This month’s Coyote Motorsports “Featured Driver” is Taylorville, Illinois’ Talia Moffett!
Talia is now a six-year karting veteran currently competing in the junior 4-cycle ranks – including Briggs Pro Gas Animal and LO206 – at her home track, the Mid-State Kart Club in Springfield, IL, and on the national circuit in the WKA Gold Cup Series.
Talia and her family team – Moffett Karting – have taken advantage of the ladder system that karting offers. Along with her sister and cousin, now 14-year-old Talia began racing locally at Mid-State in 2011, honing her skills in the Clone Rookie class. Once she gained experience and confidence at Mid-State, the Moffett Karting team, owned by Talia’s uncle Kevin and aunt Sandy Mofferr, took her show to the road, competing regionally throughout the Midwest, a hotbed for 4-cycle and 2-cycle sprint karting.
In recent years Moffett Karting has fielded a No. 7M Coyote XP in the Gold Cup Series, arguably the most competitive 4-cycle sprint series in the country. Racing against top 4-cycle junior sprint pilots from the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, Talia has continued to improve while competing at challenging tracks such as 103rd Street in Jacksonville, Florida, and Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. She scored her first series podium at Kershaw in June 2016 and backed it up with another P3 podium run at New Castle in August.
We recently caught up with Talia following the Gold Cup National at New Castle, Indiana, where she scored another podium finish, and she talked about how she became involved in karting, what she enjoys about the sport, and the goals she has for racing now, and into the future.
Here’s a Q and A with Talia to highlight her as this month’s Coyote Featured Driver!
CoyoteKarts.com: What year did you start racing karts?
Talia: “2011 is when my sister, my cousin and I all started racing in the Clone Rookie class at Mid-State Kart Club.”
CoyoteKarts.com: How did you first get involved in karting?
Talia: “My family has always been involved in racing. One day my uncle Kevin took my sister, my cousin Gabe and I to Mid-State Kart Club for the arrive and drive. We thought it was just for fun. We had no idea what he was thinking.
After doing that he asked us if we liked it. Well… we loved it. Then he started talking about how we could start racing if we were up to it and of course we were all in. He sold his dirt car and bought three chassis. From then on we just kept racing and kept getting better.”
CoyoteKarts.com: What is your favorite track to race?
Talia: “My favorite track to race is probably my home track, because I know it better than I know any other. It’s where I started so it will always be special and my favorite. Although if I had to choose a different track for my favorite I would probably choose Carolina Motorsports Park. That track is where I got my first podium.”
CoyoteKarts.com: What do you like best about kart racing?
Talia: “The adrenaline rush is probably the best part. The competitiveness of the RLV Gold Cup series is a close second. Working all weekend to be able to compete with the fastest of the fast is tough but enjoyable.”
CoyoteKarts.com: What are your most memorable moments in karting?
Talia: “Probably my biggest achievement was catching and passing Ryan Cassity in the Senior Lo206 class at Mid-State Kart Club, but he eventually passed me back and won. Even then it was a blast to be able to race that close to him. He has helped me out a lot with my driving.”
CoyoteKarts.com: What are some things you’re hoping to accomplish in your karting career?
Talia: “Winning a Gold Cup event is something I’ve been working hard to achieve.”
CoyoteKarts.com: Future karting and/or racing plans?
Talia: I plan to keep doing what I’m doing and to get better. To win more races and set more fast times.”
Tobi Moffett
I am so proud of her and amazed at her work ethic when it comes to her kart. 🙂 We are very blessed to have a family support system that allows her to experience these opportunities. We are also very fortunate to have an abundant amount of friends (who act like family, like Ryan Cassity and her sponsors Work4it and Syngenta) who have helped out by sharing their experience or supporting her with tires or buying her T-Shirts! Which, by the way, helped purchase a new chassis when she bent one the first race of the year. We couldn’t have done it without out our WHOLE TEAM, which includes them!!
Thanks Kevin, for all you do, day in and day out! Love you!
Tobi (aka Talia’s mom 🙂
Gene Vincent
Karting has always been in their family blood . It was in Kevin’s dad and mine dad also . I am so proud of Kevin for giving her the time and Opportunity to race and enjoy what she does . Keep it up .