World Figure 8? Racing Tour
Indianapolis, Indiana
February 6, 2009
Another strong tandem has joined the lineup for the upcoming Florida Figure
8 Championship to be held at the Auburndale Speedway from February 12th to
the 15th, 2009. Indianapolis entrepreneur and former Speedrome feature
winner Sonny Taylor has a pair of fast bullets in his team?s ?gun? for the
crossover tour. Gary Bedell and Tim Taylor will pilot the well-prepared
Late Model Figure 8 machines. This series of racing is a revival of the
North vs. South battles from the past and will have six classes of cars in
action during the campaign.
Veteran driver Gary Bedell has the racing fever flowing through his veins
once again. The two-time Sonny Thompson Memorial Figure 8 champion and 2006
winner of the prestigious Jake?s 150 has his eyes squarely on the title of
conqueror of the Florida Figure 8 tour. And those wins are just some of the
successes for Gary at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Outside the friendly
confines of his home track, Bedell captured a Late Model championship at
Indianapolis Raceway Park and had several top five finishes on the
nationally renowned Hooters Pro Cup series on his resume. He also has a
runner-up result in a 200-lap Modified event at the Winchester Speedway.
Tim ?the Tool Man? Taylor is making his triumphant return to Figure 8
action. The former ASA veteran and USA Modified series king is set for a
challenge he and his father Sonny began years ago in stock cars. Tim was an
Indianapolis Speedrome regular during the mid-1990s. 1995 produced some of
Tim?s signature Late Model feature wins including victories at the Anderson
Speedway and the first-ever Late Model visit to the famed Putnam Park road
course. He also was a top ten point?s finisher in the National Figure 8
Challenge tour that season. Tim spent the next few years away touring the
Midwest with plenty of success on some of the area?s most famous speedways.
Tim participated in events from coast-to-coast.
His father Sonny is the owner of EMAS Ambulance Company. He began at the
Speedrome in the early 1980?s when he owned the three-car Late Model team
of Dangerous Danny Turner, the Ironman Dean Griffin, and Sonny himself. The
elder Taylor had a 1986 Speedrome feature win to his credit before trying
his hand at some traveling series. Sonny stepped away from the driver?s
seat to help his son, but was a constant sponsor of the Turner family. He
made his Indianapolis return in 2004 when he purchased a car and promptly
went out and won the North/South Figure 8 100 with Danny at the wheel.
The Florida Figure 8 Championship is sanctioned by the World Figure 8?
Racing Tour. It has dates set for February 12th to the 15th, 2009 at the
Auburndale Speedway. These events evolved from the legendary World Figure
8? Championship held each year at the EDCO Welding Indianapolis Speedrome?.
The $20,000 to win, 33rd Annual World Figure 8? Championship is September
10th to 12th, 2009