Ashlyn Taylor
Karting racing // Texas
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Ashlyn Taylor blazed from seven-year-old Texas karting prodigy to professional Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup racer with Hendricks Motorsports, collecting championships and breaking barriers.
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We didn’t have money to fund national kart races but I enjoyed competing regionally as much
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FULL BIO: Ashlyn Taylor
Ashlyn Taylor is a rising American racing star who transformed from a seven-year-old karting enthusiast into one of the most promising young talents in professional motorsports, currently competing in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series with Hendricks Motorsports.
EARLY YEARS
Born around 2006-2007 in Texas, Ashlyn’s racing journey began at age seven when her father took her to K-1 Speed for after-school karting sessions. What started as casual fun quickly revealed natural talent that would reshape her entire trajectory. Growing up in a family with modest means, they couldn’t afford national karting competitions, but her father’s early encouragement and her regional racing opportunities in Texas provided the foundation for everything that followed.
OTHER INTERESTS
While racing has clearly dominated her teenage years, specific details about other interests remain private as she focuses intensely on her motorsports career development.
EARLY SUCCESS
Taylor’s progression from indoor electric karts to championship-level competition happened with remarkable speed. By ages 9-10, she was winning K-1 Speed league championships in 2015 and 2016, then transitioned to gas-powered karting where she claimed North Texas Karters Championships in both 2018 and 2021. Her philosophy was clear from the start: “In racing, winning is really all that matters.” By 2021, she had made the leap to Spec Miata car racing, and by age 16, she could already claim “a decade’s worth of racing experience.”
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2015 & 2016: K-1 Speed Indoor Karting League Championships
- 2018 & 2021: North Texas Karters Championships
- 2022: SCCA Texas Region Driver of the Year
- 2023: SCCA Southern Conference Championship in Formula Mazda
- 2024: Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Women’s Initiative Scholarship winner
- 2025: Professional racing debut in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series with Hendricks Motorsports
INSPIRATIONS
Her father’s initial encouragement remains the primary documented influence in her racing career, taking her to that first K-1 Speed session that revealed her natural ability. As she noted, “My dad took me to K-1 Speed for after-school fun and it quickly revealed I have natural talent.”
REPUTATION
Taylor is regarded as one of the most promising young talents in American motorsports, earning consistently positive media coverage for her achievements at such a young age. She serves as the first female ambassador for Whelen Engineering, the title sponsor of the MX-5 Cup series, positioning her as both a competitive force and an inspiration for young female racers. The racing community views her as representing the future of American motorsports, with her rapid progression from karting to professional racing earning widespread respect.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
Currently competing in her debut season in the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series with Hendricks Motorsports, Taylor is focused on establishing herself in professional motorsports. Her stated commitment to progressing in racing suggests ambitions beyond the MX-5 Cup series, though specific long-term goals remain focused on continued professional development in competitive motorsports.
References:
Ashlyn Speed Official Website
The Gentleman Racer Interview, September 2023
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