10/12/2024
Jeff Taylor
Taylor turns in runner-up result in Race for Hope 71 finale
Jeff Taylor started with a bare frame on Monday, and by Saturday evening he had scored a second-place finish in the IMCA Modified class at his home track of Batesville Motor Speedway in the Race for Hope 71. Plus, along with competing in the Modified portion of the three-day event, Taylor piloted an IMCA Stock Car over the weekend at the 3/8-mile oval in Locust Grove, Arkansas.
On Thursday, the eighth annual Race for Hope 71 event kicked off with 51 IMCA Modifieds in the Batesville pit area. Taylor locked his No. 5T car into the feature with a second-place finish in his heat race, but fought ignition issues and elected not to start the 25-lap, $2,500-to-win A-Main.
The team changed engines the next day and Taylor finished fourth in his heat, putting him in a B-Main. He won his consolation race from the pole and started 19th in the main event paying another $2,500 to win. He passed seven cars and finished 12th in the 25-lapper.
Taylor’s strongest performance of the event came on Saturday. He won his Modified heat race and rolled off ninth in the 71-lap, $7,500-to-win finale. He climbed to the second position early in the race and mounted a charge on leader Tom Berry Jr. as Berry became mired in lapped traffic. Taylor ultimately settled for the runner-spot and took the checkered flag just 0.448 seconds behind Berry. Cody Thompson, Tim Ward and Tanner Black completed the top five.
Throughout the weekend, Taylor also competed in the 29th annual Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Stock Car Championship, driving the Andrews Autosports No. 7T.
With 35 Stock Cars cars on the property on Thursday, Taylor turned in the 19th-quickest time in qualifying. The next night he grabbed the third spot in his heat race to transfer into Saturday’s 43-lap main event.
Taylor started 18th in the $10,000-to-win feature and made steady progress forward before being hit in the left side and picking up a serious vibration as the laps wound down. He shut off the car and recorded a 17th-place finish.
Full results from Batesville are at www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com.
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