![]() | |
Nationality | ![]() |
Born | 9 April 1990 |
Grand Blanc, Michigan, United States | |
Achievements | 2010, 2011 Champ Car Series Champion 2010 Indianapolis 500 Champion |
Awards | 2008 Champ Car Rookie of the Year 2008 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year |
World Stock Car Championship | |
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races run over season(s). | |
Rookie Season | 2013 |
Team(s) | TMO Racing, Paulson Motorsports, Stephen Glass Enterprises, Team CJR |
Championships | |
Pole Positions | |
Wins | |
WSCC Canon Driver |
Taylor Paige Dawson is an American racing driver currently competing for Team Cadillac in the World Stock Car Championship. Dawson is a two-time champion of the Champ Car Series, which she won in 2010 and 2011; she is also the 2010 Indianapolis 500 champion and as of 2021 remains the only woman to win the race, as well as its youngest winner. She is the youngest champion and youngest two-time champion in the history of American open-wheel racing. Dawson jumped over to stock cars after five seasons in Champ Car. Dawson made her stock car debut driving the #11 Buick for TMO Racing in 2013; she signed with Paulson Motorsports after the 2015 season where she drove the #42 Volvo for three seasons.
Dawson is often referred to by her nickname The Lady in Grey, a reference both to her famously dyed hair color and Darlington Raceway, a track she has won at twice in her career.
Early Life and Career[edit | edit source]
Dawson was born into a prominent racing family; her great-great grandfather Louis Dawson was the second winner of the Indianapolis 500, and her grandfather and father were also champions of the race. She grew up Grand Blanc, a suburb of Flint, Michigan. She has three siblings: James (born 1987), Michelle (born 1992), and Kristen (born 1994).
With help from her father and grandfather, Dawson was able to start racing in karts starting at age 11. She was able to remain competitive throughout her teens, and was winning races regularly by the time she turned 14. Her family's history and ties to General Motors paid off, as she was scouted by their motorsports teams for development roles.
Champ Car Career (2008 - 2010, 2018 - present)[edit | edit source]
Phoenix Motorsports (2008)[edit | edit source]
Dawson went straight from the third level of Champ Car's development program into an open seat with Phoenix Motorsports. The placement of Dawson in the seat over other Champ Car Lights drivers was a minor controversy, but Dawson vowed to prove that she was worthy of the ride in the preseason media tour. She opened the season with a seventh place run at Homestead-Miami Speedway, outpacing her teammate Orlando Suarez by eleven positions. Through the first seven races, she handily outpaced her teammates and was running among cars that were seen as far superior to the Phoenix equipment; she finished sixth in the Indianapolis 500 and was named rookie of the race. Her season peaked at Watkins Glen, where she captured her maiden victory in the series en route to a sixth place finish in the points. The win was the first, and only, for Phoenix, and her sixth place points finish was the best of any driver for the team. Dawson was awarded Rookie of the Year for her efforts.
Team CJR (2009 - 2012)[edit | edit source]
Midway through 2008, Dawson signed a contract to join Team CJR in their #6 car, replacing Steve Harper, Jr., who left Champ Car for the team's NASCT ride. She opened her tenure with the team by winning in St. Petersburg; despite a rough series of races, including the Indianapolis 500, Dawson finished 2nd or better in 10 of the last 13 races, including wins at Kentucky and Chicagoland. She finished third in points behind Dino Franzoni and Sam Davidson, who ran for Carl Goodhue Racing.
2010 proved to be a breakout year, with Dawson winning the Indianapolis 500, becoming the race's first female winner, as well as its youngest winner. Dawson would finish 11 of the remaining 12 races in the top ten, including wins at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Chicagoland, and won the series championship by five points over teammate Whit Parnell.
Dawson repeated as champion in 2011, winning four races and scoring nine podiums to win the championship by 18 points over Parnell. The season was marred by the death of 2011 Indianapolis 500 champion Don Waters at the season finale race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; the race was later abandoned and not counted toward the final championship.
During the 2011 - 2012 offseason, Dawson announced she would leave Champ Car at the end of her current contract, citing safety concerns with open-wheel racing. She announced a move to stock car racing starting in 2013; while it was widely assumed that this included an expanded WSCC presence by Team CJR, she instead announced a contract with TMO Motorsports.
Dawson finished seventh at St. Petersburg before winning three consecutive races, but crashes at Indianapolis, Iowa, and Fontana meant she narrowly missed her third consecutive championship, finishing second to Resse Hallock-Ross by three points.
Indy 500 One-Offs (2018 - present)[edit | edit source]
Dawson returned to Champ Car in 2018 as a fourth car for Team CJR, her first entry in the series since 2012. She finished seventh in the race, running with the main pack as teammate Whit Parnell won the race.
In 2019, she entered with Fullman Autosport, entering alongside Formula A driver Fermin Arcona.
In 2021, she returned with Team CJR, with whom she had also entered the World Stock Car Championship, and finished fifth.
WSCC Career (2010 - present)[edit | edit source]
Team CJR (2010 - 2012)[edit | edit source]
TMO Racing (2013 - 2014)[edit | edit source]
Paulson Motorsports (2015 - 2017)[edit | edit source]
Team Cadillac (2018 - 2020)[edit | edit source]
2019[edit | edit source]
Acura Team CJR (2021 - present)[edit | edit source]
For the 2021 World Stock Car Championship, Dawson will reunite with Team CJR, and will partner with Acura as part of Team CJR's strategic alliance with the manufacturer.
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
Dawson has been active in numerous charitable causes, most prominently holding fundraisers for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the NOH8 campaign. Dawson's sister Michelle has bipolar disorder, and Dawson noted that the lack of resources available to them caused significant difficulties for the family when she was younger. She has been an active member of NAMI since she was twelve, and remains a significant part of the Gennessee County chapter to date.
In contrast to much of her lifestyle, she has been very private about her personal life. Dawson is a noted activist for LGBTQ rights, leading to some speculation early in her career that she was gay. She initially refused to discuss the question publicly, saying that her dating life is something she prefers to keep quiet. She, along with fellow driver Lynn Sawyer (who is openly gay), has a large following of fans in the LGBTQ+ community.
Dawson eventually came out as bisexual in a 2019 interview, revealing that she had dated both men and women throughout her life. She stated that her motivation to do so was primarily to "stop rumors from floating around about me."
Dawson confirmed that she and fellow driver Jay Orlov had dated briefly back in 2014; the pair remain close friends. Dawson was "best woman" at Orlov's wedding to Mari La Tavares.
Recently, Dawson has been romantically linked to rock star Liam Holland and actor Sean Ford, although it should be noted that she has characteristically refused to comment on any speculation.
Tattoos and Piercings[edit | edit source]
Dawson is widely recognized for her many tattoos; she stated that had she not become a race car driver, she would have chosen to become a tattoo artist. She has said that her favorite tattoo is a dotwork representation of her Indianapolis 500 trophy; nearly all of her tattoos are black and grey, as she reportedly prefers the look to color (she has a few tattoos where color is used as a highlight, something she feels makes hers stand out). She has stated that the only places she will never consider getting any tattoos are her face and hands, as her hands are incredibly sensitive and she does not like the look of face tattoos. She began dyeing her hair a steely grey in 2013; this has since become her signature look. She has done photoshoots for both Inked and Prick, and did an audiobook recording of Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man.
Dawson's many piercings have caused her to use a specially modified helmet to prevent injury from a crash. The padding around her ears is softer than the rest of the padding, a modification she requested after her industrial bar was nearly ripped out of her ear after a wreck in Champ Car in 2009.
Modelling Controversies[edit | edit source]
Dawson began modeling at 14 to help fund her racing career; she said in an interview in 2014 that "I started modeling because my family was only able to do so much to help me race; even with our connections to motorsports, most big teams didn't have any interest until I turned 17. The best teams wanted tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship before they'd sign you, and even being racing 'royalty' wasn't enough to sway them. I had to raise the extra money, and there weren't a lot of opportunities in Flint." She appeared in several national publications, which helped fund her karting career and kept her able to develop as a driver.
Dawson signed a combined modeling and sponsorship deal with American Apparel a few days after her 18th birthday; from 2008 through 2016 she appeared in numerous American Apparel advertisements, causing some fans to protest due to the provocative nature of the ads. Dawson embraced the controversy, noting that "The protesting just encouraged me to do it more; I don't think there's anything wrong with women being sexual, and it doesn't hinder me as a driver. I'm perfectly comfortable with my body and I don't see any reason to be ashamed of expressing myself." Dawson has also posed for ESPN's Body Issue and Playboy, the former in 2010 (including being one of six cover athletes) and the latter on four occasions, the most recent being in 2018. Her appearances in the latter came under greater scrutiny in the MeToo era; Dawson addressed the issue on a 2021 episode of Jay Orlov's podcast:
Orlov: Obviously, there's an elephant in the room that I know you want to discuss.
Dawson: [laughing] Is that what we're calling the Playboy thing?
O: Sure, why not?
D: So, yeah. I guess it's important for me to clear the air on this. As many many people are aware, I posed for Playboy four times in my modelling career. The most recent was in 2017 for a 2018 issue and story. Hell, you were the photographer for me in 2014.
O: Yeah, that was an interesting experience. Definitely not an environment I can say I had ever been in before.
D: It was a lot of fun though. Probably my favorite shoot. Anyway, I think there are two things I wanted to say on this issue. Number one is that I'm in no way going to distance myself from those experiences or the work that I did. I chose to do it and I don't regret it for a moment. Number two is that although I personally didn't experience any form of harassment or misconduct, that doesn't mean the stories that so many women have shared are untrue. My heart absolutely breaks for them, and I kick myself every day for not seeing that side of it. I think they definitely did a good job of hiding that out of sight for outside talent like me, which isn't a commendation.
O: Of course.
D: I guess my point is that just because I'm not, you know, actively disavowing my own past doesn't mean they shouldn't be held accountable for the lives they've harmed. I was able to come and go as I pleased and walk away if something didn't suit me. Not everyone had that luxury, and it's something that needs to be recognized.
Dawson continues to model extensively. In addition to modeling for American Apparel (which ended all motorsports sponsorship in 2017) and magazines, she has modeled for lingerie brands (Intimissi and La Senza), streetwear companies (Anti Social Social Club), workwear (New York and Company, Dickey's), and ThirdLove, with whom she partnered in 2019; they announced a primary sponsorship deal with Dawson in January 2020.
Racing Record[edit | edit source]
Complete Champ Car Results[edit | edit source]
Year | Team | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | DC | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Phoenix Motorsports | Chevrolet | HMS 7 |
STP 17 |
MOT 7 |
LBR 3 |
KAN 18 |
IND 6 |
MIL 15 |
TMS 20 |
IOW 8 |
RIR 16 |
WGI 1 |
NSH 19 |
MDO 10 |
EDM 8 |
KTY 9 |
SNM 18 |
DET 6 |
CHI 8 |
6th | 395 |
2009 | Team CJR | STP 1 |
LBR 13 |
KAN 4 |
IND 15 |
MIL 2 |
TMS 2 |
IOW 2 |
RIR 19 |
WGI 2 |
TOR 2 |
EDM 4 |
KTY 1 |
MDO 2 |
SNM 2 |
CHI 1 |
MOT 18 |
HMS 2 |
3rd | 604 | ||
2010 | SAO 7 |
STP 5 |
ALA 3 |
LBR 12 |
KAN 2 |
IND 1 |
TMS 5 |
IOW 18 |
WGI 3 |
TOR 2 |
EDM 3 |
MDO 1 |
SNM 3 |
CHI 1 |
KTY 5 |
MOT 2 |
HMS 8 |
1st | 602 | |||
2011 | STP 1 |
ALA 3 |
LBR 3 |
SAO 4 |
IND 12 |
TMS1 1 |
TMS2 7 |
MIL 1 |
IOW 5 |
TOR 1 |
EDM 3 |
MDO 2 |
NHM 20 |
SNM 4 |
BAL 4 |
MOT 8 |
KTY 2 |
LVS C |
1st | 573 | ||
2012 | STP 7 |
ALA 1 |
LBR 1 |
SAO 1 |
IND 28 |
DET 4 |
TMS 8 |
MIL 12 |
IOW 24 |
TOR 15 |
EDM 3 |
MDO 2 |
SNM 2 |
BAL 6 |
FON 24 |
2nd | 465 | |||||
2018 | STP | PHX | LBR | ALA | IMS | IND 7 |
DET1 | DET2 | TMS | ROA | IOW | TOR | MDO | POC | GTW | 29th | 52 | |||||
2019 | Fullman Autosport | STP | COTA | ALA | LBR | IMS | IND 6 |
DET1 | DET2 | TMS | ROA | IOW | TOR | MDO | POC | GTW | POR | LGS | 26th | 56 | ||
2021 | Team CJR | Honda | ALA | STP | TMS1 | TMS2 | IMS | IND 5 |
DET1 | DET2 | ROA | MDO | NSH | IMS | GTW | POR | LGS | LBR | 27th* | 60* |
Complete World Stock Car Championship Results[edit | edit source]
Year | Entrant | Number | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | WSCC | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Team CJR | 60 | Volkswagen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | TMO Racing | 11 | Buick | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | VP Racing | 42 | Volvo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | Cadillac SGE Motorsports | 30 | Cadillac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | Acura Team CJR | 60 | Acura |
Complete Indianapolis 500 Results[edit | edit source]
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Complete 24 Hours of Daytona Results[edit | edit source]
Year | Team | Co-Driver | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class |
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2019 | ![]() |
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DPi | 593 | 1st | 1st |
2021 | ![]() |
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DPi | 807 | 4th | 4th |
Links[edit | edit source]
Sporting Positions | ||
---|---|---|
Previous Sam Davidson |
Champ Car Series Champion 2009, 2010 |
Next Reese Hallock-Ross |
Achievements | ||
Previous Hector Carmona |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 2010 |
Next Don Waters |
Awards | ||
Previous Reese Hallock-Ross |
Champ Car Rookie of the Year 2008 |
Next Hitoshi Hasegawa |
Previous Paul Gray |
Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 2008 |
Next Anthony Tomasino |