In motorsports a fast car is of the utmost importance to contend for wins, but having “racing luck” is also a key component of this equation. Taylor Ferns has been fast for most of this season, as evident by her charge from the back of the field last weekend in a MOWA Series event at Tri-City Speedway in Illinois, but when it comes to the luck department, she has been battling that for the last few weeks. She looks to turn things around this weekend at Atomic Speedway where she had a good amount of success in 2014.
Ferns will take to the track on Saturday, April 25 in the Eco-Mend/Jimmy’s Towing Maxim for “Graphic Creations Night” at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, featuring the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association (OVSCA). A full night of racing is on tap, with a 30-lap main event capping the evening.
Last weekend at Tri-City Speedway in Illinois, in her first-ever start with the Neal Tire MOWA Sprint Series, Ferns finished 14th. She ran seventh in the second heat race after a spin. She lined up 22nd for the 25-lap main event and worked her way forward to finish 14th on what would become a very challenging surface to pass on.
“I had a mishap in the heat race and with the MOWA passing points that put us back in the feature, but we rolled with it,” said Ferns. “I think I was one of the first drivers to find the rubber, so on the restarts, I was flying by people in the middle of the race track. I was able to pass quite a few cars like that until everyone else found the rubber. I feel like if I would have started further to the front, I would have had a strong finish. It was a learning experience and we’ll pick up our losses and move on.”
At Atomic Speedway last Saturday night, Ferns finished fifth in the first heat race to earn a spot in the main event. In the A-Feature, she got into the wall on the eighth lap, which ended her night. She would be scored in the 22nd position.
“We just kind of struggled all night at Atomic,” she explained. “Normally, I qualify pretty well there and this time it was one of my poorer qualifying efforts. There was a driver error in the feature that prevented us from finishing the race. I feel like I just need a confidence-booster and once we get all of our ducks in a row everything will just kind of line up.”
The 19-year-old made eight trips to Atomic Speedway in 2014. During the annual Night the Stars Come Out” event with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions, she was fastest in time trials of the 30 drivers in attendance. Ferns also raced with the All Stars at Atomic during Ohio Sprint Speedweek, earning a spot in the dash, after timing in sixth-fastest of the 62 entrants.
The Michigan native, who now calls the Indianapolis are home, also raced in the season-ending Open Wheel Championships at Atomic in 2014, finishing fifth in the Charlie McCann Memorial, which was contested by the 20-fastest drivers from time trials that did not transfer to the Open Wheel Championships main event.
Thus far in 2015, Ferns has made seven starts. She opened the season with a trio of races in Florida in February with the All Stars, finishing eighth on opening night at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala and following that up with a pair of 11th-place efforts. She also has made one start each at Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway in Ohio.
“Every place we’ve been to this year is different in their own way, but also have similarities, that you can relate to another track,” said Ferns. “Right now we are still learning and going to places we’ve been to and had success at is important. Going to Atomic this weekend, I hope to build on the solid runs there I’ve had in the past and build some confidence, so we can go to the other tracks and have good runs at those places.”
Ferns is scheduled to race in a variety of winged sprint car events with various series this year across the Midwest.
Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Eco-Mend, Jimmy’s Towing Recovery & Transport, Indy Race Parts, Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement, Project Podium, Women’s Sports Foundation, Lyn St. James Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation, FK Rod Ends, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Lansing Sanitary Supply (LSS), Simpson Race Products, ButlerBuilt, Allstar Performance, Stanton Racing Engines, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Race4Girls and Racing2Cure.
- administrator on Apr 24, 2015
- Article Date: 4/24/2015