Calgary auto racer Nicolas Taylor enjoys dream season, winning second world championship on Italian circuit

Calgary racer Nicolas Taylor celebrates recently after winning title and rookie of the year on Italian Touring Car Championship Series.

A Calgarian is making a big name for himself in the auto racing world in Europe.

Last year, Nicolas Taylor won the karting world championship in Italy.

Then, this year, he moved up to the Italian Touring Car Series and won a second world championship.

Taylor went into this season hoping to win the rookie title in the Italian Touring Car Championship Series.

He accomplished that goal earlier this season.

The other goal was to finish Top 10. Winning the World Championship wasn’t really on the 19-year-old’s radar.

However, in the season's final race, Taylor rose from third overall to first, when season points leader Nicola Baldan dropped to last place, allowing Taylor to move up to tie rival Ruben Volt on points.

Taylor took the title on the strength of having more second-place finishes than Volt, according to an article in Touring Car Times.

“It doesn’t seem like I should’ve won this championship you know, because being the rookie and (in) my first year racing these (kinds of) cars,” Taylor said, “But coming out on top, it was insane! So yeah, when I parked the car, I just sat there for five minutes just staring, I don’t know, blankly into the dashboard.

“But once I got out,” he added, “I saw the whole team was there and they were celebrating and cheering me on, so I said OK, the reality is starting to set in a bit."

 

 

 

 

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Family in attendance

What made it even more special for Taylor was that he won it in front of his family.

“It was insane,” he said. “You know we had the whole family come from Canada to come and watch this last race so that was awesome.

"We had all the grandparents from my dad’s side, and my mom’s side and then my brothers and sisters, so that was incredible,” Taylor said.

Consistency would be one way to describe Taylor’s season: he was on the podium 25 times and had two overall victories.

Nicolas Taylor of Calgary celebrates after winning the title of the Italian Touring Car Series last week.

Taylor credits his team -- and the car.

“Our team has done a fantastic job this year,” he said. “I had zero mechanical failures this year during any of the racing, that’s huge, so I was able to finish all of the races consistently in point finishing positions.”

What's next?

Taylor is the first Canadian, first rookie and youngest driver to win back-to-back Italian champion titles.

Next year, Taylor plans to continue racing in the Touring Car Italy Championship.

But he’s also going to race in the Touring Car Europe Championship which is another step up for him, with better drivers beyond that.

“(Over the) next few years, I’m not sure, we’ll have to see,” he said. “We’ll see how next year goes, but I think ultimately the goal in the next two or three years is to step up to GT3, which are where a lot of opportunities present themselves to become a professional driver.”

With files from Glenn Campbell