Some people get overlooked when it comes to nominations for Hall of Fames. Some are too controversial either by their own choice or their position in racing, some have competed as race car drivers but are known for something else they did in racing, sometimes selection committees only remember the drivers, sometimes those selecting manipulate the system and sometimes people are considered too young, sometimes people are just flat biased for whatever reason. Several of those instances above apply to the person being inducted into the Racingkc.com Hall of Fame.

This person has been controversial both on the racetrack and off. This person is only in his mid-50s, but has been working on the racing action side of the fence since he was a young man. He has worked watering dirt tracks, he has raced competing on local race tracks (dirt and asphalt) in the Kansas City area including Kansas Speedway, he has served on Hall of Fame selection committees, he has ticked off track owners and racers, but in 1997 he entered into a new world of supporting racing and let’s give credit where credit is due, he has become a huge success in the Midwest on the radio as one of the original founders of Track Talk which has become the Racinboys. Today we honor Scott Traylor as the newest member to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It is funny how racing works, from my very first racecar, Scott and I were thrown together more as arch rivals in everything we have done in racing. The first racecar I purchased first had to be offered back to Scott before the seller could finalize the deal with me. At that time, we did not even know each other. Then we end up in the same class, the Chargers, to further add to the “rivalry” sitting in line to go out we notice we have the same sponsor Genex, through two different avenues. We still dispute the winner of the opening race in 1994 at Lakeside which was a battle between Scott and myself. Later that year I kick my pit crew out of the pits because of pre-race actions due to this rivalry, when at that time my pit crew was in the wrong. Then as Competition Director and Scott as driver, I was the person coordinating with NASCAR the fine and suspension of an on-track incident at Lakeside Speedway which cost Scott a championship. But in 1997, Scott and Tom Wilson started Track Talk, a Saturday morning racing show when the main stream media simply did not cover our sport (still don’t for that matter). Scott and I served as a safety panel concerning racing on Time Warner’s Metro Sports shortly after Dale Earnhardt’s death. Just another way we were thrown together, intended or not.

Scott has taken an opportunity and thrived at the position. Let’s be honest how many people want to get Scott’s opinion on a subject, or better yet, kind of like a Donald Trump voter, how many people will say they do not listen to the show on Saturday morning but ask what did the Racinboys say this week? That is respect, whether you like it or not!

In 2003, Scott served on the first selection committee for the C.A.R.B. Hall of Fame, both as a voice for the first events and as an outstanding nonbiased selector. Diana, who also served on those committees, would come home praising how knowledgeable Scott was on the local racing history. He was part of it. After, the 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Scott had advised he would no longer serve on this committee and he has his reasons, which years later, still fester with him. At the time, I would say I was probably blamed, but years later, while I have not been involved, the same conditions still exists. Quite honestly it was the positions we were put in at the time.

Some may say I am trying to get on Scott’s good side, nope, I have always given credit where it is due! Fortunately, I have been blessed with an ability to write and I enjoy writing. Scott Traylor and Kirk Elliott at a C.A.R.B. banquet asked me to start writing a blog for their website. Give them credit for asking and recognizing and challenging my abilities. Even if that meant occasionally I have been as controversial as Scott, sometimes concerning Scott. But I am not the only person who can give credit to Scott and Kirk for developing talent.

Remember this Clint Bowyer also got a great start thanks to Scott Traylor! Per Wikipedia, “He (Clint) also would make his first ARCA starts in 2003, and caught the eye of legendary car owner Richard Childress after leading 47 laps and finishing second in his debut at Nashville Superspeedway driving for Scott Traylor out of Kansas City”. Wonder how many others can attribute their start to Scott. Another great NASCAR driver who competed in a Scott Traylor owned race vehicle is Carl Edwards at I-70 Speedway.

Controversies aside, how much has Scott Traylor meant to the Kansas City Racing Community? We have heard him tell the stories of watering the track at Riverside Stadium for Hall of Fame Promoter Larry Kaster. We know he worked on the pit crew of Hall of Fame driver Billy Deckman. We know he raced for several years at numerous dirt tracks around the area, on the asphalt at Lakeside Speedway and I-70 Speedway and at Kansas Speedway in ARCA. We know he was an integral part of the C.A.R.B. Hall of Fame in the beginning years. We know in 1997, he and Tom Wilson, started the radio show which has led to the modern day version of the Racinboys. That is 20 years in the broadcast industry alone all centered on the topic of motorsports. Some people retire after 20 years.

When we sit down and reflect we then realize how much some people behind the scenes have done for our sport. Scott Traylor is one of those people and why today we induct Scott Traylor into the Racingkc.com Hall of Fame.