OSTPA Hall of Fame 2017 Carl Taylor

Chad Taylor
Jan 24, 2017
2 min read

We are very proud of my Grandpa and how he has carried our team for so many years. Taking us from the early days of TWD Pulling to continuing to support us and our crazy ideas. He has taught me everything I know about pulling and we even look to some of his ideas still today and try to figure out how we can use them know. You can see the history from the below videos and artical from the OSTPA banquet.

The typical way pullers get involved in the sport is through their family. And more often than not, it is the father who introduces the son to pulling. Well, for Carl Taylor you can turn that theory on its head. It was his son who took him along on pulls and got him interested. In the early 80’s a new division debuted and his son was looking at getting involved in and shortly into the build Carl took over and completed the build with his 1970 Chevy EL Camino to debut in 1982. In 1983 the class became an official class and Carl ran about half of those events. He went to the larger tires earlier than others and stuck with them knowing he could get hooked to the track much quicker if he just could get the final ratio matched up. Carl finished 2nd in the OSTPA points in 1987 for the first time and then several other times while splitting time between OSTPA and the National Circuit between then and 1994 before winning the 1994 OSTPA championship and receiving the TWD Puller of the Year award the same year.

Carl continued to drive full time in the Two-Wheel drive class till 2002 when he turned over the driving to his grandson Chad. He has jumped back in the driver’s seat several times since and even bring the Baby Blue Knight back out in 2016 after being parked for 3 years. His Iconic truck that has transformed several times in 35 years of pulling. Several chassis and drive trains and who knows how many motors and motor combinations, but somethings never changed. The 1970 El Comino with its flashing lights that has been the staple for Taylor Family Motorsports for 35 years including the 2016 with its retro paint scheme.

Carl had continued to always be at the shop putting in the hour’s year after year to keep the team on the road and on the track. He is a retired Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Maintance Supervisor and during his retired years he drove over the road truck. He has 2 children, 5 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He has been known for being a competitor no matter what it takes and to show sportsmanship above everything else.