Amanda Ferguson Motorsports

Next Race

May 26, 2012
Punta Gorda Speedway
Punta Gorda, FL

Fundraiser Event

This past Saturday, the Phase One #7 Super Late Model and Amanda Ferguson Motorsports teamed up to help the Small Steps Academy Preschool and Kindergarten. Located in Port Orange, FL, the Small Steps Academy hosted a 5K Run fundraiser in an effort to raise money to be used to build a playground. Amanda and Phase One brought the Eagle Jet International #7 Super Late Model to the Breakers Ocean Front Park to hand out RAD posters and cups. She signed autographs and got to meet the children from Small Steps. It was a fun event and Amanda had a great time meeting with the students. Amanda and Phase One wish the Small Steps Academy the best of luck in raising enough money to build their playground.

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Racing at New Smyrna

May 5, 2012

Amanda and the Phase One team arrived at the track ready to run the new Maropulos motor for the Bright House Challenge Series Race #4. Amanda started 9th in the field. During the race Amanda ran as high as 6th place. With about 16 laps to go Amanda slipped back several spots to finish in the 9th position. Thanks to the team for all their hard work.

Mechanical Issues at New Smyrna Speedway

April 14, 2012

On Saturday April 14, Amanda and the Phase One Team arrived with high hopes at the Billie Harvey Memorial and Brighthouse Challenge Race #3 at New Smyrna Speedway. The evening started out with Amanda turning her best qualifying time ever at NSS. She started the race in the 13th position knowing she was running with some of Florida’s finest super late model drivers. Amanda was running in the 9th position on lap 64 when a catastrophic motor failure ended her night. As they say, “There is a silver lining in every dark cloud.” This saying holds true for Amanda as this engine failure marks the beginning of a new motor program next weekend at Punta Gorda Speedway as the team prepares for Race #4 of the Goodyear 12 Pack Series. Amanda and the team are excited to begin their relationship with Tiry’s Race Engines out of Ripon Wisconsin. Tiry’s Race Engines produced 11 championships throughout the nation last year. Amanda would like to thank the Phase One team for their efforts in giving her one of the best handling cars she has ever driven at New Smyrna Speedway.

Mother Nature has the last word

at Punta Gorda Speedway

March 31, 2012

While rain was falling most of the day on tracks from Bradenton to New Smyrna the sun was shining at Punta Gorda Speedway for race #3 of the Goodyear 12 Pack Series. Amanda and Phase 1 brought a 2nd car to the track to set up by the grandstands for RAD Night at the Races. Over 275 magnet race cars and posters were given out to children as they came through the gates. After qualifying Amanda spent some time talking with fans and signing posters. Then, it was back to the pits to prepare for 100 lap main event. Amanda’s qualifying effort had her starting on the outside of row 7. With rain looming the green flag dropped and Amanda immediately went to work. For the first several laps Amanda raced hard on the outside trying to pass the 12th and 13th place cars. Unable to pass both cars Amanda tucked in behind the 12th place car and began to work him on the inside. By lap 15 Amanda completed the pass and began closing the distance on the 11th place car. By lap 58 Amanda had managed to work her way up to 10th position. When rain drops started falling on lap 65 the flagman showed the field the white flag. Knowing she only had one lap remaining, Amanda drove deep into turn 1 to get her nose under the 10th place car. She was able to make the car stick coming off turn 2 and drove side-by-side into turn 3 with the #22 car. As she drove out of turn 4, the Phase 1 #7 SLM pulled ahead and Amanda took the checkered flag in 9th place. Amanda, the Phase 1 Team and Race Against Drugs would like to thank Kevin Williams and the entire Punta Gorda Speedway staff for allowing us to have a RAD Night at the Races. It was a tremendous success.

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RAD at the Races Track Announcement

The RAD Racing Team, #7 SLM Driver Amanda Ferguson, Phase 1 Motorsports and Punta Gorda Speedway are hosting RAD at the Races on Saturday March 31, 2012. All children attending the race will receive a free Race Against Drugs poster and a Tide magnet racecar. Time allowing after the SLM qualifying session, Amanda will come into the stands to meet the kids and autograph posters.

For over 20 years, the RAD Racing Team and Race Against Drugs have supported drug free youth through their partnership with motorsports.

The Race Against Drugs RAD Racing Team is a network of volunteers dedicated to promoting a healthy, drug free lifestyle to our nation’s youth. RAD provides a framework for motorsports professionals and enthusiasts to incorporate a drug free message into their racing interests, allowing them to advocate and to serve their communities. RAD spokespersons are role models who educate, inform, and encourage children to make responsible choices, set appropriate goals, and refrain from abusing drugs or alcohol. You may visit RAD at www.raceagainstdrugs.org.

Goodyear 12 Pack Series Race #2

March 3, 2012

It was an unseasonably warm, Florida evening for round 2 of the Goodyear 12 Pack Series. Amanda’s qualifying effort placed her in the 13th starting position. The packed crowd witnessed 100 exciting laps of almost caution free racing. Amanda managed to work her way up to finish a very respectable 8th place in this competitive field of super late models. Congratulations go out to Daryll Shelnut for leading almost the entire race and taking the checkered flag. The 8th place finish firmly positions Amanda in 6th place overall in the Goodyear 12 Pack Series. Thanks for Eagle Jet International, Banta Logistics, Coleman Racing Products, Atlantic Powder Coating and Simpson for their continued support. Amanda’s next race will be race #2 of the Bright House Challenge Series at Orlando Speed World.

Bright House Race #1

February 25, 2012

The Bright House Challenge Series Race #1 proved to bring out a star studded field for the final night of Speed Week. It looked like a who’s who list of super late model drivers. Noticeably absent were many of the Florida super late model top guns at this event. Not to worry though, the fans were far from disappointed with drivers like Chase Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Kennedy, Mike Skinner and Travis Cope, to name a few, making up the field of 26 cars. Amanda qualified and started 23rd in this impressive field of drivers. She would finish the 100 lap feature in 17th place. After the race Amanda stated, “It was fun racing with this group of drivers. I feel I learned a lot from racing with them. If you want to be the best in racing, you’ve got to race with the best. It was too bad there were only a handful of Florida racers in the field.” Thanks to Eagle Jet International, Banta Logistics, Atlantic Powder Coating, Coleman Racing Products and Simpson for their continued support. Also, a huge thank you goes to the Phase One crew for all their hard work this past weekend. The Phase One, Eagle Jet International Ford Fusion will race again this coming weekend at Punta Gorda Speedway for Race #2 of the Goodyear 12 Pack Series.

Goodyear 12 Pack Series Race #1
January 21, 2012

This past weekend Amanda Ferguson and Phase One Motorsports debuted their new look for 2012 at the Goodyear 12 Pack Series race #1 at Punta Gorda Speedway. The team spent Friday evening at the track working on setting up the car. Practice on Saturday did not go as well with the team chasing the setup all afternoon. A slight adjustment prior to qualifying was not enough to get the car rotating in the center of the corner. With a disappointing qualifying effort Amanda would find herself starting in the 19th position. The Phase One crew made some more adjustments prior to the race trying to get the car back to where it had been on Friday evening. When the green flag fell the car was still tight in the center but Amanda was confident the car would eventually come in. As the race laps ticked off the clock, Amanda began making some progress in moving up through the field. By lap 70 Amanda had figured out how to make the car work for her and she found herself running inside the top 10. With 2 laps to go Amanda was running in 6th place when the #28 of Billy Bigley Jr. managed to get his nose under her coming off turn 2. When the checkered flag fell Amanda was running in 7th place. Amanda had this to say after the race, "The car was definately better on the long run. Everytime the caution fell and the tires cooled off the car just didn't want to rotate in the center of the corner for the first couple laps. I had my hands full trying to keep my car down from the center off. I knew there were some good cars behind me and I didn't want to get freight trained on a restart." Amanda would like to thank Eagle Jet International and Banta Logistics for their support both on and off the track. Check out the slide show below for a recap of the weekend. Amanda's next race in the #7 Phase One Motorsports super late model will be the Bright House Series race #1 at New Smyrna Speedway on February 25th during speed week.

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Gearing Up for 2012

The racing for 2011 might have ended in November but the work was only getting started for 2012. Amanda�s performance during the 2011 race season as she transitioned from sprint cars to super late models impressed her sponsor, Eagle Jet International, enough that she received two new lefthander chassis cars for the 2012 season. These two new cars, added to the 1 year old Lefthander already in the Phase One Fleet sets Amanda and Phase One Motorsports on the path to a great season in 2012. All three Lefthander cars will be 2012 Ford Fusions. Two cars will be powered by Progressive engines and the third will be powered by a Tiry engine from Tiry�s Racing Engines out of Ripon, WI. In 2011, Tiry�s Racing Engines produced 11 championships throughout the nation. In addition to two new cars and a new engine program, the Phase one #7 car will sport a totally new look designed by Wilco Graphics. Amanda and Phase One Motorsports are delighted to continue their relationship with Eagle Jet International, Race Against Drugs (RAD), Banta Logistics, Atlantic Powder Coating, Coleman Racing Products and Simpson. The team�s first race of the season will be race #1 of the Goodyear 12 Pack Series at Punta Gorda Speedway on January 21st. Look for the new 2012 schedule to be posted next week. The team will continue pursuing additional sponsorships and funding in order to increase the number of races on the schedule. If you are interested in becoming part of Amanda�s team, we have several sponsorship opportunities available. Please click here to contact us.

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Final Race Update
Punta Gorda Speedway
November 26-27, 2011

The last race for Amanda and the Phase One/Eagle Jet racing team at Punta Gorda Speedway tested the team�s resilience and persistence. Electrical problems plagued the car during qualifying which resulted in Amanda only taking one lap. This had her starting back in the 14th position for the 100 lap main event. By lap 55 Amanda had worked her way up to 9th place and was running with the lead pack of cars. On lap 56 Amanda was passing a lapped car coming out of turn 2. She was almost clear when the lapped car bounced off the wall catching Amanda in the right rear and sent her for the ride of her life which ended with the car hitting the opening on the backstretch going into turn 3. The impact tore the front of the car off and crushed the entire rear end of the car. After the dust settled, Amanda walked away from a totally destroyed car. Although she and the team were on their way to one of their best finishes this year the day ended with disappointment and frustration at not being able to finish the race. The team loaded up the destroyed car with a determination to come back next year better and stronger.

The 2011 season by and large was a successful season as Amanda worked with Phase One Motorsports and MK Motorsports in transitioning to a super late model. One of the biggest challenges for Amanda was learning to qualify. By the end of the year Amanda improved her qualifying effort to consistently qualifying in the top 10. In addition, with 5 top 10 finishes and 2 top 5 finishes Amanda Ferguson Motorsports accomplished everything they set out to do and more.

When asked about the season Amanda had this to say, �The 2011 race season was a tremendous season. Even though we experienced some bumps early on, as a team we met all our goals by the end of the year. I�d like to thank the following people for their help in making my season a success. First, I�d like to thank my parents for their continued love and support through all the ups and downs. I�d also like to thank the rest of my family and friends who faithfully come to my races to cheer me on. I�d also like to thank the hardworking crews at Phase One Motorsports and MK Motorsports for their hard work and dedication to putting me in a safe, competitive race car. In addition, I�d like to thank my sponsors Eagle Jet International, Banta Logistics, Florida Bearings, Atlantic Powder Coating, Coleman Racing Products and Simpson Race Products. Their financial support is what allows me to continue pursuing my dream. And finally, to all my dedicated fans that follow me on my website, Facebook, Twitter and at the race track: You are the greatest fans anybody could ask for and are my motivation for always giving 100 percent effort at every race.�

On behalf of all of us at Amanda Ferguson Motorsports we would like to thank everybody for their support of Amanda during the 2011 season. Look for an announcement in the next 2 weeks concerning Amanda�s future career plans. Should the announcement not be released prior to January 1st please accept our holiday wishes for a happy and safe holiday season.