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.
For 2014, Ferns will compete with both the Honda USAC National Midget Series and Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series.
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 andRacing2Cure.
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.
