Growing up in a motorsports environment, Madelyn Tabor never envisioned herself becoming a driver. She describes motorsports in childhood, specifically Rally as, “always just there for me.” She’d attend events, but did not have an interest in driving.
Tabor Racing Team, a grassroots motorsports team from the Pacific Northwest, began in 1998 when Madelyn’s dad’s side of the family began participating in Rally. Since then, Madelyn’s grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, brother, and other family members and friends are the drivers and navigators that make up Tabor Racing. The team spans three generations of drivers and co-drivers, with members in Rally and Road Racing.
It was not until Madelyn’s younger brother became involved in Quarter Midgets when he was 9 did the curiosity begin. “I was 12 when he started and I was wary of it at first, but I watched him and thought, ‘This is interesting and looks pretty fun. I’ll give it a try, why not?’” Madelyn raced in Quarter Midgets longer than her brother, aging out once she turned 18.
Around the time that she aged out, her aunt and grandma, who were a driver and a navigator team, were building a Turbo Subaru WRX for competition. “At the time they had a Subaru Impreza 2.5RS that they had been racing. That car has been in the family for its entire life, and I remember them the most [in that car]. Since I was aging out [of Quarter Midgets], I was like ‘Oh, I can keep doing this. Why not give it a try?’” Stage Rally and Quarter Midgets are the exact opposite. So, it was a really big learning curve, and I learned stick shift driving in rallies.”
Since then, she’s been able to gain her footing and is competing this year in the National Championship. “This year is my dad’s 20th anniversary of his first ever Stage Rally National win in 2004 and so he wanted to do that again in 2024.” Competing in the National Championship wasn’t her original plan. After noticing there were significantly less people in the national group compared to the regional group for NA4 (Naturally Aspirated All-Wheel Drive), the class she competes in, she decided, “Why don’t I just do the national series? Because I could get a podium.” After a few rounds, she found herself in second place in the National Series for NA4. “I was like, ‘I guess I’ll just keep going? Why not? So now we are in still second in the class and committed to the rest of the series for the year until October.’”
Madelyn still lives a balanced life with the convenience of event schedules being spaced further apart. She’s a rising senior in college studying Cinema Studies and is actively involved in a sorority on campus. “I have actually had friends come out and watch my local races, which I never had that really happen in high school. I had posted a ticket link on my Instagram story and a couple days before my friends were like, ‘Oh, we’re going to go. That’s your event, we are going to go support you.’ It threw me really off guard, but it was great.”
Knowing that your grandma and your aunt were involved in Rally growing up, what was it like for you as a young girl to experience seeing women in the car?
“Growing up I really didn’t think anything ‘out of the ordinary’. That’s what they do. In Rally, there are women usually in the navigator seat rather than in the driver’s seat. I always had the vision seeing that [being in Rally] was possible because they did it. Which I am very grateful for now. This year they haven’t raced just because of health reasons, so seeing where they’re at and preparing for their comeback next year is interesting. I had my grandma co-drive for me at one of our home events this past year and that was really, really fun.”
Have they ever shared any solid pieces of advice for you that pertains to racing?
“Yeah, I think it’s simple but ‘just do it.’ It’s so simple but it goes a long way. ‘Just do it.’ Don’t care what people think and what people say. And have fun. That applies to our whole family. If we’re not having fun, then don’t do it. But we continually have fun every single year so that’s how we are still here.”
You’re a part of a female team with your navigator, Sophie McKee. What was it like trying to find a co-driver who was going to be a good fit for you? Was there a lot of trial and error? Did you have to interview a lot of people?
“At my first event my dad co-drove for me. We’ve done a lot of TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) Rallies together, so it made sense that we would do my first event together. But after that, I needed a navigator. I didn’t really have anyone in mind. I didn’t know the Rally community that well. At an event I wasn’t racing at, Sophia and a family friend came up to me in the course opening car and asked if I was still looking for a navigator. She had been at the front of the field, which is called the course opening cars or the zero cars, that make sure the stage can be competed on safely, and the end of the field which is called ‘Sweep’, who follows the competition cars clearing a stage, helping cars that went off, etc. but she hadn't been the middle of the two; ‘competing’ in the car. And I was like, ‘Okay, well I have a seat open, let’s just do it.’ There wasn’t a whole bunch of interviewing needed because a lot of my family knew her from being in the sport for so long. So, then we did our first rally together. You have to get to know [your navigator], but a lot of it happens in the car while competing. Trying to figure out each other’s preferred styles, such as pace note reading. It seems like small things, but they can impact your race. But, overall, we clicked really easily. We’ve had so much fun together and is probably one of my best friends. We haven’t had issues really; we communicate really well in the car. Even with non-racing related topics we’ve had really in-depth conversations going between the competition roads. In North America Rally specifically, there’s a culture of people not sticking with the same navigators, whether for convenience or not finding the right person to do the job. Having a consistent co-driver is not very common but it’s something my family has done for many years, and I’ve grown up on that principle. Overall, I got really lucky, it really was the right place at the right time.”
What’s the process like when you guys are going through and marking the track?
“Basically, before we hit the road in the competition car, we have what’s called a reconnaissance or a ‘recce’. Traditionally that’s just driving a streetcar and going out and driving all the stages once or twice at slower speeds, writing notes, a day or two before the actual event. Some events the organizers will have ‘Jemba Notes’ which are provided by the organizers that drive out with a computer, and the computer basically writes out notes. For a couple events we’ve had Jemba Notes, and we’ll basically take them and drive them through and if there’s something I don’t like, like ‘Oh this is more of a 3, a tight corner, or a 4,’ you just change that. So that’s our traditional process. For out of state events, we will usually run a stage following [my dad] each other and then talking about the stage and go, ‘What did you think about that?’ Or ‘What did you say for this corner? etc..’ because it furthers my learning as well, and I do need to write my own notes. Reviewing helps me stay more consistent in how I’m calling corners and being able to recognize things in the course. You need the most detailed notes, but you can’t write every single thing about the road. It’s sorta picking the most important things you need to know at speed.”
What is your favorite part about the Rally community?
“The Rally community is really welcoming and if you need a part, you can go around and ask. Besides how helpful everyone can be, they understand there’s people behind those cars and people who put the time, money, and effort into putting them together. Last year, at the Olympus Rally, my dad had a Subaru WRX STI and it completely burned to the ground on the first stage. Every time I would come into service, people were always talking with him or asking him about it. It was nice to see that people were caring, they didn’t see it as entertainment, even spectators. Many Rally folks are very open-minded people, it’s an overall very welcoming space for everyone.”
Have you gotten a lot of flack for being a woman in racing? How have you learned to handle that?
“Overall, I’ve had a very positive experience even though there aren't as many women in Rally. I’m the only all-female team doing the national series this year. There have been a few instances where if I was a man and the same thing happened, it might have not been a big deal, but being a female, and younger than most of the drivers, to me it feels different and discriminatory, even if that wasn’t their intention. But overall, I haven’t experienced a lot of flack. I will say having the last name in the Rally community, people sorta know, they will see the side of the car and say ‘Oh, you’re a Tabor, we know who you are.’ And I am grateful for that.”
“I think sometimes being a woman in motorsport is an added barrier. Sometimes I just want to just race. Not that I don’t want to represent women in motorsports, I do. Growing up in Quarter Midgets, I was told that when you put your helmet on, you’re just a driver and everyone is just a driver. That’s all it is really. Thinking about what it feels to be the only woman on an entry list at an event of 50-60 cars. I’m just here to do my thing.”
Have you seen Rally evolve in a particular direction? What changes have you seen?
“Overall, there is a lot of evolution happening. I am really lucky to have the DirtFish Rally School really close by. They have put on an event called Women in Motorsports Summit. It’s in the month of March and they have a bunch of popular motorsport icons like Michelle Mouton who is a really successful rally driver from the Group B Era days. I think that has been a really fun and positive thing to have in my motorsport community. Going into different places across the country it’s been fun to see young girls' kind of flock towards you and they’re like, ‘I want a picture with you.’ At first it felt weird because I didn’t see myself as a ‘celebrity’ or someone that people looked up to, but it's been really fun. Especially thinking that maybe some of these young girls have not seen women in more male-dominated spaces before. I think seeing me in the driver's seat tells them that it’s possible. Even just letting them sit in the car and showing them what buttons do. It’s been fun, meaningful, and fulfilling for me.”
“Safety is also something that has been reevaluated recently. Last year, 3 people passed while competing, so there’s been a lot of needed changes and more attention to detail in certain areas, such as how fast a car can get, and if there’s a tree near the road. That’s been a really positive thing that's changed, and I love that it hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s still developing as each event goes on, but it’s something that shouldn’t ever be overlooked, especially when your family is competing.”
Questions from Pretty Girl Motorsports Followers:
Are crashes a regularly occurring event in Rally and what is the severity of these accidents?
“Crashes are common and as an upcoming car approaches a car that’s off, or not moving for whatever reason, you need to know that. At (mostly) national events we use a GPS system called RallySafe, and I think WRC (World Rally Championship) uses this. For inside the car, it’s like a minicomputer that can tell you a bunch of information, such as if there’s a car off on stage. When you are approaching a car off, it’ll pop up and say the car number and if they’re okay, the screen will be green. Or if they’re blocking the road, or if they’re a SOS, the screen will turn yellow. From a spectator standpoint, RallySafe syncs to an app on your phone where you can watch and see each car’s progress and status. SOS’s aren’t as common thankfully. This year at the third event of the season, on the second to last stage of the day, there was a flipped car blocking the road that had flipped due to another car being off which distracted them. Everyone was okay but the navigator had a physical sign marking SOS, which as a competitor you automatically have to stop and do the SOS procedures. When an SOS is pressed the stage is almost automatically canceled for the rest of the field who hasn't gone through. If you’re the first car on the scene, which we weren’t technically, you have to go and render aid and get information, which the car that had initially gone off was doing for the car that had flipped. The second car (us) gathers information about the situation and why the stage is an SOS they travel to the next radio point to let help know. Having that procedure and having the RallySafe mitigates less stress and faster communication on roads. If medical personnel are needed, they can be dispatched faster. Overall, yes, crashes are common. Some can be fairly minor like getting stuck and needing a tow or pull, or something mechanical. Most of the time, crashes can also look worse than what they actually are. With all the safety gear we are wearing it helps prevent worse outcomes.”
Do co-pilots ever get car sick? Do they have to tough it out and if so, are there barf bags onboard?
“Yes, navigators do get sick. My aunt started out navigating for her brothers and her dad (my uncle, father, and grandfather) and discovered she couldn’t do it. She’d get carsick every single time. There are no barf bags, but I think that’s a good idea to put them in. I remember she told me a story where she had drank a red Gatorade before the start of the stage at one point and then she got sick. She didn’t throw up in the car, she threw up outside the car, and to the medical people, the red vomit was concerning. But part of the co-driver job is being able to read and sit in a bumpy car without feeling nauseous. I know a lot of people have anti-nausea patches or they’ll take medicine beforehand to prevent nauseousness.”
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced getting to where you are today?
“I think overall I would say I’ve had an easy path. Being where I am and having the resources was a really big help. A lot of people who didn’t grow up in a motorsport world but want to race, it can be a big barrier not having a car, money, or knowledgeable people. A lot of people don’t pursue it simply because they don’t know anyone. But the biggest challenge for me was driving in general and having self-doubt. Also, learning manual transmission and getting comfortable with it. I would drive a manual every once and while, mostly in rally, but daily I drive an automatic. It was hard to keep building the skills when I wasn’t doing it as often. It took me a really long time to just feel comfortable. On my first rally I totally asked my dad, ‘Can you drive the transits?’ (In between competition roads). Driving on public roads scared me so much because I was afraid of stalling the car or parking on a hill and I hated it. I look back on it and think how far I’ve come, but I do remember the genuine fear. It was really a big turn off for me for a while. ‘Oh, I want to do Rally, but I don’t want to drive a manual transmission.’ Going back to the self-doubt, I had a lot of impostor syndrome or not wanting to push harder because what if I lose my footing and I spin out, and I damage the car, etc… but especially this year, being able to really find the fine line of pushing myself and being just out of my comfort zone, and at the same time not pushing so hard that you break and crash the car. Especially being in this national championship. We’re not like the top teams where you can have a whole new car by the next event. You break the car, you have to fix it which typically takes longer than bigger teams. We don’t have a million spare parts or a large team of mechanics.”
For young women interested in getting involved in Rally, do you have any recommendations for those who want to become drivers, co-drivers, and even volunteers at events.
“We always say the first step of getting into Rally, and different forms of motorsports, is volunteering. Looking up when and where your nearest Rally is and going out. You learn a lot, even from volunteering. You also get the best seat compared to just spectating. That’s a good way to meet experienced people and learn more about the sport. I’ve even seen people ask, ‘Can I tag along with this team to help you wrench on your car in services?’ There’s a couple of rally schools across the US; DirtFish is the closest one to me. They have driver and co-driver classes you can take. They also have women-only classes. Having that environment of women and women instructors can be very uplifting and positive for your rally journey. Rally is really welcoming, and we always want to talk about ourselves in the sport and answer questions that people have. We want to be inviting people and helping others into the sport. That’s how the sport keeps growing and changing. Making those connections, and this goes for all motorsports, is the most important thing. Seeking out the opportunities, asking questions, and people will be there to support you. It’s daunting, but it’s possible.”
“For all motorsports, spend the money on good quality safety gear. My brother who does roadracing had a really big accident last June at Road America and the Hans device saved his life. You are buying the tools that will save your life and make accidents less severe.”
“It’s also important to note that the terrain in Rally does not allow you to drive fast most of the time. That’s something unique to Rally. It's an endurance sport where you have to preserve both yourself and the car to finish. That’s not easy sometimes, but it’s the name of the game. A lot of people don’t like that about Rally, or they just don’t understand it, so they quit.”
What’s the most fun memory you’ve had driving?
“At a more recent home event, we were able to get on the podium for the very first time. NA4 is not usually awarded nationally since entries are traditionally low, it gets paired with another low entrant class to create a larger class. Because there were always people in that class, it was always difficult to get a podium placement. At this particular rally, we DNF (did not finish) the second day, on the last stage, but it ended up being minor and we were able to rejoin the next day. We had no intention of podiuming, especially after DNFing, but one of our main competitors in the NA4 class DNFed at the last checkpoint which made their entire rally a DNF. I felt so bad for him, but because that happened, myself and another NA4 class competitor were able to get on the podium. Being able to do that with Sophia, it felt empowering to show everyone that women are capable. A lot of people were cheering for us because they knew that it was our first podium, and the third Tabor car to podium that event. And it felt so rewarding to have that result, especially after a long, hot, tiring rally, and having your hard work pay off by getting a trophy. We did the champagne spray. I remember trying to open the bottle. I knew how to do it but in the moment, I panicked, and you have to act quick, or your competitors will start spraying you. I’m like, ‘How do I do it?’ to Sophia and she quickly showed me. It was hectic but it was so fun. I won’t forget that moment. It was a weird event, but it was so fun and incredibly meaningful to me.”
To keep up with Madelyn's journey, follow @MadelynTaborRacing and @TaborRacingTeam.
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