User blog:Ajaxcupseries/NDRL Powerhouse to ASCA Superteam? Expectations For Taylor Motorsports in Inaugural Season

The Fallon Corner - August 2025

When a two time Circle K Cup Series championship winning organization makes an announcement, racing fans, pundits, and team owners across the country collectively take notice.

That’s why it surprised many when just a few weeks before last season got underway, Taylor Motorsports announced they had finalized plans to compete in the Ajax Cup Series part time, fielding a No. 77 entry fully backed by Advent Health.

Behind the wheel of this ride would be all four of the team’s CKCS stars which included the NDRL’s most successful driver Jesse Price III, along with a cameo appearance by Adam Petty Jr. in select events. This was all in preparation for a full time campaign in the ACS come 2025.

Along the way, TM also scooped up the assets of the bankrupt Canadian outfit True North Motorsport, laying the groundwork for a full time Craftsman effort for the upcoming season as well.

With the recent retirement by Ryan Taylor from NDRL competition, the multi time CKCS winner had a thirst from ASCA competition wanting to see what the big leagues were all about.

Taylor scored a couple top 10 efforts in four crown jewel race starts from 2022-23, and the current competition director at his father’s team had seen enough to develop plans to fully commit resources competing for a championship in the sport come the near future.

Due to the NDRL entering another indefinite hiatus, those plans were accelerated which catches us up to the announcements that the team would run full time in both ASCA divisions for the 2025 campaign.

But who would drive the cars?

That question was answered early this offseason, as the team declared they had signed 18 year old hotshot talent Gunner Thorson to a multi year development contract to pilot the No. 7 in the Craftsman ranks, while also giving Norm Lester a home behind the wheel of the No. 77 at the Cup level on a multi year deal.

While these driver choices were seen as respectable in the eyes of the masses, they also leave more questions than answers on expectations for the organization in their inaugural full the ASCA campaign.

First of all, how good will the equipment itself be?

Taylor Motorsports has won three of the four runnings of the NDRL’s most prestigious event, the Circle K 200. They have won multiple Circle K Cup Series championships, the only team to do so. They are the most iconic team in the NDRL for a reason.

But this isn’t the NDRL. This is the ASCA.

Powerhouse historic organizations such as Ronnie Woods Motorsports, CJ Barrymore Racing, and the most recent dynasty Orkedi Bros Racing have been in this sport since the day it was launched back in 2003. Not only do they have the best drivers, but also the best cars, best crew chiefs, best engineers, and best almost everything across the board.

This is why the Orkedi brothers have combined to win five of the last ten Ajax Cup titles - they are incredibly tough to beat for a reason.

While the new regs with V6 turbo hybrid engines open up an opportunity for Taylor Motorsports to level the playing field in 2026, that’s next year. This year may be a struggle; as while the team certainly has the budget to keep pace with the top dawgs do they have the personnel? That remains to be seen.

Next, what about the drivers themselves?

Yes, 38 year old Norm Lester is certainly a proven commodity with a Windows 300 trophy and six Ajax Cup wins to his credit.

But he’s also the oldest full time competitor in the sport, and has failed to crack the top 10 in points back to back seasons in Michael White Racing equipment. It is indeed fair to wonder, has Father Time caught up with the New Orleans native?

As for 18 year old Gunner Thorson, while the hype is certainly there as a four star prospect and many scouts believing he could have as much, if not more potential as his rookie counterpart Tony Del Valle II; that’s a LOT of pressure to put on a teenage kid.

And unlike Del Valle II, Thorson’s first ASCA start will come during the season opener at Ajax Superspeedway. This is a guy that could light the world on fire or be the next Chad Nelson, we simply do not know yet.

When the level of competition this year is also factored into this, we may be looking at both the most competitive Craftsman and Ajax Cup fields in history. There will be a record 24 full time drivers gunning for a Cup title, and all 20 Craftsman entrants seem to be backed by either team owners or manufacturers with big money to play with.

Driver talent will likely mean more than ever in 2025, especially with most teams likely stopping development around halfway through the campaign to focus all of their efforts towards the new regs in 2026.

So for anyone expecting Taylor Motorsports to come out the gates swinging and competing with the big boys, pump the brakes.

While it very well could play out that way, in all likelihood it’ll take this organization 1-2 years to figure things out - which is exactly why they brought a proven veteran in like Norm Lester to expedite that process.

A lot of this team’s future will also depend on the development of Gunner Thorson, so keep a close eye on that throughout the season as this NDRL powerhouse hopes to transition one day into an ASCA superteam.