Dameron Taylor riding historic hot streak

Damero Taylor swept both features at Berlin earlier in 2024. (Aaron Skillman photo)

By Ken de la Bastide

A look at the history book of the Kenyon Midget Series will show Dameron Taylor's name throughout. The 2012 rookie of the year went on to win championships in 2017, 2018 and 2022. He is the only competitor with more than one championship to his name.

But Taylor is currently riding a hot streak not duplicated many times in racing competition. He has pulled into victory lane five times in the past six races at Anderson Speedway, Circle City Raceway, twice at Berlin Raceway and Salem Speedway. The winning streak has Taylor within shouting distance on another championship despite missing a race earlier this season at the Circle City oval. He is currently third in the point standings behind Ryan Huggler and Evan Hammond.

“I'm trying to be on a roll,” Taylor laughed. “I don't know if it's just luck or we're hitting the set-ups on the bulls-eye.” Taylor said he won six races in dominating fashion when winning the championship, but never four in a row. I'm racing better this year than I did in 2017,” he commented. “I'm not doing anything different, mainly focus and open minded. I'm not thinking I can win every race, but hoping I can.”

Taylor said he has a shot at another championship, but recognizes that point leader Ryan Huggler will have to have one bad race or two moderate finishes in the final three races. “I'm going to shoot for it,” he said.

Thus far in his career Taylor has amassed an impressive 33 feature wins and is considered the driver to beat at many of the tracks where the series competes. This coming week the Kenyon Midget Series returns to the Paragon Speedway dirt oval which was not kind to Taylor during two visits to the track last year. He recorded finishes of 13th and 15th at the track.

“I've never been very good on the dirt,” Taylor said. “But I had the win at Circle City and bringing some help on the set-up at Paragon.”

Taylor said he hit on the set-up of his most recent win at Salem, using the same set-up as at Berlin Raceway. “We tested all day at Salem and kept tweaking the car,” he said. “Salem had sweeping entry and exit in the corners and you had to hug the bottom.”

But still on the horizon is a return to the Indianapolis Speedrome and to Anderson Speedway, where Taylor won the Don and Mel Kenyon Classic earlier this season.