Proud ASD & ADHD Athlete

BEN TAYLOR

Driving success for all athletes.

Race winner Ben Taylor is a 20-year-old racing driver who is competing in the 2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia with the Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport team.

Two years ago Ben was clinically diagnosed with ASD and is a loud and proud neurodiverse athlete.

Ben's goal is not only to be a professional racing driver but an ambassador for the ASD and neurodiverse community, highlighting the immense talent and abilities that people with ASD can achieve in life, business and sport.

Hear From Ben

Livery Reveal

Forging pathways for neurodiverse athletes.

In 2024, Ben has partnered with auticon, the largest autistic IT consulting business in the world, with a view to focus on inclusion for outstanding neurodiverse talent.

As a means to help forge pathways for athletes on the spectrum, Ben's aim is to start conversations about the cognitive strengths that are prevalent in the autism community via his own racing career.

Speed. Ability. Success.

With an exceptional technical mindset, sharp reflexes and determination to perfect his craft daily, Ben Taylor is a talent beyond his years. Passionate about building a professional sporting career, Ben is heavily invested in physical training, media coaching and building relationships with fans and sponsors alike.

Road to Racing.

  • Born and raised in Melbourne, Ben didn't have a traditional start in motor racing. A lover of all sports, from Auskick to Taekwondo throughout his childhood, Ben got his first taste of karting in 2017.

    Taking to the sport like a duck to water, Ben's complete focus turned to karting, and in 2018 joined the Melbourne-based karting team Pro Karting to begin competing at club days around Melbourne.

    Under the watchful eye of Pro Karting and the Lindstrom family, Ben soon won the KA4 Heavy GKCV club championship in his debut season. From here, the move up to state events saw Ben star at the heavily contested Melbourne City Titles finishing 2nd, and a 3rd place at the Victorian Junior Sprint.

  • On the back of an impressive first season in karting, the Taylor family went international with an appearance at the SKUSA Las Vegas Super Sprint; an event that attracts the best karters from all around the world. In a field of 43 drivers, Ben qualified 7th fastest and placed 6th, 8th, and 11th in the main heats.

    At age 15 in 2019, Ben decided to move to seniors a year early to compete in the Australian Karting Championship and the Rotax Pro Championship. Running in the ultra- competitive TAG125 class, this was well and truly a baptism of fire.

    With mixed results, it was a great learning year that would set Ben up for 2020. Despite not turning a wheel due to the global pandemic, this gave the Taylor team time to discuss future plans.

  • Ben decided to pursue a career racing cars, with the goal to become a paid, professional race car driver. Any car, anywhere.

    With open-wheelers in mind, the Taylors had to find a local Australian category for Ben to learn the skills, speed and confidence behind the wheel.

    Enter Tim Macrow; a three-time Australian F3 champion who was actively seeking a young and determined driver to mentor in his F3 program. After a series of simulation and track tests in both F3 and F4 machinery, Tim was impressed and agreed to run Ben under the Tim Macrow Racing banner for the 2021 season.

    Tim's knowledge, experience, and teaching demeanour have given Ben the confidence and skills to start racing and to understand the F3 style of race car.

    In 2021, Ben debuted at Round 1 of the Australian F3 Championship in Sydney, impressively taking pole position and winning the feature race on debut. In May, Ben also travelled to New Zealand to test with Toyota Gazoo Racing and lay down laps in the Toyota Racing Series FT60.

  • The pandemic put paid to subsequent rounds of F3, leaving organisers no option but to cancel the 2021 season.

    It was during this time that Ben was clinically diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at the age of 17. Embracing the positives that come with such diagnosis, Ben is a loud and proud ASD athlete who wishes to become a professional racing driver and an ambassador for the ASD community.

    In 2023 Ben and his team purchased a 2018-built 991.2 Porsche Cup Car to test throughout the year, with a view to compete in all six rounds of the 2024 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia. For the 2024 season, Ben’s partnering with auticon, the largest autistic IT consulting business in the world. Together they’re planning to use autistic strengths to give him a winning edge.

    The future is bright for Ben and he's 100% focused on his driving, training and building partnerships with companies that align with his goals of being a successful athlete racing with ASD.

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