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.”
Tune in and see Ferns compete in the ZLOOP 150 from Kentucky Speedway live on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Sept. 20.
Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement, 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 Sep 19, 2013
- Article Date: 9/19/2013