No easy ride but Taylor’s happy
Youngster finding her feet in adult field
Armadale Academy pupil Taylor Borthwick admits her step up last season was‘never going to be an easy ride’.
The young ace was a newcomer to the ORCi Stock Rod category at the Cowdenbeath Racewall in Fife during the 2020 season having just retired from a hugely successful career in the Ministox.
Taylor had been the dominant driver in the Ministox, especially over her last season where she ended up winning numerous races and was crowned National Points champion as well as the Cowdenbeath Track Points winner.
She decided that her next move was into the ORCi Stock Rods and to do so the team bought a Corsa C which was powered by a 1.4cc 8-valve engine – a considerable jump from the 998cc Ministox engine.
The car was ready to race when the practice sessions started in March and she made good use of them before the pandemic hit before finally being able to compete in closed doors meetings later in the year.
Taylor said: “I knew the next jump to an adult formula wasn’t going to be an easy ride and when the global pandemic hit a week before my first race, it put a spanner in the works.
“After months of lockdown, I finally got out to race although it was behind closed doors.”
At that meeting she gave a good insight as to how competitive she was going to be when she finished both of her heats in fourth place.
She followed that with the runners-up spot in the final before going on to win the Allcomers event. She was back in action in October where she was again in good form starting off with a third then a second in her heats.
Taylor then added another third place in the final before going on to win the Allcomers whilst chalking up her second win of the season.
In her two outings, she amassed 68 points and if she can continue in that vein, she will soon be racing from the back of the grid.
She added: “The one good thing about the lockdown meetings was that I had time in the car and got a lot laps under my belt.
“It also gave me an insight into non-contact racing whilst getting used to controlling the Corsa.
“The fields were a bit smaller than they would normally be but I can’t wait to get out there when it is busy and get more experience and hopefully more podium finishes to keep my trophy cabinet stocked up.”