSX block, Crower internals rated for 2,000+ horsepower, AFR 6-bolt heads, and twin Borg-Warner turbos.[8] Taylor wasn’t messing around. She was building a machine capable of laying down eight-second, then seven-second, and eventually sub-seven-second passes—all while driving it on the street between tracks.

Her first major trophy came in 2019 when she won Rocky Mountain Race Week, a victory that validated years of grinding, learning, and refusing to quit when things broke (which they often did).[9] That win opened the floodgates.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2013: Made her HOT ROD Drag Week debut at age 16, running 12-second passes in her 1968 Camaro.[3]
• 2016: Named to Drag Illustrated’s “30 Under 30” list.[6]
• 2019: Won Rocky Mountain Race Week, earning her first major drag-and-drive championship.[9]
• 2021: Finished third place in the Unlimited class at HOT ROD Drag Week.[10]
• 2021: Won Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0.[11]
• 2023: Led the PEAK Street Car Shootout with a 7-second pass at 212 mph during the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Nationals.[12]
• 2024: Set a personal best with a 6.96-second pass at 205 mph on Day 1 of Sick Week.[13]
• 2024: Entered the 200 MPH Club at Bonneville Speed Week with a two-pass average of 235.638 mph, breaking the previous Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) record in the C/CBGALT class.[14]
• 2024: Won Roadkill Nights Hellcat Grudge Match as reigning champion.[15]
• 2024: Competed in and completed HOT ROD Drag Week, adding another “guitar” trophy to her collection.[16]

INSPIRATIONS

Growing up, Taylor looked up to two women who broke barriers in motorsports: Barb Hamilton, the first woman to earn an NHRA license, and Jessi Combs, the record-breaking fabricator and off-road racer who tragically died pursuing a land speed record in 2019.[17] Both women showed her that talent and grit mattered more than gender, and that the fastest way to earn respect in racing was to go fast—really fast.

Her father, Dennis Taylor, was also a massive influence, not just as a builder and tuner, but as someone who gave her the space to figure things out on her own. He didn’t coddle her or treat her racing career as a novelty; he treated her like a racer, period.[18]

REPUTATION

Taylor has earned a reputation as one of the most consistent and skilled drivers in drag-and-drive racing, a discipline that demands not just speed but mechanical reliability, problem-solving under pressure, and the ability to keep your cool when things go sideways at 200 mph. She’s been called “the winningest woman in motorsports,” and her trophy room backs it up.[19]

Beyond her driving, she’s become a role model for young women interested in motorsports. Her YouTube channel has over 180,000 subscribers, and her candid, no-BS approach to documenting builds and racing resonates with fans who appreciate authenticity over polish.[20] She’s also a sought-after personality in the automotive media world, co-hosting MotorTrend’s Hot Rod Garage and partnering with brands like PEAK Auto, Holley EFI, and ProCharger.[21]

In 2022, she was recognized as part of SEMA’s Next-Gen Talent class, further cementing her status as a leading voice in the industry.[22] Whether she’s tuning an EFI system, making a 235 mph pass on the salt flats, or jumping into a Pro Mod for the first time and figuring it out on the fly, Taylor has proven she can do it all—and she makes it look fun.[23]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Taylor continues to push the limits of her 1955 Chevy Bel Air, which she’s been developing into a six-second drag-and-drive car.[24] She’s also expanded her reach through partnerships and appearances, including hosting “A Day at the Drags” events with Radford Racing School, designed to inspire and educate women interested in drag racing.[25] With her combination of mechanical skill, driving talent, and media presence, Taylor shows no signs of slowing down—unless it’s to prep for another record-breaking pass.

REFERENCES

[1] Famous Birthdays – Alex Taylor
[2] PEAK Auto – Meet the PEAK Squad: Alex Taylor
[3] 16 Year Old Alex Taylor on Her Day One Pass and 68 Camaro
[4] Drag Illustrated – DI 30 UNDER 30 2016: Alex Taylor
[5] Riding With Alex Taylor – YouTube
[6] Drag Illustrated – DI 30 UNDER 30 2016: Alex Taylor
[7] Drag Illustrated – DI 30 UNDER 30 2016: Alex Taylor
[8] Alex Taylor Racing – About
[9] Inside Alex Taylor’s Trophy Room: Epic Wins and Stories
[10] 3rd Place in Unlimited! – Drag Week 2021
[11] Inside Alex Taylor’s Trophy Room: Epic Wins and Stories
[12] NHRA – Alex Taylor leads the Peak Street Car Shootout
[13] Sick The Magazine – Manic Monday – Day 1 of Sick Week
[14] ProCharger – Alex Taylor Enters 200 MPH Club at Bonneville
[15] Secured the WIN! Reigning Roadkill Nights Hellcat Grudge Match Champs
[16] Alex Taylor Does It Again! Drag Week 2024 Recap
[17] These Two Women in the Automotive Industry Are Alex Taylor’s Role Models
[18] Alex and Dennis Taylor’s Shop Walk-Through
[19] Inside Alex Taylor’s Trophy Room: Epic Wins and Stories
[20] Riding With Alex Taylor – YouTube
[21] Lucky Costa on Hot Rod Garage
[22] SEMA – Meet Our 2022 Class of Next-Gen Talent
[23] BangShift – Alex Taylor On Driving a ProMod for the 1st Time
[24] Quest For the 6’s – 55 Build – YouTube
[25] Radford Racing School – Motorsports for Women: Breaking Barriers