ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. – Tori Tayman is the Executive Assistant for Naval Test Wing Atlantic at NAS Pax River. She provides high-level administrative support to NTWL leadership in a number of ways, including research, preparing reports, information requests and clerical functions (i.e. travel arrangements, correspondence, schedules, etc).
Tori is a graduate of Chopticon High School in 2020 (the peak of COVID).
“The day after I graduated I was given the opportunity to start working as a Dental Assistant,” she said. “I worked in the dental field for two years, but wanted to do something that could make me grow and learn more.”
In 2022 Tori became a Project Management Analyst for the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Program Office (PMA-268).
“I learned so much in that environment, which was able to help me grow and bring me to where I am now,” she said. “I’m super excited to see where this journey will continue to take me in the future.”
In her off time, she and her family drag race at the Maryland International Raceway (MIR), about five minutes from her home.
“My dad has drag-raced since he was a teenager,” said Tayman. “He was hoping to have boys one day that could also get into the sport.”
But Tayman’s dad had all girls.
“That didn’t stop him from getting us into race cars,” she said. “I began my drag racing career in a Junior Dragster at nine-years-old. I had a successful beginning, but in 2018 I won the biggest race of our season, the Team Finals at MIR.”
Tayman got to go to the World Series of Drag Racing in Memphis, Tennessee, and walked away placing fifth in her age group.
“In 2021 I was able to get in a bigger and faster car, which happened to be the car my dad started his drag racing career in, a 1967 SS Camaro.”
In 2022, she was given the opportunity to take over her uncle’s 1957 Chevy Belair that was originally driven on the TV show “Street Outlaws.”
“Though I was doing well in that car, it just wasn’t consistent enough on the race track,” she said. “Now, in 2024, I am racing a car my dad rebuilt for himself, but it somehow ended up in my hands. It’s a 1975 Chevy Vega.”
“I want to thank my dad as he surely regrets letting me step foot in the Vega as it is the best race car we own,” said Tayman. “I will continue to push for more wins in my racing career and, hopefully, one day become an inspiration for others.”