Jordan Taylor obviously impressed quite a few folks when he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas, filling in for the injured Chase Elliot in the No. 9 car,
Now, Taylor will be returning to NASCAR at next month's (June 3) Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway (PIR), driving the No. 10 for the Kaulig team.
Taylor, who races in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in IMSA for the No. 3 Corvette Racing, finished 24th in the #9 for Hendrick back in March at COTA.
However, what caught a lot of people's attention was when Taylor qualified fourth for the race, not only showing speed but also showing his road course prowess as well.
While Taylor’s first NASCAR start may have come with some unknowns, Taylor understands the transition and racing style of stock car racing.
"It’s different," he said non-plussed, before adding a chuckle, "If I would’ve known that on lap 1, I would have moved guys out of the way."
With one NASCAR race under his belt, we may see a more comfortable Jordan Taylor behind the wheel of the lighter and a bit more nimbler Xfinity machine.
For Taylor, this will be his first Xfinity start in his career, and it will also be his first career start at PIR, unlike when he raced at COTA, where he had raced previously with IMSA before taking part in his inaugural Cup start.
Racing at Portland is one "I'm looking forward to checking off the list," Taylor said. Although he has yet to race professionally at Portland, expect the Corvette Racing driver to be quite competitive and a potential front-runner for Kaulig, especially with how competitive the ride will be.
"I am really pumped to make my first Xfinity series start with Kaulig Racing, a team that has shown it can dominate at road courses," Taylor said.
For people who wonder why someone like Taylor is getting this chance, well, for one, it is due to his success and talent, especially on road courses
However, his enjoyment of this side of racing has another reason, as well.
Being a Jeff Gordon fan, Taylor has always had a respect for the NASCAR style of racing, and in 2023 alone he has been able to get behind the wheel of what his racing idol drove: a NASCAR Cup stock car.
Last Wednesday, Rodney Sandstorm -- Taylor’s noted alter ego -- ran late models at North Wilkesboro Raceway for part of the All-Star Week festivities at the track in what was his first oval race in his career, continuing to add to his already extensive and diverse racing career.
Taylor has received a lot of praise from his peers as someone who is representing the sport proudly as an outsider and is someone who people should keep an eye on heading into that late spring race in the Pacific Northwest.
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