Category Archives: Taylor Fern

Taylor Ferns Racing–Chili Bowl

Taylor Ferns Earns Spot in Preliminary Feature on Opening Night of the Chili Bowl
By Ferns Racing PR 
                                                                                                
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Jan. 19, 2013 — When Taylor Ferns drew the last starting position in the first heat on the opening night of the 2014 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Presented by General Tire, there was nowhere to go, but forward. And that’s exactly what the native of Shelby Township, Mich., did. She used strong performances in her heat race, Qualifier and B-main to earn a spot in the 25-lap preliminary feature that capped that night.
 
Ferns lined up eighth for the first heat race as part of the Warren CAT Qualifying Night on Tuesday, Jan. 14. She charged from the back row to finish fourth in that eight-lap contest, aboard her family-owned No. 55 Motor City Transport Inc. Stealth with a Stanton SR11 engine under the hood. That performance garnered her quite a few passing points, putting her in the third Qualifier. The winningest female driver in USAC history started fourth in that 10-lapper and wound up fifth, just missing a direct transfer to the preliminary feature by a couple of passing points.
 
Ferns would start on the pole of the first 15-lap B-main and ran second to veteran Paul White, which locked her into the preliminary feature. That marked the first time in three tries at the Chili Bowl that she had earned a spot in a preliminary night feature. The 18-year-old started 19th in the 25-lapper and was able to gain a few positions to finish 16th.
 
On the final night of the Chili Bowl, Saturday, Jan. 18, Ferns found herself in the first C-main. The top-six finishers in this 15-lap event would tag the back of the first B-main. The high school senior started 12th and ran near that same spot for the duration, ending up in 13th, coming up just a handful of spots short of moving on to the first B-main. With over 280 cars in attendance at the 2014 Chili Bowl, Ferns was among the final one-third that were still competing on Saturday night, in the event, which was broadcast live on MAVTV.
 
Ferns will return to action in the season-opening Kokomo Midget Grand Prix at Kokomo Speedway in Indiana, for the Honda USAC National Midget Series, April 11–12. The 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series champion plans to contest the full Honda USAC National Midget Series and Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series schedules in 2014.

Taylor Ferns Racing–Taylor Ferns Opens 2014 Racing Campaign at the Chili Bowl

Taylor Ferns Opens 2014 Racing Campaign at the Chili Bowl
By Ferns Racing PR  
                                                                                                 
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Jan. 13, 2014 — Taylor Ferns has become accustomed to beginning her season in one of the biggest events in all of motorsports, the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. She made her Chili Bowl debut in 2012, and for the third straight year will hit the track for the indoor event, which has become a “Must-See” event for motorsports fans.
 
“The whole atmosphere of the Chili Bowl is one-of-a-kind and there is nothing like it,” said Ferns. “Last week, I was stranded in the house with the snowstorm we had in Michigan, so I have been counting the days until the Chili Bowl. It will be good to get back in the race car and get the 2014 season underway.”
 
The 2014 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Presented by General Tire is set for Jan. 14–18, with a practice session to kick-off the event on Monday, Jan. 13, which Ferns will take part in. The field of entries will be split into four qualifying nights. Ferns will compete on the Warren CAT Tuesday Night Qualifier, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, aboard her family-owned Motor City Transport Inc. Stealth with a Stanton Racing Engines SR11 under the hood.
 
“I’m glad they give us a practice day to get some laps in,” shared Ferns. “The Chili Bowl is so different from any other event we race, especially the time of the year and venue that it’s at, so getting a few laps ahead of time definitely helps. Coming right back and racing on Tuesday night keeps the anxiousness away a bit, because you don’t have to sit around a few days waiting to race.”
 
Last year at the Chili Bowl, Ferns competed on the first qualifying night. She finished fifth in the seventh heat race, after lining up eighth. She would follow that up with an eighth-place showing in the second A-Qualifier. Ferns then lined up eighth in the first B-main, with the top-four advancing to the preliminary feature. Trouble in that 15-lapper ended her night. Ferns wrapped up the 2013 edition of the Chili Bowl in the first G-main, where she came home 10th.
 
The native of Shelby Township, Mich., made her Chili Bowl debut in 2012, competing on the first qualifying night. Ferns started seventh in the second heat race and quickly charged to the front, and was running third and about to make a two-car pass for the lead when the first and second-place running drivers got together, leaving her nowhere to go.
 
Ferns then took to the track in the first 10-lap A-Qualifier, where she finished eighth, which put her in the first of two 15-lap B-mains, where she started eighth. She would get as high as fourth, before finishing fifth, coming up just one spot short of transferring to the preliminary feature. On the final day of the 2012 Chili Bowl, Ferns finished fourth in the first E-main to transfer to the first D-main.
 
As has become the norm over the last few years, well over 250 cars are currently entered for the Chili Bowl. The top-three finishers in each of the four preliminary features will lock themselves into the 55-lap final on the final night.
 
“I try not to think about how many cars are there or anything like that, and instead treat the Chili Bowl as just another race,” said Ferns. “If you get caught up in thinking about how many cars are there or make too big of a deal of it, that takes away from what you should be going out and doing each night on track. Treating it like any other race and keeping things simple is the best route to take.”
 
Last season, the winningest female in USAC history, competed in both open wheel machines and full-bodied stock cars. She made seven starts with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, finishing among the top-15 in seven of those racing. In her ARCA debut last March, the now 18-year-old, finished ninth at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama. She also recorded top-10 runs on the dirt at the Illinois State Fairground and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
 
Ferns also raced in a handful of Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series events in 2013, earning three top-10 finishes, of which two were top-five performances, including a career-best fourth-place finish at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, in her first start in a Silver Crown car at the famed half-mile. She wrapped up the season eighth in points, despite not competing in all of the events.
 
With the Honda USAC National Midget Series last season, Ferns earned a pair of top-five finishes on the pavement, at Pikes Peak International Speedway in Colorado, and Columbus Speedway in Ohio. She also ran seventh at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Ferns competed in a number USAC Midget events on dirt as well, including contesting the full Indiana Midget Week schedule for the second consecutive year.
 

Taylor Ferns Finishes Fifth in USAC Midget Event at Columbus

Taylor Ferns Finishes Fifth in USAC Midget Event at Columbus
By Ferns Racing PR  

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Oct. 13, 2013 — Taylor Ferns has one main goal for the last handful of races on her 2013 schedule and that is to record solid finishes and build a foundation for next year. She was able to keep with this plan on Saturday, October 12 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio, finishing fifth in the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship.

“It was definitely a good way to end our pavement season,” said Ferns. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year, so having a good finish like that shows that our luck is turning around. It also shows that I can run up front with the USAC National drivers and that is certainly a confidence booster. I feel like we could have maybe gained a couple more spots, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed with a fifth-place finish. It gives us something to build on for sure.”

For the native of Shelby Township, Mich., the top-five performance was her third straight showing of seventh or better with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship. Ferns opened the night by recording the seventh-fastest time in qualifying with a lap of 13.635-seconds around the one-third-mile oval. She lined up third in the first qualifying scramble and finished fourth in that 12-lap contest, which put her on the inside of the third row to start the 40-lap A-Feature, though she ended up moving up a row when the fifth-place starting car was unable to make the call for the feature.

Ferns ran near the top-five for the duration of the main event and withstood a couple of late restarts after a pair of caution flags with five laps remaining. She would cross the finish line in fifth, which matched her best-career finish with the series and was her second top-five performance in the last three pavement races, piloting her family-owned Motor City Transport Inc. Beast.

“It was a good race all around,” she noted. “I was able to battle with my teammates (Caleb Armstrong and Dalton Armstrong). We finished third, fourth and fifth, though we all wish it would have been first, second and third, but we had a solid day and all the cars came home in one piece. Anytime you can finish in the top-five with the USAC National drivers is a solid result.”

The event at Columbus served as the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship. Ferns made a total of six starts with the series this season, earning three top-10 finishes, with two of those being top-five performances. She earned her first top-five with the series at the one-mile Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in June. The high school senior also turned in a solid seventh-place performance at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in July.

Ferns finished ninth in points with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship, despite not competing in all of the races. The winningest female driver in USAC history will return to action in a midget with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship next month at Canyon Speedway Park in Arizona as part of the famed Western World Championships.

“We have a long break coming up before we head out west and that is always a challenge,” said Ferns. “I’ll watch some You Tube videos online to keep me in the swing of things. It’s not quite the same as being in the seat of the racecar, but it allows me to watch some of the lines that people run at the tracks out west and should help when we get out there next month.”

Taylor Ferns to Make Final Pavement Midget Start of 2013 at Columbus this Weekend By Ferns Racing PR

Taylor Ferns to Make Final Pavement Midget Start of 2013 at Columbus this Weekend
By Ferns Racing PR 

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Oct. 11, 2013 — Taylor Ferns has raced a fair amount this year on pavement, with the majority of those starts coming in a full-bodied stock car with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. She has made five appearances on the pavement in a midget in 2013 and will have one more chance to add to a solid season on the asphalt this weekend as she heads to Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio for the finale of the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship campaign.

The season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship at Columbus Motor Speedway is set for Saturday, Oct. 12. The event will begin with hot laps, followed by time trials and qualifying heat races. The night will culminate with an A-Feature event on the one-third-mile, semi-banked oval.

“I’ve raced a couple of different car at Columbus (Motor Speedway), so that should come in handy this weekend,” said Ferns. “It’s a fun track and there is a lot of room to race, especially in a midget. You can really drive a midget hard into the corners, because it’s an open track. I’ve always enjoyed going to Columbus, because I won one of my first quarter midget races on the little track there.”

Ferns raced at Columbus Motor Speedway in 2012 with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour in a late model. She qualified 13th for that event and was caught up in an accident with 11 laps remaining, and wound up finishing 17th.  During her USAC D1 Midget Series title-winning season of 2011, she finished sixth in a 30-lap contest at Columbus, after winning the second heat race earlier in the race program.

The winningest female in USAC history finished seventh in her most recent start with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship in July at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Clermont, Ind., which marked her second seventh-place run of the season at the 0.686-mile track. One race prior to that, she scored her best-career finish with the Honda USAC National Midget Series, coming home fifth on the one-mile paved oval at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado. The high school senior also made a pair of midget starts on the pavement at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida in February aboard her family-owned Motor City Transport Inc. Beast.

“Racing against the USAC national drivers this year in the midget has helped me learn so much, because you are racing against the best of the best,” she noted. “I feel like we are picking it up here in the second half of the year on the pavement, especially in the midget. It’s been a couple of months since we’ve raced a midget on pavement, and I certainly ready to get to Columbus and get back in the car.”

Ferns pulled double duty at both Pikes Peak and Lucas Oil Raceway earlier this season, also racing with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, finishing seventh at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and 11th at Pikes Peak, where she ran as high as third in the late going, before running out of fuel.

With the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards this season, the native of Shelby Township, Mich., raced six times on paved tracks. She finished ninth in her ARCA debut at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama in March, after qualifying fifth. Ferns also made short track pavement ARCA starts at Toledo Speedway in Ohio and Elko Speedway in Minnesota, along with competing on a seven-eighths-mile venue at Iowa Speedway. She made two superspeedway starts with the series, with those coming at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and Kentucky Speedway. In eight total ARCA starts this season, the 17-year-old earned three top-10 finishes and was among the top-15 in seven of those races.

Last weekend in the DuPont Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., for the Honda USAC National Midget Series, Ferns qualified for each of the two preliminary features. On the second night of the three-night event she won the first heat race, which put her in the dash. Mechanical problems prevented her from competing on the night, which was delayed a day by rain.

Ferns enters the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship among the top-10 in points, despite not entering all of the events in 2013.

“We really want to pick up some strong finishes to wrap up this season, as we get ready for next year,” Ferns said. “We’ve had our ups and downs this year, and if we can finish the year on a strong note that will be something we can pick back up on next year. All the laps I’ve gotten this year in all of the different cars have been very helpful and racing against so many strong drivers has taught me a lot as well.”

Taylor Ferns Racing–Taylor Ferns Gears up for the Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway

Taylor Ferns Gears up for the Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway
By Ferns Racing PR 
 
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Oct. 2, 2013 — After competing in three races on the same day on Sept. 21, Taylor Ferns is anxious to get back to the track. She has another three-race stretch lined up this week, but this set of races will be spread over three nights, as she heads to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., for the running of the fifth edition of the DuPont Gold Crown Midget Nationals.

The DuPont Gold Crown Midget Nationals will be co-sanctioned by the Honda USAC National Midget Series and the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. A pair of preliminary nights are set for Thursday, Oct. 3 and Friday, Oct. 4, with a full racing program contested each of those evenings. The finale of the Gold Crown Midget Nationals will take place on for Saturday, Oct. 5.

“What I always remember about Tri-City (Speedway) is that it goes dry/slick really quick,” said Ferns, who pilots the Motor City Transport Inc. Spike. “You have to either run way up at the top or be right on the bottom. It will definitely be a transition from the last race at Eldora (Speedway) where you are up on the cushion the whole race. I’ve raced the heavier cars quite a bit this year, so going back to the midget for the last few races this year will be a transition as well, with how light the midget is.”

The native of Shelby Township, Mich., made her first-career Honda USAC National Midget Series start at Tri-City Speedway in 2011, during the third running of the Gold Crown Midget Nationals, winning a heat race to earn a spot in the preliminary feature, and finishing16th in that contest. She also raced in the event last year, which was shortened to a two-night contest due to rain.

Ferns made her most recent start with the Honda USAC National Midget Series at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, during the 4-Crown Nationals. She finished 11th in that race and followed that up with a career-best fourth-place performance with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. Ferns has made nine starts with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship this season at eight different tracks. She also has made five starts on the pavement in a midget, finishing fifth at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in June and seventh at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in July.

“To race the same track and the same car three straight nights will be helpful,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to race so many different cars this year, especially the day we ran three cars in one day, but to run the same one like this week, will help me improve in the midget for sure. I haven’t had the best of luck at Granite City (Tri-City Speedway) the last couple years, so having three straight nights in the midget should be a benefit and a good learning experience as well.”

Along with competing in Midget and Silver Crown races, Ferns also has made eight starts with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards in 2013, finishing among the top-15 in seven of those races, including earning three top-10 finishes. In the two ARCA races on the dirt this year, she finished ninth at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield and was 10th at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. Ferns ran ninth in her ARCA debut in March at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama.

“It was a lot of fun racing the ARCA car and the Silver Crown car this year,” Ferns said. “We had some good results and I learned new things at every track and that was the main goal we had going into the season. Finishing up the year in the midget, we just want to go out and improve each time we are on the track.”

Ferns was scheduled to race at Tri-City Speedway in the Hut Hundred earlier this season, but that event was postponed by race twice.

Taylor Ferns–Taylor Ferns Caps Three-Race Day with Fourth-Place Run at Eldora

Taylor Ferns Caps Three-Race Day with Fourth-Place Run at Eldora
By Ferns Racing PR 

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Sept. 22, 2013 — Taylor Ferns has had some busy days at the racetrack, but none quite like the one she had on Saturday, Sept. 21. She began the day at Kentucky Speedway by finishing 12th in an afternoon race with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Ferns then headed 150 miles north to the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series and Honda USAC National Midget Series portions of the 4-Crown Nationals. She finished 11th in the Midget, and then capped the night with a career-best fourth-place finish in the 50-lap Silver Crown event.

“Overall it was a pretty good day,” said Ferns. “To race all three cars was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it. It definitely took a toll on me today (Sunday), and I slept a lot of the day, but it was a great experience. Kentucky (Speedway) and Eldora (Speedway) are so different and so are each of the three cars I raced. To be able to have consistent runs in each and very a strong showing in the Silver Crown car was definitely a confidence booster.”

In her first Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series race at Eldora, Ferns lined up on the inside of the seventh row for the 50-lap A-Feature at the high-banked, half-mile. She worked her way into the top-10 by just the second lap and continued her march forward, in what turned out to be a caution-filled race. Ferns powered her way up to seventh by the eighth circuit and was into the top-five by lap-22.

Just one lap prior to the halfway point of the 50-lapper, the 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series found herself in fourth. For the final 15 laps of the race, Ferns had a spirited battle with Matt Westfall for the fourth spot. The pair traded the position no less than five times officially at the line and several more unofficially, lap after lap. Ferns would take the checkered flag fourth, which marked the best finish of her career with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. It was also her second straight top-five finish and fourth consecutive top-10, piloting the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast.

“To finish fourth in my first start in a Silver Crown car at Eldora was great,” Ferns shared. “Originally, I wasn’t even going to race the Silver Crown car at Eldora, so it was a last minute decision last week. Our main goal was to go and learn for next year. The car was fast all race long and it was a fun race. We didn’t qualify where we were hoping to, but were able to make up quite a bit of ground in the feature. Racing at Eldora is great, and you learn every time you are on the track.”

In the Honda USAC National Midget Series portion of the 4-Crown Nationals, Ferns finished 11th in her family-owned No. 55 Motor City Transport Inc. Spike. She lined up 15th for the 25-lap A-Feature and ran a steady race, picking up spots where she could. The native of Shelby Township, Mich., opened the night by recording the 16th-fastest lap in time trials and followed that up with a fifth-place effort in the third heat race.

“In the midget, I struggled a bit transitioning from the heavier stock car in the afternoon to a 900-pound car,” she explained. “We moved up during the race, from where we started, so that was a positive to take away. I can’t say I’m disappointed, I just wish we could have had a little better of a finish. We’ll keep working hard with the midget the rest of the season.”

At Kentucky Speedway with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, Ferns completed all 100 laps of the race, which was postponed by rain on Friday, Sept. 20, and thus completed in the afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 21. The starting field was lined up by owner points, which put Ferns seventh on the grid in the No. 55 National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. She ran just outside of the top-10 during the first 25 laps of the race. Following a round of pit stops just prior to the halfway point, she was up to eighth. During the second half of the 100-lapper, Ferns ran as high as seventh, before finishing 12th. In eight ARCA starts this season, she finished among the top-15 in seven of those races.

“Our main goal going into Kentucky was to learn about the mile-and-half racetrack,” Ferns said. “It’s been a challenge adapting to the bigger racetracks and I just have to learn what my limits are at the speedways. I learned a ton during the race and was very satisfied with that and we finished on the lead lap, so that was good. The car just got a little too tight at the end and that allowed a few cars to pass me.”

Ferns ended up eighth in the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series championship standings, despite not competing in all of the races. She recorded four top-10 finishes in six starts. The No. 55 Venturini Motorsports team, for which she has raced in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, is seventh in owner points as the season winds down.

Taylor Ferns Racing–Taylor Ferns Tackles Kentucky and Eldora this Weekend

Taylor Ferns Tackles Kentucky and Eldora this Weekend
By Ferns Racing PR 

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Sept. 19, 2013 — Kentucky Speedway and Eldora Speedway are about as opposite as tracks could be. Same goes for an ARCA stock car, a USAC Silver Crown car and a USAC Midget. Kentucky Speedway in a banked 1.5-mile, paved superspeedway, while Eldora Speedway is a high-banked, dirt oval. An ARCA machine weights about 3,400 pounds and puts out over 800 horsepower, while a Silver Crown car is 1,500 pound and has around 700 horsepower. Last but not least, is a Midget, which tips the scales at 900 pounds and is around 300 horsepower. Each takes a unique driving style and Taylor Ferns has acquired that trait and will use it this week as she races at each of the aforementioned venues in the three types of racing machines listed.

The weekend will begin for the native of Shelby Township, Mich., on Friday, Sept. 20 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, and the running of the ZLOOP 150. A two-hour practice session in the afternoon will open the event, with qualifying to follow, and the 134-lap event, which will air live on Fox Sports 1, slated for 8 p.m. Eastern. Ferns will then head to the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 21 for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series and Honda USAC National Midget Series portions of the 4-Crown Nationals.

Ferns has made seven total starts with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards this season, piloting the No. 55 National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. She made her debut back in March at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, qualifying fifth and finishing ninth in that 200-lap event. The 17-year-old also finished among the top-10 on the dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, both one mile facilities. She has qualified 11th or better in five or her seven starts and has finished among the top-15 in six of those races.

In her last ARCA start at Iowa Speedway on Sept. 7, Ferns finished 13th. She qualified 15th at the seventh-eighths-mile paved oval located in Newton, Iowa, and ran near the top-10 for a large portion of the event. That race marked the fifth pavement start of the season for Ferns with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards.

“Racing at Iowa (Speedway) should definitely help, heading to Kentucky (Speedway) this week,” said Ferns. “I don’t get to race on bigger tracks every week, so having laps at a place like Iowa (Speedway) where you carry a lot of speed around a higher-banked track should translate to this weekend. Running the longer races this year, I’ve learned how to be conservative and be there at the end.”

Ferns has recorded three top-10 finishes in five starts in 2013 with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series in the No. 35 Motor City Transport Inc. Toyota-powered Beast. She finished a career-best fifth at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in her most recent start with the series on Sept. 1. Prior to that she ran 10th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and also was 10th on the pavement at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in late July.

“Eldora is so fast and has so much banking,” she noted. “It’s a unique track and there is really nowhere else like it. I learned a lot there last year, so hopefully I can use some of that this year. Eldora is half the size of the other dirt tracks I’ve races the Silver Crown car on this year, so it will be a learning experience for sure.”

With the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship in 2013, Ferns has competed in eight races. She took part in Indiana Midget Week for the second consecutive year, which is comprised of five races in five nights at Hoosier state ovals. Ferns made her most recent pair of appearances on the dirt in a midget in early July at Belle-Claire Speedway in Illinois.

“In a midget at Eldora (Speedway) you go all out, every lap,” said Ferns. “The track is so banked and you carry so much speed. You try to get everything you can out of the car and that’s how it seems to be at Eldora. I’ve been watching some videos of races at Eldora online, so that should help as well. Hopefully I’ll have a better weekend and run in the midget than we did there last year.”

Entering this weekend’s event at Kentucky, the No. 55 Venturini Motorsports team is seventh in owner points with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. With the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, Ferns is ninth in the standings.

“I want to run up front all weekend at both Kentucky and Eldora,” stated the high school senior. “I want to win every time I am on the track, but I have to be realistic about my goals, especially in the Silver Crown car. This will be my first time on a smaller track in one of those cars. Learning a lot, pacing myself and being there at the end will be the game plan this weekend.”

Taylor Ferns–Taylor Ferns Finishes a Career-Best Fifth at DuQuoin in Silver Crown Race & 10th in ARCA Event

Taylor Ferns Finishes a Career-Best Fifth at DuQuoin in Silver Crown Race & 10th in ARCA Event
By Ferns Racing PR 

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Sept. 4, 2013 — There is just something about one-mile dirt ovals that agrees with Taylor Ferns and her driving style. After making her first start on a track that size back in May at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, she has made four more appearances on historic fairgrounds ovals and has finished in the top-10 in each subsequent start, including finishing fifth in the Ted Horn 100 with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois on Sunday, Sept. 1, which marked her best-career finish with the series. The 17-year-old followed that up with a 10th-place finish on Labor Day with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

“The mile tracks are great to race on, especially in the Silver Crown cars.” Ferns said. “I watched a lot of film in preparation for the miles and I think that helped me adapt to them quick. Everyone said DuQuoin is one of the trickiest tracks, so I was a little surprised that I picked it up so quickly. I really enjoy racing on the mile dirt tracks and have had fun on each of the three I raced on this year.”

Ferns opened the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series portion of the event at DuQuoin by recording the seventh-fastest lap in time trials. She circled the one-mile oval in 31.772-seconds, which put her on the inside of the fourth row for the 100-lap main event. The native of Shelby Township, Mich., ran among the top-10 for the entire race aboard her No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast. Several cautions slowed the field and fuel mileage came into play as well in the late going. Along with marking the best finish of her career in a Silver Crown machine, the fifth-place showing was the third straight top-10 finish with the series for Ferns.

“With people running out of fuel at the end, I was definitely concerned about it,” she noted. “Ever since we were running fourth at Pikes Peak (International Raceway in June) and ran out of fuel late in that race, it’s always on my mind late in the races. With about six laps to go at DuQuoin we started to run out of fuel and kind of coasted around there and tried to get as much fuel into the line as we could. It was a good finish and we raced against some of the best drivers in USAC.”

On Labor Day, the high school senior was 18th in qualifying for the ARCA event, which put her on the outside of the ninth row for the Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care. She quickly began moving toward the front of the field and ran as high as fifth in the latter stages of the 100-lap contest. Following a late pit stop, Ferns restarted 16th and was able to work her way back up to 10th to earn her second straight top-10 finish on the dirt in ARCA competition in the Motor City Transport Inc./National Auto Placement Toyota. She has three top-finishes in six ARCA starts in 2013.

“We had a solid top-10 finish in the ARCA race, but not quite the finish we were looking for,” said Ferns. “I just messed up in qualifying and that set us back and then we were running fifth and had a bad pit stop and lost a bunch of spots. We were able to make up quite a few positions at the end and came away with another top-10, so I can’t complain.”

Ferns moved up a spot in the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series point standings and is currently ninth. She has made a total of five starts in the “Big Cars” this season. In the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the No. 55 Venturini Motorsports Toyota is seventh in owner points. The winningest female driver in USAC history will return to action this coming weekend in an ARCA event at the Iowa Speedway in Newton on Saturday, Sept. 7. She made her Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series debut at the seven-eighths-mile paved oval last year and finished 10th.

“The main goal at Iowa (Speedway) is to take care of the car and get a good finish,” she stated. “It will be good to get back on the pavement and back to Iowa. I’ve heard a lot great things about the past ARCA races there and am looking forward to it. I ran well there last year in the Silver Crown car and that should give me a good baseline for the ARCA race. We’ve had a few top-10s and we’ve run in the top-five, so we know we can do it and a top-five is what we are shooting for.”

Taylor Ferns– Double Duty Again for Taylor Ferns in ARCA & Silver Crown Races at DuQuoin

Double Duty Again for Taylor Ferns in ARCA & Silver Crown Races at DuQuoin

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Aug. 30, 2013 — Taylor Ferns waited about seven months this season to get her first shot at pulling double duty on the same weekend with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, which came at the Illinois State Fairgrounds a couple of weeks ago and quickly got up to speeding, earning a pair of top-10 finishes. The 17-year-old won’t have to wait nearly as long to race both types of machines on the same weekend for the second time, as she’ll take part in a pair of events at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois to celebrate Labor Day.

Ferns will first take to the track on Sunday, Sept. 2, with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series for the running of the Ted Horn 100. The evening will kick-off with practice at 5 p.m. Central, followed by time trials at 6 p.m. Centrals, which will set the starting lineup for the 100-lap event, which will take the green flag at 8 p.m. Central. On Monday, Sept. 3, the young driver will have one hour of practice at 9 a.m. Central for the Southern Illinois 100 by Federated Car Care for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, following by time trials at 11 a.m., and the 100-lap race will hit the track at 1:15 p.m. Central.

“I’m ready to get back on the track and race for the first time at DuQuoin,” said Ferns. “It’s definitely takes a toll on your body racing 100 miles each day, but I’m ready for it. We had a couple of good runs at Springfield (Illinois State Fairgrounds) and are looking to improve on that even more this weekend in each of the two cars.”

At the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Aug. 18, Ferns qualified fifth for her first-ever ARCA start on the dirt. After an accident following qualifying led her team to have to make repairs to her car, the native of Shelby Township, Mich., had to start at the rear of the 33-car field. She methodically worked her way forward, passing more cars than another other driver to finish ninth in the Motor City Transport Inc./National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. That run marked her second top-10 finish of the season in ARCA competition.

“I was able to pass a lot of cars at Springfield and also run all the laps, which was our main goal,” she shared. “We know we have a good set-up for qualifying and if we can start in the top-10 at DuQuoin we should have a pretty good chance at a solid finish. It will certainly help again running the Silver Crown race the day before, in terms of getting seat track and laps on the track, even though that’s a night race and the ARCA race is a day show.”

With the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, the winningest female driver in USAC history, finished 10th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 on Aug. 17. She qualified 16th and battled throughout the race, including having an oil line let go, to finish 10th. Ferns has finished in the top-10 in each of her last two Silver Crown Starts, as she was also 10th on the pavement at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on July 27.

“I feel pretty comfortable in the heavier car
s, especially the Silver Crown car,” she noted. “It’s a completely different driving style than a midget. I feel like I adapt to the heavier cars a lot quicker than I do the lighter weight cars. I have a lot of fun driving those cars and I think it’s been showing in our results lately.”

Ferns has made a total of five starts in ARCA this season, earning a pair of top-10 finishes and has finished 15th or better in four of those races. She made her ARCA debut at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, in March, qualifying fifth and finishing ninth. Ferns has qualified 11th or better in each of her four ARCA starts that she has had a qualifying attempt at. In her first to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, qualifying was rained out and the event was lined up by owner points and she took the grid seventh for that race.

The high school senior has made a total of four starts with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series this season aboard the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast. She has finished 11th or better in three of those races. In the event at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in late June, she was running as high as third in the late going, before running out of fuel. Ferns has qualified among the top-10 in two of her Silver Crown starts this season. She made her Silver Crown debut last season at Iowa Speedway, earning a top-10 in her maiden start in a “big car.”

“We’ve had a few top-10 finishes in a row and seem to keep getting better each race,” Ferns said. “Our main goal is to keep improving every time we are on the track. We are looking to turn those top-10s into top-five runs and I think we can do that. Having raced the Silver Crown car on two mile tracks this year, I have a good idea of what to expect at DuQuoin and we feel good about the car and the set-up we have.”

In just four starts with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series this season, Ferns is 11th in the standings, only four markers out of the top-10. With the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the No. 55 Venturini Motorsports team is seventh in car owner points.

Taylor Ferns–A Pair of Top-10 Finishes for Taylor Ferns at the Springfield Mile in ARCA & Silver Crown Races

A Pair of Top-10 Finishes for Taylor Ferns at the Springfield Mile in ARCA & Silver Crown Races
By Ferns Racing PR 

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Aug. 19, 2013 — Taylor Ferns had never raced a full-bodied stock car on a one-mile dirt oval prior to this past weekend, and in fact, she had only raced once on that type of track, with that coming in a Silver Crown machine back in May. The 17-year-old didn’t let that slow her down, as she earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the historic one-mile dirt oval at the Illinois State Fairgrounds last weekend. Ferns finished ninth with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in the Allen Crowe 100 and came home 10th in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series.

“The Springfield Mile is a pretty unique track and I really enjoyed racing there,” said Ferns. “It was a lot of fun and I think our results showed that. We feel like we are finally getting our luck turned around this year and have had some solid finishes lately. Racing twice definitely helped and both races were just about at the same time each day, so we kind of knew what to expect weather-wise and track condition-wise.”

Ferns took to the mile oval for the Allen Crowe 100 for the ARCA Series on Sunday, Aug. 18, beginning the day with a practice session in the morning, followed by qualifying. She turned the fifth-fastest lap in time trials of the 33 entrants, but had to start the rear of the field following an accident after her qualifying lap, with the team making quick repairs before the drop of the green flag.

“My mindset was to get to the front of the field and I knew I had 100 laps to do it,” she explained. “We took it one lap at a time and one car at a time and were able to pass quite a few cars. We wanted to finish the race and run all the laps. That was our main goal as a team and we achieved it. We haven’t had best of luck this year, so to finish in the top-10 was great, especially considering where we started.”

Starting at the rear of the 33-car field, Ferns quickly began her march forward in the No. 55 Motor City Transport Inc./National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. She worked her way into the top-20 in the first half of the 100-lapper and found herself among the top-15 as the race wore on. She made a trio of pit stops over the course of the 100-lapper, with her crew continually making adjustments on her car. Ferns crossed the finish line 11th; following a late race restart that extended the race to 104 laps, and gained two more positions after a couple of drivers were penalized for jumping the final restart. The ninth-place finish matched her best ARCA finish of the season.

“It definitely helped running the Silver Crown car the day before, because I knew how the track would change,” she shared. “Running on Saturday also helped me learn how to change my driving style as the day and the race went on. I think that helped me know what was coming and I was ready for it and that really showed on Sunday in the ARCA race.”

The native of Shelby Township, Mich., has a pair of ARCA top-10 finishes this year in a limited number of starts. She is scheduled to compete in three more races with the series this season, including on another one-mile dirt oval, as well as on the pavement at Iowa Speedway and Kentucky Speedway.

In the Tony Bettenhausen 100 for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series on Saturday, Aug. 17, Ferns lined up 16th and worked her way forward, finishing 10th, earning her second straight top-10 finish with the series. She opened the day by timing in 16th-fastest aboard the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast for Team 6R.

“It’s a lot more work racing 100 laps on the dirt in a Silver Crown car than it is on the pavement,” Ferns shared. “It was definitely a long race, but I had a lot of fun out there. We persevered through the problems we were having in the race and made it to the end and came away with a top-10, which was a respectable result.”

Ferns will return to action on Labor Day weekend at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois, again pulling double duty in 100-lap events for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series.

Taylor Ferns–Doubling Down; Taylor Ferns Set for Weekend ARCA & USAC Silver Crown Races at Historic Springfield

Doubling Down; Taylor Ferns Set for Weekend ARCA & USAC Silver Crown Races at Historic Springfield

Concord, NC (August 15, 2013) – Seventeen-year-old Taylor Ferns will be making her Springfield dirt mile debut this weekend pulling double duty in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series.
 
Racing on both dirt and pavement has helped Taylor become of the most versatile young drivers in the country.
 
Honing her skills in the open wheel ranks, the Shelby Township, Mich. teenager has expanded her horizons this year by competing in a select number of ARCA races with Venturini Motorsports.
 
Already with several ARCA short track events under her belt Taylor made her first superspeedway start a couple of weeks ago at the historic Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and will now show her true versatility as she takes to the famed one-mile dirt oval at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.
 
Taylor will compete this weekend in both ARCA’s Allen Crowe Memorial100, driving the No. 55 Motor City Transport Toyota for Venturini Motorsports and the Tony Bettenhausen 100 race for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series in the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast for Team 6R.
 
The 51st annual Allen Crowe Memorial 100 will be Taylor’s first ARCA event on dirt.
 
The Tony Bettenhausen 100 for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series will mark the second one-mile dirt-race that Ferns has competed in this season. She made her first Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series start on a one-mile dirt oval in May, in the historic Hoosier 100 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. That race also was the first dirt start in a Silver Crown car for the winningest female driver in USAC history.
 
“Having raced a Silver Crown car on the dirt at the Indy Mile definitely helps and I can take some of what I learned there over to Springfield this week,” said Ferns. “On a mile track you are going so much faster than on say a half-mile, so the main thing is to make sure you know where to get into the corner so don’t lose any corner speed. In a 100-lap Silver Crown race you use the same philosophy you do in a stock car and that is to take care of your equipment at the beginning so you can be there at the end.”
 
Taylor will open the weekend with practice for the Tony Bettenhausen 100 on Saturday, Aug. 17, followed by two laps of qualifying, which will set the starting lineup for the 100-mile main event.

Practice for the ARCA Allen Crowe 100 is scheduled Sunday morning from 9:00-10:00 a.m. with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11:15. The 51st annual Allen Crowe Memorial 100 starts at 1:30 p.m. All times are local.

The Allen Crowe Memorial 100 will also be the third ARCA Racing Series race that will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. NBC Sports Network’s ARCA racing coverage of the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 premieres Friday, August 23 at 11 p.m. ET.

Taylor is also schedule to pull double duty at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Ill., Sept. 1–2, which will feature another 100-lap event for both the ARCA Racing Series and the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series.