SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—May 22, 2013 — During the month of May, Indianapolis is the epicenter of open wheel racing. Whether it’s at the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road in Speedway, where the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway sits or the Indiana State Fairgrounds located just off 38th Street or Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in nearby Clermont, historic events dot the calendar leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Taylor Ferns will get to take part in a pair of these legendary races this week as she will compete in both the Hoosier 100 and the Night Before the 500.
The Hoosier 100 for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series is set for Thursday, May 23 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, while the Night Before the 500 for the USAC National Midget Series will take the green flag at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 25.
“The Hoosier 100 and the Night Before the 500 are such historic and prestigious races,” said Ferns. “It’s great to have an opportunity to race in both. It’s been since February that I’ve run the midget, so I am definitely ready to get back in the car. The Hoosier 100 will be my first dirt Silver Crown race, so that will be a great experience also.”
The Hoosier 100 will serve as the season opening event for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series. In the 100-lap race, Ferns will pilot the No. 35 for Team 6R Racing. She made three pavement Silver Crown starts last season for the team. In her debut with the series at the seventh-eighths-mile Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, she finished 10th. The high school junior also raced in 2012 with the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Toledo Speedway in Ohio.
“With the Hoosier 100 being a long race, the track will probably slicken off and I’ll have to drive it more like an asphalt race,” shared the winningest female driver in USAC history. “The track will more than likely be heavy during qualifying and early in the race and then dry out and get slick as the race goes on. With 100 laps you have to make sure you take care of your tires and equipment, so I’ll try to pace myself early in the race and really go for it with 30 or 40 laps left.”
The Night Before the 500 will mark the first midget race for Ferns at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. In addition to racing with the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series at the 0.686-mile oval last season, she has tested a midget at the track a couple of times, including earlier this week. Ferns, who was the 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series champion, has made a pair of starts on the pavement in her family-owned No. 55 Motor City Transport Inc. Beast this season, with those coming at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, in February. She qualified among the top-10 in both of those races and finished 11th in the finale of that two-night event for the USAC National Midget Series.
“I didn’t get to race in the Night Before the 500 last year, because I had a stock car race, so it will be good to finally get to race a midget there,” Ferns noted. “I’ve tested there quite a bit, so I feel like I know the track pretty well. Having tested there already this week, we should be ready to go when we get there.”
Most recently, the 17-year-old made her second-career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start at Toledo Speedway in Ohio on May 18, qualifying ninth and running among the top-10 for more than half the race, before an electrical problem led to a lengthy pit stop. Ferns made her ARCA debut on March 9 at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, qualifying fifth and finishing ninth.
“Having a couple of longer races under my belt in ARCA this year should certainly help this week, especially when it comes to patience and taking care of the car,” she explained. “I’ll definitely use that in the Silver Crown race on Thursday. We had a couple of decent runs in the Silver Crown car last year, but we want to improve our finishes even more this year. We just want to have a couple of solid finishes this week.”
Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement, Dea Eyewear, FK Rod Ends, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Lansing Sanitary Supply (LSS), Simpson Race Products, Indy Race Parts, ButlerBuilt, Allstar Performance, Stanton Racing Engines, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Lyn St. James Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation, Race4Girls and Racing2Cure.
Keep up to date
For the latest news, results and information on Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing and to view a full 2013 schedule, visit TaylorFerns.com. Follow Taylor on Twitter at @TaylorFerns and like her on Facebook.
- Admin Account on May 22, 2013
- Article Date: 5/22/2013 by Ferns Racing PR