Halie Wetherington
reporter@greenepublishing.com
Taylor Hosford, 26-year-old, Madison native, competes in several events around the country, similar to others spotlighted in this section. However, Hosford does not play sports such as softball or basketball. Instead, she races Super Trucks.
Starting at eight years old, Hosford was racing Quarter Midgets and go karts before working her way up to race cars. As a child, Hosford had a couple of go kart championship wins under her belt in Jasper, Fla. Now, she is a part of the Southeast Super Truck Series, and has taken part in those races for the last four years. Last year, Hosford finished second in the Southeast Super Truck Championships, against very competitive opponents.
Hosford does want racing to be a career, whether that be just racing or coaching another driver, but does not see much opportunity there due to her age. “It cost too much money to run 'high profile' races and most people that get offered to drive for someone are young,” said Hosford. “Even though I'm only 26, I'm too old. They want kids that are about 18, maybe even younger.” Although that career path did not go as planned, Hosford will be graduating school in September with a targeted career in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
On what she's learned from racing, Hosford stated, “[Racing] taught me to stay focused on something and stay out of trouble. It's also taught me how to work hard for something. Nothing in racing comes easy, you have to work for all of it.” The road to getting where she is today in racing was very long, and there are still bumps, twists and turns. But Hosford is grateful for the experience she has had over the years. “I've met some amazing people that have become like family to me along the way, and I've made some awesome memories with my family and friends,” she laughed. “Win or lose, we all stand in the victory lane together or go home and cry together.”