CONCORD, N.C.— In this week’s edition of #HendrickSummer, one race engineer has a passion for experiencing the outdoors and exercising his mind.
But how does one find time to get outdoors when working during the eventful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season?
Taylor Moyer, race engineer for the No. 5 Chevrolet SS driven by Kasey Kahne, knows how to make the best of his action-packed summer.
FROM FARMING TO RACING
Moyer, born and raised in Shoreham, Vermont, started working at his family’s cattle farm at 6 years old. With 1,000 acres of land on the property, the young farmer was put to work feeding and raising the cattle.
“My background is actually agriculture,” Moyer said. “I grew up on a big farm. All my family is in farming and racing was always a hobby growing up.”
It wasn’t until Moyer started working in the sport on a friend’s sprint car and traveling to races in the northeast that he decided to pursue a career in racing.
“It’s funny, I have often wondered if I could make it in the real world as an engineer even because I am such a busybody,” Moyer said. “I’m better when my time is full and my mind is always active.”
Before Moyer became a race engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, he was a developmental pit crew member and a vehicle design engineer.
And once he made the career decision to transition to one of Kahne’s race engineers, he kept up his outdoor hobbies.
MOUNTAIN BIKING
With an intense race schedule and a long season, Moyer stays active during the summer.
And it just so happens that mountain biking became the perfect outdoor activity for the engineer.
“I grew up around trails, so it takes me back to that part riding the trails through the woods,” Moyer said. “It’s great exercise and Charlotte has such good trails.”
Even with a full schedule, Moyer will dedicate time to bike the trails before he and the teams travel to an upcoming race. On Thursdays, Moyer leaves his house three hours before his scheduled travel time and takes about an hour mountain bike ride through the woods of Charlotte.
“One of the reasons it’s so appealing is that convenience factor to be able to still find the time to exercise and get some enjoyment out of it,” the race engineer said.
Moyer’s love for mountain biking started in the spring of this year. With his knowledgeable upbringing in working his family’s business, Moyer decided to kick-start a business of his own called Oakmulgee.
“I designed this rack before I started ever mountain biking,” Moyer said. “When I moved to the race engineering side of the sport my passion for designing things never left. So, I used those creative juices to solve problems in my own life.”
Moyer’s problem? Too much outdoor gear in the garage.
And he solved it by creating and designing a bike station rack for efficient storage.
EXERCISING THE MIND
It’s important to exercise not only the body, but the mind.
While Moyer keeps up with his physical activity by mountain biking, he is constantly working his mental state as well.
“I think my passion is problem-solving,” Moyer said. “Racing seems to be a problem that is dynamically changing all the time as rules change, tracks change and drivers change. It is a workout for the mind.”
The race engineer even has a standing desk that allows him to keep moving during work. It’s in Moyer’s nature to exercise his mind along with executing his job.
“Race cars, in the most basic sense, are just an evolving problem,” he said. “You’re just trying to figure out how to make it faster or how to stay ahead as the track changes. In doing so, my mind stays active.”
TEAM STORE SUMMER DISCOUNTS
In this week’s #HendrickSummer guide, you can receive a special discount on a Kasey Kahne No. 5 Farmers Performance Polo in both the team store and the online store. To receive 10 percent off your Polo, use the code HENDRICKSUMMER at checkout.
And remember, look for another of #HendrickSummer feature next week for new stories and a brand new discounted item and share with us your favorite summer activities and more using the hashtag #HendrickSummer.