Top 10 debut for Harli White

July 20, 2018 // by Horsepower & Heels

Adding a few new venues to her resume resulted in a Top 10 debut for Harli White, an ASCS National Sprint Car driver.

“It helps a lot going to new tracks,” she said. “You have to adapt really quick and figure out the setup, gearing and things like that. As a driver you have to figure out what way the track likes to be raced. That is one thing I’ve learned is to adapt quicker than I used to. It also helps being in different parts of the country with the different conditions and altitudes.”

White first visited Gillette Thunder Speedway in Gillette, Wyo., a week ago Wednesday for a Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event. Her first visit to the facility, Harli was able to advance from sixth to fifth place in a heat race, lining her up in the 14th position for the main event. Rain would delay the race, but after racing resumed, White maneuvered to an 11th-place finish on the heavy track, just missing a top ten debut.

“It was the luck of the draw in the heat race and it didn’t go in our favor,” she said. “I didn’t get a good start in the A Main. It singled out and then I got lapped so that didn’t help at all. When you’re down a lap you don’t want to get in the way of the leaders battling for a win so you race a little different.”

A weekend off after her Gillette debut to rest, and White packed up and entered Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, South Dakota Monday for the ASCS National Tour.

“It was really cool,” she said. “It was a unique little bullring. It was cool to go up there and I enjoyed adding another new track to my list.”

White finished her heat race where she began – in the fourth position – before ending the evening with a 10th-place finish in the A Main event. That finish marked another Top 10 debut for Harli White, and her seventh top 10 during ASCS National Tour competition this season.

Harli will resume competition this Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, where she will race the next couple of weekends in preparation for the 360 Knoxville Nationals Aug. 2-4.

“I’m going to focus on time trials since we don’t do that often,” she said. “That’s a key thing at Knoxville. After that we’ll focus on getting through the heat and racing cars. The air is a big deal. We don’t get to see that very often so it has a big effect on how your car handles at Knoxville. These next couple of weeks will be important to give us momentum going into the 360 Knoxville Nationals.”

White returns to Grays Harbor Raceway

June 27, 2018 // by Horsepower & Heels

Sprint car racer Harli White returns to Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington this weekend looking for redemption for the Fred Brownfield Classic.

White captured her first career Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat race win and started fifth during her most recent appearance at the 3/8-mile oval a year ago, but a collision by another driver created a brake problem after hitting her that resulted in a DNF – Did Not Finish performance.

“I really like that track and it races well,” Harli White said. “We’re excited to go back there and hopefully we will get back on track with top-10 finishes.”

White returns to Grays Harbor Raceway after a challenging last weekend in Washington during the 47th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway, where she was able to avoid most of the mayhem of the day.

“The way the format was it was very, very tough,” she said. “You wanted to start in the front of your heat or a qualifier. The whole object of the weekend was to be in the qualifier both nights to have a shot on Saturday. We didn’t have a good night the first night and weren’t able to make the qualifier so we were in trouble.”

Harli White placed fifth in both a heat race and a B Main during the opening leg of the tripleheader last Thursday. She gained two positions in both a heat race – fifth – and the qualifier – seventh – on Friday, but that still relegated her to a B Main. White held the final transfer position until a late-race caution allowed a fellow competitor to get around her on the top of the track. She just missed a spot in the A Main feature by one position after finishing third.

The event concluded on Saturday with White rallying from an early incident to place seventh in a B Main.

“Going into the first corner everybody decided to park it,” she said. “I got over the tail tank of the car in front of me. It bent the right front torsion bar. That hurt us because we fell to the back. I think track position hurt us all weekend. However, we came out in one piece and didn’t tear up much so that’s a positive.”

Harli White at the Fred Brownfield Classic

July 7, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Lots of ups and downs for Harli White at the Fred Brownfield Classic last weekend. The race last weekend marked her inaugural trip to Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour doubleheader.

Action began on Friday for Harli White, when she finished right where she started – fifth – in the opening heat race. That performance relegated her to a B Main, in which she maneuvered from fourth to second place to earn a transfer into the back of the main event.

On Friday night we didn’t have a good starting position in the heat race and that put us behind,” she said. “We had to run a B Main and we transferred out of that. The way the track was in the feature there wasn’t a whole lot of passing. The track rubbered up so it wasn’t real racy. It was out of our control.”

The track took rubber early after White gained a trio of positions to finish 16th.

On Saturday, Harli ended up with a much better pill draw, lining her up on the inside of the second row for the heat race.

I was able to pick up my first Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat race win,” she said. “We really needed that. To be locked into the show out of the heat race was a big thing. We got a good starting position starting fifth and we had a good car all night long.”

White earned the most overall heat race points to lock into the feature redraw. She pulled the No. 5 position to start the main event on the inside of the third row.

I got a good start in turns one and two and pulled up next to Aaron (Reutzel) down the backstretch,” she said. “Then I got ran over in turns three and four by another driver. It broke the left rear brake line. I restarted and thought I could pump up the brakes to get them to work, but I had to pull off because I had no brakes.”

Despite the issues, White was credited with a 22nd-place finish.

For the season, Harli White has competed in 33 races, but has yet to win an event thus far. She has earned four top five finishes, seven top 10 performances, and has finished in the top 15 fifteen times. Today she moves on to her next event, where she will make her debut at Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, Mont., for the Grizzly Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. White will have her t-shirt trailer with all apparel near the main grandstands both nights for fans who would like to purchase and support Harli White.

Season-best for Harli White

May 10, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

A season-best for Harli White on Saturday at Gator Motorplex during the 5 ^th annual Nolan Wren Memorial with the ASCS Gulf South Region. The winged sprint car racer opened the event by advancing from third to second place in a heat race, which earned enough points to lock into the feature redraw.

“I got lucky and drew the No. 1 to start on the pole of the main,” she said. “The track was rubbered up before we went on the track. I knew we had to get the jump because whoever got out front first was going to win the show. Seth Bergman got the jump, but we stayed right there with him. In traffic it was going our way for a bit, but every time we’d get an opportunity the caution would come out.”

White maintained the runner-up position throughout the race to score her fourth top five of the season and third top-five finish in the last four races.

Her racing weekend began on Friday at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, Texas, for the 2^nd annual Gene Adamchik Memorial. There, she was able to finish where she started – fourth – in a heat race to line up on the inside of the sixth row for the main event.

“We had some ups and downs,” she said. “I got ran over on the start. Everyone was trying to win it before they get into the first turn. We got collected in that and it bent the Jacobs Ladder. The car was biking real hard after that. I just hung on and finished.”

White battled for a top 10 throughout the main event before ending 11 ^th.

“We hung on to finish, which is a good thing after the way our season started,” she said. “Now that I’m racing full time for a living it’s important to finish every race.”

Harli is scheduled to make her debut at three tracks this weekend when she returns to Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour competition on Thursday at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., before tackling ASCS Red River Region races on Friday at Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., and Saturday at Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Mo.

Harli White kicks off 2017 in Florida

February 22, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Harli White kicks of 2017 in Florida this weekend when she makes her debut appearance at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa for the 16^th annual Ronald Laney Memorial King of the 360s.

“I’ve watched a few videos of that track,” she said. “By the looks of it, it will be close to some tracks we raced on in Australia recently. My goal is to just get laps and try to make the show each night. It’s going to be a tough field of cars and a challenging track.”

With a large 60-race schedule set for 2017, White previously announced that she will tackle the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour for the first time in her career. While that will encompass the bulk of her events, White has more than a dozen additional races on the initial schedule of more than 60 shows across the country. Harli spent most of the offseason competing in Australia for the first time in her career, and she is hopeful that experience will lead to success at new venues this season, including the one this Thursday through Saturday.

White, who had never driven a 410 winged sprint car prior to the trip, competed in 13 races at three different tracks throughout December and January. She said the highlight was being a part of Team USA when it won the Origin of Speed event, which showcased eight states and territories, at Valvoline Raceway in Sydney, New South Wales, on Jan. 12.

“As a driver I have to be able to adapt to any track condition,” she said. “Dry slick is what we were hoping for in Australia. A slick track in the states will be nice.”

Regardless of the tricky track and stout competition, White said she is entering this season with a lot of confidence.

“We’re on top of our game going into the first race,” she said. “Everything is in line. It looks good and sounds good. We spent the hours preparing this year. I learned a lot racing in Australia during the offseason, hopefully running the different tracks will help me quickly figure out these new tracks I’ll be going to.”

Harli White’s 2016 season schedule

February 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Ambitious is an understatement when describing sprint Car racer Harli White’s 2016 season schedule. She has opted not to focus on racing for points in any specific series, but instead has packed her schedule with more than 40 winged sprint car races and more than a half-dozen non-wing sprint car races for her tentative 2016 season schedule.

Harli White has also planned 12 midget racing appearances, including the season-opening weekend March 4-5 at Red River Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas, for the Red River Roundup with POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget Series.

I hate points racing,” she said. “I picked my schedule racing wherever, whenever. I’m really excited about it. I looked and saw where the big races were and picked those.”

In addition to the opening doubleheader of the season next month, White will embark upon her first Indiana Midget Week with the Honda USAC National Midget Series May 31 through June 5

I’m really excited about racing the midget,” she said. “We’ll have a couple of shows at some tracks I’ve run a sprint car at so that will be fun.”

White’s first winged sprint car event will be the rescheduled Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.,March 10-12 with the GoMuddy.com National Sprint League 360 Sprint Car Series.

She plans to compete in all but one of the GoMuddy.com NSL 360 events and will tackle Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour races in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington and Iowa.

“We have a lot of multi-day shows on the schedule so it’ll be a really exciting year,” she said. “Also in April I have my wedding week so we’ll take that weekend off.”

Additionally, White is pleased to announce several sponsors are on board for the 2016 season. The Mower Shop and The Body Works are Chili Bowl partners that extended sponsorships and White is also excited to welcome Sea Foam to the team.

“I’m so grateful for all of our partners for their support,” she said. “We are pushing ourselves hard this year and are able to do so thanks to the amazing fans and sponsors.”

White’s apparel is currently being finalized. She plans on having a variety of t-shirt designs with sizes ranging from youth small to adult 4XL in many colors for sale at her race trailer throughout the season.

Harli White 2016 Season Schedule

Mar 4-5	Red River Roundup Red River Speedway – Wichita Falls, TX
Mar 10-12	28th Annual Short Track Nationals I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR
Mar 17	Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Tour Heart O’ Texas Speedway – Waco, TX
Mar 18-19	43rd Annual Spring Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS National Sprint Car Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Mar 25-26	Park City Cup / Air Capital Shootout 81 Speedway – Park City, KS
Apr 2	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Randolph County Raceway – Moberly, MO
Apr 30	ASCS Rock N Roll 50 Riverside International Speedway – West Memphis, AR
May 6	POWRi West Midget Series Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, MO
May 7	5th Annual Open Wheel Showdown Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
May 13-14	Texas World Dirt Track Championship Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, TX
May 20	POWRi West Midget Series Boyd Raceway – Boyd, TX
May 21	POWRi West Midget Series Abilene Speedway – Abilene, TX
May 31	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Montpelier Motor Speedway – Montpelier, IN
Jun 1	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Gas City I-69 Speedway – Gas City, IN
Jun 2	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, IN
Jun 3	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Bloomington Speedway – Bloomington, IN
Jun 4	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
Jun 5	Midget Week – USAC National Midgets Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, IN
Jun 11	Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Route 66 Motor Speedway – Amarillo, TX
Jun 14	SPEED WEEK 43rd Annual Summer Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Jun 15	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lawton Speedway – Lawton, OK
Jun 16	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK
Jun 17	ASCS Sizzlin Summer Speedweek Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Missouri State Fair Speedway – Sedalia, MO
Jun 18	ASCS Bob Westphal Memorial Cup Sizzlin’ Speedweek Finale Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Jun 23-25	45th Annual Jim Rapier Memorial Dirt Cup Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Skagit Speedway – Alger, WA
Jul 1-2	Fred Brownfield Classic Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Grays Harbor Raceway – Elma, WA
Jul 23	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
Aug 4-6	26th Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
Aug 17	POWRi West Midget Series Lawton Speedway – Lawton, OK
Aug 18	POWRi West Midget Series Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK
Aug 19	POWRi West Midget Series 81 Speedway – Park City, KS
Aug 20	POWRi West Midget Series Dodge City Raceway Park – Dodge City, KS
Sep 2-4	Jackson Sprint Car Nationals Jackson Motorplex – Jackson, MN
Sep 9-10	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Billings Motorsports Park – Billings, MT
Sep 22-24	6th Annual ASCS Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
Oct 14-15	43rd Annual Winter Nationals Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint National Tour Devil’s Bowl Speedway – Mesquite, TX
Nov 2-5, 2016	29th Annual Short Track Nationals I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR
Nov 11-12	NSL National 360 Sprint Cars Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ

We can’t wait to see how Harli White fairs on this tough 2016 season schedule! Best of luck!

Enjoyed this article? You can keep up with Harli’s career and hundreds of other women in racing by subscribing to receive free Horsepower & Heels news updates.

Featured Racer: McKenna Haase

July 8, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

McKenna Haase isn’t your average teenager. The 18 year-old Des Moines, Iowa native shows poise and savvy beyond her years. On the eve of her high school graduation, where she would walk at the head of her Carlisle High School class with prestigious valedictorian honors, McKenna Haase would add a historic win at century-old Knoxville Speedway to her already impressive career. Drive, passion and razor-sharp talent can all but guarantee the name McKenna etched just the first of a long list of memorable highlights for the record books.

Mall Encounter inspires Racing Career

For most young girls, a trip to the mall may inspire her growing fashion sense, but for McKenna, a chance encounter at a mall in Tennessee would serve as the spark that would ignite her racing passion.

I became interested in racing when I met Kasey Kahne in a shopping mall in Tennessee and began following racing. I also watched one of my cousins race in Oklahoma and continued to follow the sport.”

Haase’s encounter with NASCAR star Kasey Kahne so deeply impacted her that she began the difficult task of convincing her parents – who had no racing ties – to allow their daughter to participate in a sport they disliked. No easy task, McKenna names this as one of the toughest hurdles in her young career. But, after much prodding, they finally conceded and allowed McKenna to begin racing at the Karting level.

I raced at Slideways Karting Center for two years before getting my own racecar after many years of trying to talk my parents into it. I think early on my biggest roadblock was talking my parents into allowing me to be a part of a sport they weren’t very fond of. I felt like we were always arguing over whether or not I could go to the races, and then later on, get a racecar.”

Without family racing knowledge, McKenna and her father would rely on driving techniques she would pick up studying in-car camera videos and other live racing events they attended. She put these techniques to practice at public karting facilities, honing her early skills behind the wheel.

Moving up for McKenna Haase

From there, she began her trek up the ranks. Beginning in 2010, she would make quick work to the top of the Box Stock Outlaw Karts category at English Creek Speedway (Knoxville, IA). Haase would finish in the Top 3 of all the A-Main points races there, securing a top 5 A-Main finish, a B-Main win at the Got Milk? Nationals in Hartville, MO, and a 7^th place finish at the Outlaw Dirt Kart Nationals (Knoxville, IA).

In 2011, she would return to the Box Stock Outlaw Kart class, besting her performances all-around with a 3^rd place finish at the Got Milk? Nationals in Hartville, another 3^rd place finish at the Outlaw Dirt Kart Nationals, and 15 wins & 22 second place combined heat & feature finishes throughout the season. All of this resulted in a runner-up finish for the 2011 English Creek Speedway points championship.

After quick success in the Box Stock Outlaw Kart ranks, McKenna would make the move in 2012 to Restrictor/Open Micro Sprints. She would travel to a variety of tracks to compete, claiming two feature wins and 16 top ten finishes out of the 20 race schedule. She even claimed a 2nd place finish at the Warren County Speedway Nationals in 2012.

2013 would see McKenna in the running for the A-Class/Open/Outlaw Micro Sprints. Of the 16 races she entered, 14 of them were top ten finishes, with a 1^st place finish in the Tulsa Shootout heat race.

By 2014, she had graduated 305 Sprint Cars, competing in the Knoxville Championship Cup Series at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. She claimed 3 heat wins, 5 top ten finishes in her first 7 feature starts and finished 2^nd overall, which was the highest finish from a female in the raceway’s 100+ year history at the time.

That record wouldn’t stand long, because on the eve of her high school graduation, McKenna captured her first 305 Sprint win at Knoxville Raceway, and sealed her name permanently into the record books with her historic win.

Balancing Life and Racing

With such success and dedication, it is easy to forget that Haase accomplished all of this while enrolled full-time in high school, participating in a variety of athletic sports, and maintaining a flawless 4.0 G.P.A.

Athletically, I’ve participated in a variety of other sports other than racing that has helped to keep me in shape for racing. I’ve always been a believer in having a good education and trying hard in school, and as I head to college to study finance, I’ve found that my business background has really helped me with sponsorships, marketing, and merchandise.”

The seemingly tireless McKenna spends much of her free time in the office working on the business side of her racing career, handling the marketing promotions, merchandise sales, and accounting for the team. When needed, she would also jump back into the shop to handle work on the racecar in preparation for upcoming race weekends. Yet still, she set aside time in her bustling schedule for the gym to make sure she was physically on top of her game.

Racing is a full time job both on and off the track, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

With all the attention and dedication that McKenna places on her career, it’s easy to see why the young racer has attained such early success. Her biggest obstacles have come with the increasing costs in moving her way up the ranks. But she hasn’t let anything slow her down, attributing her ability to overcome these hurdles to hard work, and a good support system. Her focus on achieving her goals is paramount, something that has helped her avoid the occasional critic.

I have received criticism in the past but have always tried to steer clear of any drama or anything that might distract me from staying focused on my goals. I’ve found it’s best to look at these situations as a way of making myself stronger and believe it’s best just to stay out of any negative conversations.”

Leading Young Women in Racing

McKenna was also recognized by the Women’s Sports Foundation, partnering with their Project Podium program.

Last year I was partnered with the Women’s Sports Foundation and Project Podium which was a really neat organization to be a part of and is filled with many women that are really inspirational. It’s always neat to see younger girls look up to me (I wish we had more in the sport), and I love hearing when I’ve inspired someone else. I like to see a female’s eyes light up when you talk about racing with them because they watched me race or something I did caught their attention.”

With experience well beyond what her 18 years might lead you to believe, she is able to offer solid advice for young women wanting to enter the sport:

I have so many tips I could share that I’ve learned along the way, but I’ll share a couple that I feel are most important.

#1- Be social- If you’re truly passionate about motorsports, be involved in as much as possible in the sport. Don’t be afraid to talk to new people, no matter their age or background, as you never know who you might meet. There are a lot of amazing people in the racing community, and I believe life’s too short to pass up the opportunity to meet a great friend or connection. Get out there and experience everything motorsports has to offer and enjoy every single second of the ride.

#2- Be genuine- No matter what level you find yourself at in motorsports, be grateful to anyone who helped you get there and never pass up the opportunity to thank them. If you are genuinely humble and grateful in motorsports, people will respect you, and it makes them feel good knowing they support someone who truly appreciates what they’ve done for them.

As McKenna Haase continues into her next life chapter, her long term goal is to drive a World of Outlaws sprint car and ultimately sees a career as a professional racecar driver for herself, wherever that may lead her. One thing is certain, we have only seen the beginning of the McKenna Haase legacy.

We look forward to seeing many more historic firsts for this young fearless female, good luck to you, McKenna Haase!

Doubleheader weekend for Taylor Ferns

May 29, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Taylor Ferns will get to hit the dirt twice this weekend in her home state Michigan as she takes to the track at Hartford Speedway and I-96 Speedway for a pair of events.

The weekend will open for Ferns today with the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP, where she will drive the Eco-Mend/Jimmy’s Towing Maxim at Hartford Speedway.

Saturday, she will the race in the NAPA Auto Parts Rumble in Michigan for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at I-96 Speedway.

After getting rained out on Monday, I am really looking forward to getting to race twice this weekend,” said Ferns. “We’ll be racing both the 360- and 410-sprint car, which is always a good transition. I’ve never been to Hartford before, so I’ve been watching You Tube video to stay on points. I did race a micro (sprint) at I-96, but that was on the smaller inner track, so it will be a lot different this time, especially racing with the World of Outlaws, who in my opinion, are the best in the world.”

Ferns has raced once with the Sprints on Dirt this season, finishing eighth on May 16 at Plymouth Speedway in Indiana. That event marked her first 360-winged sprint car start since last fall.

The Michigan native, who now calls the Indianapolis area home, competed with the World of Outlaws earlier this month at the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, during the two-night “Mother of All Sprint Car Weekends” on Mother’s Day weekend. She battled engine problems on the second night, which forced her to scratch after time trials.

Last weekend, Ferns returned to Plymouth Speedway to race with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions on May 22 in the Earl Gaerte Classic. She opened the night by timing in 31^st and finished eighth in the second heat race. The night ended for Ferns in the B-main.

We have a full week of racing coming up and we are hoping to have a good start to that in Michigan,” said Ferns. “We’ll be racing good competition both nights and that always adds a bit to the learning curve, but it’s also how you get better. The team has been working hard as always and we can’t wait to get to the track both days this weekend.”

Ferns has made 12 starts this season, while battling Mother Nature, with a number of scheduled events rained out. She finished a season-best eighth in her first race of the year with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions in Florida. She also has raced with the MOWA Series, OVSCA and F.A.S.T. Series.

She will continue to contest a true “Outlaw” schedule in 2015, racing with a variety of series at numerous tracks across the Midwest.

Changes for Taylor Ferns at Plymouth Speedway

May 15, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels

Although it won’t be the first time for Taylor Ferns at Plymouth Speedway, there won’t be much familiarity for 20 year-old sprint car racer entering this weekend’s Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt event. Since her last visit to the Indiana track, it has undergone a conversion from a half-mile paved configuration to three-eighths-of-a-mile dirt format. Her last appearance at the track was at the wheel of a midget three years ago, and returns this weekend aboard the Eco-Mend/Jimmy’s Towing Maxim, a winged sprint car.

Taylor Ferns ready for Plymouth Speedway

Saturday, May 16th begins the action for the Engine Pro Sprints event, presented by ARP. A full racing program is on tap for the winged 360-sprint car series based in Michigan. Taylor’s last 360-sprint car experience came last fall at Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio, where she won a heat race and started eighth in the main event. Contact with another car led to a flip on the second lap, which ended her night.

Going from a 410 (sprint car) to a 360 (sprint car), I think easier than going from a 360 to a 410,” explained Ferns. “Everything happens a lot slower in a 360, and it is easier to adapt. A big difference is that they usually draw for starting spots in a 360, so you have to try to pass a lot of cars in order to get a good starting spot in the main event.”

Previous track experience of little value

Ferns’ most recent start at Plymouth in 2012 with the Honda USAC National Midget Series yielded a third-fastest qualifying effort for that event, her best-career qualifying effort with the series. She ran fourth in a heat race, finishing 10th in the main event. During the same season, she also raced with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour.

Prior to that, Ferns competed in a co-sanctioned race with the USAC D1 Midget Series and STARS National Midget Series, finishing 10th in a 40-lap feature, after winning a heat race in 2011. She made her debut at Plymouth in 2009, with the Kenyon Midget Series.

Having been to Plymouth before will help, but that’s probably about the only thing we can take away from our last trip there to this time,” said Ferns. “It’s going to be a completely different experience. We’ve had a tough start to the season, so we are looking to get things turned around at Plymouth.”

Last weekend, Ferns raced at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, which featured both the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series in the “Mother of All Sprint Car Weekends.” Though she would finish ninth in the third heat race and wound up 14th in the B-main during the Friday opener, she encoutnered engine trouble in time trials Saturday that forced her to scratch for the remainder of the race program.

Two weekends ago, Ferns competed at Atomic Speedway in Ohio with the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association. She finished fourth in the first heat race to transfer to the main event. In the A-Feature, she finished 17th.

We have been trying some different things, so hopefully we can have a good weekend and everything will go smoothly,” said Ferns. “We have had so much going on this year and haven’t been able to catch a break, so a smooth weekend is what we are after.”