INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — February 4, 2015 — When the trailer door closed for the last time in 2014, Taylor Ferns began counting down the days until the 2015 racing season began. For the 19-year-old, that wait comes to an end this week, as she heads to Florida to compete in the Bubba Army Winter Nationals at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida.
The 2015 Bubba Army Winternationals for the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions is set for Thursday, February 5, Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7. Ferns, who drives the Eco-Mend Maxim, will hit the track for a full night of racing each night at the three-eighths-mile. A night of practice opens the event on Wednesday, February 4.
“I haven’t raced since the end of October, so it’s been one of the longest off-seasons I’ve ever had,” said Ferns. “Normally, things come back pretty naturally after the off-season, when you take a couple of laps. We’ve never been to Ocala, so having a practice night will be important as well. We’re hoping to have three good runs and start the season on a strong note.”
Ferns last competed during Speedweeks in Florida in 2013, when she was racing with the Honda USAC National Midget Series, which visited New Smyrna Speedway, near Daytona. She qualified among the top-10 in both events at the paved half-mile, and finished just outside of the top-10 in the finale of that two-night event. The races this week will mark her first starts on dirt in the Sunshine State.
“Racing in the winter in Florida is kind of a preview of what’s to come when the season starts back in the Midwest in April,” she shared. “We’ll try a few things and see what works on the car, so that we have a good baseline when the spring comes. There is always a good field of cars in Florida, so it’s a good test as well to see where your program is at and how it stacks up against the other teams.”
Last season marked a return for Ferns to winged sprint car racing, after a nearly four-year break, to compete in a variety of other types of racing machines. This year Ferns will compete solely in winged sprint cars, with a variety of series across the Midwest.
Ferns, who claimed the 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series title, picked up her first career 410-winged sprint car win last May with the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association (OVSCA) at Southern Ohio Speedway. She swept that entire race program, setting a new track record in time trials, winning her heat race and claiming the A-Feature.
Gaining experience at a variety of tracks and with four different series in 2014, Ferns picked up eight top-10 finishes. She also set quick time with the All Stars at Atomic Speedway in July, as well earning a spot in the dash at the track during Ohio Sprint Speedweek, in a program that saw 62 cars in attendance.
Along with racing with the All Stars and OVSCA in 2014, Ferns also raced with the Renegades Sprint Series and made her debut with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, during the Four-Crown Nationals, as well as making an appearance with the series at Bloomington Speedway in Indiana.
“Having a full season under my belt now in the winged car is a huge confidence booster heading into this season,” she stated. “I know what I have to do now in a winged car and can apply everything I learned last year. There was a big learning curve last year and we had that rookie stripe, so to speak, and hopefully all of that will pay off this year.”
A complete 2015 schedule is still being finalized, which will see Ferns race predominately in the Midwest this season, with different winged sprint cars series and at a variety of tracks.
“Our goal this year is to be more consistent,” said Ferns. “Last year we started out strong, running the local shows and then didn’t quite have the finishes we were hoping for when we raced with the All Stars. The competition is tough when you race with a group like the All Stars and we want to be consistent and in contention when we run with different series and tougher competition.”
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 andRacing2Cure.
