Final Race at the Dells Saturday, September 10, 2011 Dells Raceway Park, WI
Amanda raced her 5th and final race in the midwest for the 2011 season on September 10th at Dells Raceway Park. There were 27 super late models on hand for the final race of the season at DRP. The car handled great and Amanda laid down the 5th fastest time of the day. The doy would come to an early end, however. On lap 6 of the feature the left rear axle broke ending Amanda's run for the evening. Amanda's next race is on October 1st at Punta Gorda Speedway, FL.
RAD at the Races Saturday, September 3, 2011 New Smyrna Speedway
The National Center for Prevention and Research Solutions, the RAD Racing Team, RAD Racer Amanda Ferguson, and New Smyrna Speedway are hosting RAD at the Races on September 3rd, 2011.
For over 20 years, the RAD Racing Team and Race Against Drugs have supported drug free youth through their partnership with motorsports. RAD Racer Amanda Ferguson and New Smyrna Speedway are inviting students in elementary, middle/junior high, and high school to participate in the RAD at the Races Poster Contest.All youth participating in the poster contest will receive free entry to the event. All entries must be received by 7:30pm on September 3rd. A winner from each school level will be selected and may be published in the Stay on Track Activity Book that will be distributed to children across the country in 2012!All winners will be recognized on the RAD Racing Team website, www.radracingteam.org.Posters will be judged on creativity, application of racing theme, level of detail, originality and clarity. Make sure you click on the link to print out the poster contest entry form or you can pick up the entry form at the ticket window, concession stand or www.radracingteam.org.
Bright House Challenge Series Race #6 Orlando Speedworld August 19, 2011
There were 16 super late models in the pits of Orlando Speedworld for race #6 in the Bright House Challenge Series. The weather was questionable as rain showers plagued practice in the late afternoon hours. Once the showers moved out the track was dried and qualifying began. Amanda qualified 10th quickest which had her lining up 10th for the 50 lap feature. Once the green flag fell, Amanda quickly moved into the 9th position. With the exception of a caution on lap 2, the race went green until lap 40. With 10 laps to go Amanda lined up in the 8th position for the restart. Another caution on lap 44 bunched the field up once again with Amanda restarting in the 5th position. With 5 laps to go Amanda was running in the third position with the #20 car on her bumper. With 3 laps to go the #20 managed to get to Amanda's inside and the two cars raced side-by-side for 2 laps. As the white flag fell, the #20 managed to complete the pass and Amanda would take the checkered flag in the 4th position. Thanks to Eagle Jet International for their continued support. Also, a special thank you goes out to the Village's Motor Racing Fan Club for coming out to the track to support Amanda and the Phase One Team. Amanda's next race will be back at Orlando Speedworld on September 2nd.
Alive for Five Race 4 Dells Raceway Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI August 13, 2011
This past weekend Amanda raced in the 4th Alive for Five Super Late Model Race at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The day started with Amanda qualifying 10th out of 29 cars. She started 3rd in the feature. Once the green flag fell Amanda slipped to fourth but held that position through several cautions. On a restart at lap 11 she slipped to 5th place. On lap 25 a caution brought the field back together. After going green the #51 was able to get under her and she slid up the track. She was finally able to find a hole back in the 9th position. Just after passing a car for seventh the #12 made contact with her left rear causing her to spin out. After restarting at the the tail of the field Amanda began working her way forward. After working her way back up to the 8th position she began looking for a way around the 7th place car. Once again, the #12 would make contact with Amanda's rear bumper. After saving the car she once again went to work on the 7th place car. Two more times contact was made by the #12. After taking the white flag the #12 drove into her back bumper on the backstretch causing her to fall back to an 11th place finish. Special thanks go to Culver's, Water Furnace and Eagle Jet International for all their support this year. Amanda's next race in the Midwest tour will be on September 10th at Dells Raceway Park for the final Alive for Five super late model race. Her next Florida race is on August 19th at Orlando Speedworld, Bithlo, FL.
Fox Ford Marquette Late Model Invitational August 6, 2011
This past weekend Amanda Ferguson and the MK Motorsports team headed to the Upper Peninsula to race in the Fox Ford Marquette Late Model Invitational at Sands Speedway in Marquette, Michigan. Over 20 super late models showed up to race this grand opening event. The MK Motorsports #77 was fast and handled well from the time the team unloaded the car. With only some minor changes Amanda was ready for qualifying. At the end of qualifying the #77 was 4th quick on the time charts setting a personal best qualifying effort for Amanda. The format for the twin 40 lap features was a full field inversion from qualifying for the first race and then a full field inversion of the finishing order for the 2nd race. Amanda lined up in the 19th position for the start of the first race. By lap 10 she had worked her way up to the 13th position. She continued working her way through the field up to 3rd place. Contact with the 4th place car on lap 30 would send Amanda for a spin in turn one. With only 10 laps remaining Amanda found herself restarting in the 15th position. Once the green flag fell Amanda began working her way through the field once again. She managed to work her way back up to 4th place to take the checkered flag. For the second race, Amanda would once again start towards the back of the field. After 9 laps the caution would fly for a car spinning in turn 2. The #77 lined up in the 6th position for the restart; however, rain began falling and the race would not be able to resume. Amanda's overall finishing position for the event would be 4th place. When asked how she liked racing at Sands Speedway Amanda replied, "This is a great little track. It has a unique shape and not much room to pass but the car handled so great I could pass on the inside and outside. I hope I have the opportunity to come back and race here again." Thanks to Culver's, Water Furnace, Eagle Jet International and Race Against Drugs for all their support. Amanda's next midwest race will be August 13 at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsion Dells, WI.
Racing at Orlando Speedworld and New Smyrna Speedway July 29-30, 2011
This past weekend Amanda and the Phase One #7 super late model took part in the Bright House Challenge double header weekend. The weekend started off Friday evening at Orlando Speedworld. Amanda qualified 17th out of 23 cars. Amanda would finish the race in 10th place earning her first top ten finish in a super late model. The weekend continued with the super late model field moving to New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday for the second night of racing action. This night would be a better qualifying effort as Amanda was 8th quick on the time charts. The night would end with Amanda earning a 7th place finish. After the race Amanda stated, "The team has worked really hard to get the car ready for this weekend and I appreciate their hard work. It was great to have a 10th place finish on Friday with Scott Steger from RAD watching and a 7th place finish on Saturday with Ken and Norm from Florida Bearings at the track. I'd like to thank Eagle Jet International, Race Against Drugs and Florida Bearings for supporting me and helping me obtain my best finish this season." Next weekend Amanda continues her Midwest tour racing at Sands Speedway in Marquette, Michigan.
Racing at Dells Raceway Park July 23, 2011
This past weekend, Amanda made her racing debut in the Midwest in the Frank Kreyer owned #77 Culver's super late model at Dells Raceway Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI. The day started off with 26 super late models showing up to race the third race in the Alive for Five super late model series. Rain moved into the area in the early afternoon delaying practice for a short time. Once the track was dry they managed to get in two rounds of practice.In the second practice the #77 Culver’s super late model was clocked as the fastest car out of the 25 cars that practiced in that round.In qualifying, Amanda's lap time of 13.584 would put her 8th out of 25 cars to take time and be a personal best in qualifying. Amanda lined up 5th in her heat race. She ended up losing 1 spot to another car and finished 6th in her heat race. For the feature, Amanda lined up in the 11th position. After waving off the first couple of the starts, the field finally went green. Two cautions in the first 2 laps moved her to the outside for the restart. With nose-to-tail and side-by-side racing Amanda found herself stuck in the outside groove behind a slower car and she began to fall back in the field. By lap 10 she was able to find her way to the inside in the 15th position. On lap 15, she had managed to work her way up to 13th and on lap 17 she was back up to 11th. With rain sprinkles falling and cautions coming regularly Amanda found herself bouncing around in the 10th-12th place positions. After 30 laps Amanda would find herself once again running 11th where she would remain for the remainder of the 55 lap feature. When asked about the race Amanda had this to say, "This was some tough racing. Most of the field ran side-by-side the entire race. No cars were lapped and most of the field ran together as one pack. I have to commend these drivers for some top notch racing. I am looking forward to coming back next month. I would like to thank Eagle Jet International, Race Against Drugs and Simpson for their support and help in making it possible for me to race in the Midwest.I would also like to thank Culver’s and Water Furnace for their support of Frank Kreyer’s super late model program." Amanda's next races are back in Florida this Friday and Saturday at Orlando Speedworld and New Smyrna Speedway.
Amanda Signs with MK Motorsports July 5, 2011
This past weekend, on July 2, MK Motorsports and Amanda Ferguson came to an agreement to run several super late model races through the end of the 2011 season touring the Midwest with an option for additional races in 2012.Some of the scheduled tracks are Dells Raceway Park, Michigan’s Marquette/Sands Speedway and the ultra-fast Wisconsin International Raceway.More tracks will be added later. MK Motorsports, based in Wisconsin Dells, WI, has a long history and deep ties with NASCAR and the ASA touring divisions.Owned and operated by Michelle and Frank Kreyer, a 4th generation race car driver, MK Motorsports is instrumental in helping young race car drivers hone their skills in the highly competitive mid-west region.The scheduling of these races takes into consideration Amanda’s current commitment to Phase One Motorsports.In addition to her Midwest races she will continue racing in Florida through the end of the 2011 season. When asked about this new venture, Amanda replied, “I am very excited to have this opportunity to race the MK Motorsports #77 super late model in the Midwest.Our goal in transitioning from a sprint car to a super late model was to test and acquire seat time in Florida.Despite the challenging start to our 2011 season we now have over 2,000 laps of test/race time in late models.We have certainly accomplished our goal of transitioning to a super late model.During the initial test/race part of our program our focus was on gaining lap time and experience, not on winning.As we travel north our focus will now shift to better finishes and improved qualifying times.Also, for the second half of the 2011 race season Phase One Motorsports has stepped up their engine program which will help the Phase One late models become more competitive in Florida.”Look for Amanda to travel back to Wisconsin for a testing session on July 15th with her first race the following weekend on July 23.Her next Florida race will be at Auburndale Speedway on July 30th.Amanda would like to thank Culvers and Water Furnace for their support of the MK Motorsports #77 super late model. She would also like to thank Eagle Jet International and the national FBI/DEA program Race Against Drugs for their continued support as her racing program moves to the Midwest.
Florida Bearings, Inc. is Newest Sponsor May 4, 2011
Amanda Ferguson Motorsports is pleased to announce Florida Bearings, Inc. has come on board as a new sponsor. This new partnership kicked off with Amanda and the Phase 1 Motorsports #7 super late model attending Florida Bearings, Inc. open house. Florida Bearings, Inc. is a 'total solutions' provider of bearings, power transmission and pump related products. Their outstanding technical expertise, high quality products, large local inventories and leading edge technology together with their 'service first' business philosophy is what separates them from their competition. To learn more about Florida Bearings, Inc. and their products you can visit them on the web at www.FloridaBearings.com.
Racing at Punta Gorda Speedway April 23, 2011
Amanda Ferguson and the Phase One Motorsports team headed down to Punta Gorda Speedway to run the first of 6 super late model races at PGS. This would be Amanda's first time at PGS in a super late model. After a good practice session on Friday evening, the team was confident going into Saturday's 100 lap race. Amanda's qualifiying time had her 17th in the lineup. Once the green flag fell, the team's plan was to stay out of trouble and have Amanda work her way toward the front of the field. Amanda was running in the 13th spot when a car made contact with her rear bumper sending her spinning coming out of turn 4. This sent Amanda to the rear of the field for the restart. Once under way, Amanda, once again began moving toward the front of the field. On lap 75 Amanda was running in the 12th position and ready to move forward again when she noticed the oil pressure had dropped to 0. She immediately pulled off the track hoping to save the motor. Even though she did not finish the race the team had a great time racing at PGS. The racing was clean and competitive and the stands were full of race fans enjoying the show. It will be several days before the team knows the extent of the damage to the motor. Special thanks to Eagle Jet International for their continued support. Also, thanks to the crew who worked so hard all weekend to make the car competitive and JB Banta Logistics for their support. Amanda's next scheduled race is May 14th at Auburndale Speedway. You can catch Amanda next Wednesday, May 4, at Florida Bearing's open house. Amanda Ferguson Motorsports and Phase One are happy to welcome Florida Bearing coming on board for a 3 race deal.
Racing at New Smyrna Speedway March 26, 2011
Amanda Ferguson and the Phase One Motorsports team had hoped to put the bad luck that has plagued the team behind them at the Pete Orr Memorial race at New Smyrna Speedway.The day started off with Amanda laying down a personal best time of 18.12 during qualifying.This would line her up in the 12th position in a field of 17 cars.As the green flag fell Amanda had a solid start and was able to work her way up to the 10th position when the first caution flew.On the restart, Amanda lost a spot to the #57 and fell into the 11th position where she would run for several laps.As the #4B of Alan Bruns made his way around her, Amanda was finding her rhythm.She began followingthe #4B and started closing in on the cars up ahead. After followingAlan around the #57 she set her sights on the #18.Then, the 2nd caution flag came out as Amanda was enteringturn 3 for an incident involving the #68.After driving through turns 3&4 Amanda began easing off the throttle as the cars in front of her began slowing for the caution.Unfortunately, Jason Boyd in the #15 car had no idea the caution was out and drove full throttle into Amanda’s left rear quarter panel.This caused his car to drive up the side of her car, driving directly across her window net and across her windshield.As the two cars slid out of control in front of the flag stand they finally came apart snapping Amanda into the inside wall where her car sustained heavy front end damage ending what should have been a solid top ten run.After the race Amanda stated, “I couldn’t believe as the #15 was driving across my window net that he was still full throttle.He had no clue there was a caution out and I don’t think he ever lifted until after our cars came apart.I don’t know if he was driving without a spotter or there was a communication issue, but it was a senseless accident that didn’t need to happen.Now the crew has to start the rebuilding process which will most likely take several weeks.This means we won’t be able to race the United Promoter’s race next Saturday at Lake City Speedway.”Despite the disappointing end to her night Amanda went on to say, “I’d like to thank Jenni Cook from the Race Against Drugs program for coming out to support me.Also, special thanks to my sponsor, Eagle Jet International, for continuing to support and believe in me.Thanks also to the Phase One crew for all their hard work and dedication to making this a winning team.Although, Lady Luck has once again frowned on us we are not giving up.”Amanda’s next scheduled race will be April 16 at New Smyrna Speedway.
Racing at Desoto Speedway February 27, 2010
Amanda's points season got off to a rocky start Saturday, February 26th at Desoto Speedway. During practice the car was handling great from the center off. Going into the corner was presenting a greater challenge. Amanda was not comfortable with the way the car was braking going in and when she stepped too hard on the brakes the rear end would snap loose. After some adjustments and taking some rear brake away the car seemed a little better. Amanda started in the 25th position. When the initial green flag flew there was a scuffle mid-pack causing cars to check up. As Amanda tried to check up her car spun around. When the green flag fell again Amanda settled in to racing and backed up her corner entry slightly to help with the braking issue. By lap 5 Amanda was running in the 22nd position and decided to try and drive a little deeper into the corner. Once again, though, as she needed more brake the car snapped around going into turn 1 and the caution flew. Amanda took more rear brake away as she lined up for the restart. As the field moved through turns 3 and 4 for the restart the car in front of Amanda broke loose and turned sideways in front of her. As she stepped on the brake to avoid running into him the rear end broke loose yet again causing Amanda to get sideways at which point a car behind her slid into her. The damage to the front bumper was too severe for her to continue ending her night in the 24th position. After the race Amanda said, "The team worked hard all day to try and get the car right. Our performance tonight was not a true representation of what this team is capable of." Special thanks go to Eagle Jet International for their support. Also, thanks to JB Banta Logistics for making the trip to the race to show their support.
Volunteering at The Plantation Animal Rescue February 11, 2010
Amanda and her best friend Rachel spent their Friday volunteering at a local animal rescue. They helped clean up storm debris from a pasture; then, they fed and groomed some of the 9 horses currently being cared for. The Plantation Animal Rescue is located in Bushnell, Florida. The primary focus of this rescue is horses; however, any animal in need is welcome. The Plantation Animal Rescue is funded through donations and the generosity of local businesses. For more information go to www.farmorphans.org or call (407) 375-2301.
Amanda Ferguson Motorsports is pleased to officially announce that an agreement has been reached with Phase One Motorsports for the 2011 race season. The agreement places Amanda in a super late model for a 26-30 race season. The tentative schedule has races scheduled in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. Out of state tracks may include Hickory Motor Speedway, South Boston Speedway, Tri-County Speedway and Gresham Motorsports Park along with the possibility of traveling farther north pending additional sponsorship. Eagle Jet International will continue their support and sponsorship of Amanda, along with the National Center for Prevention and Research Solutions, Race Against Drugs (RAD) program and J.B. Banta Logistics. Look for more races to be added to Amanda's schedule in the near future. "I am very excited to be moving in this direction with my racing career," stated Amanda. "Phase One has a super crew and it is great to have returning sponsors along with potential new sponsors on the horizon that are willing to support me in my racing endeavors." Look for Amanda to begin her super late model season in February at New Smyrna Speedway.
National Center For Prevention and Research Solutions Home of the RAD Racing Team and Stay on Track
Rising Race Star Amanda Ferguson Is Driven On and Off the Track as a Spokesperson for Race Against Drugs
Who:Amanda Ferguson, 17 year old rising race star and RAD Racing Team spokesperson, sponsored by Eagle Jet International What:Late Model Testing with a RAD message!
When:21-23 January 2011, 10:00am-1:00pm each day Where:Orlando Speed World, 19164 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando
Why: Amanda has committed to being a Race Against Drugs spokesperson.Her vehicle has the Race Against Drugs logo and “Fueling a Drug Free Future” tagline sprawled across the hood to send a message to all of her young fans that drug free and healthy is the only way to the winner’s circle. Sponsored by Eagle Jet International, the 17-year-old rising race star, Amanda Ferguson, takes her late model to test at Orlando Speed World this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, January 21-23. Amanda loves racing Sprint and Late Model cars. She is on the dean’s list at Lake Sumter Community College, volunteers in her community and is a national spokesperson for the RAD Racing Team.
Amanda will be racing February 17th and 19th at New Smyrna Speedway, State Road 44, New Smyrna, FL.
# # #
For more information about Amanda, the RAD Racing Team, or to become a sponsor of Race Against Drugs, email Sharon Clarke at sclarke@ncprs.org or visit www.radracingteam.org.
RACE 101 Graduation Ceremony Streaming LIVE Online Saturday - Premier Driver and 2011 Class Announced
January 10, 2011, DENVER, NORTH CAROLINA - RACE101 honors its inaugural class Saturday, January 15th, with a graduation ceremony highlighted by the announcement of the 2011 premier driver. The ceremony - held at RACE 101 headquarters in Denver, North Carolina, at 3:00 p.m. - will be cybercast worldwide on www.race101.net.
Amanda and thirteen other impressive young racers completed the one-year program and the deserving students are coming from every corner of North America for the celebration. The ceremony will also be used to introduce the 2011 class. "We are extremely proud of our graduating students," said program founder Tony Blanchard. "These young racers displayed an amazing capacity to learn and every one of them was impressive in their own way."
With a curriculum balanced between technical knowledge, public relations skills, and an understanding of chassis dynamics RACE 101 was designed to assist aspiring racers in their areas of need. The 14 graduates of the program come from various racing backgrounds with a diverse skill set. Each student is a great source of pride to RACE 101 management.
"Our goal was to provide best practices and a rounded understanding of the racing business," said Anna Marie Strawhand, Director of Marketing, and RACE 101 Instructor. "We couldn't have picked a better group of young racers to execute what we taught them. Looking ahead to coming years I'm honored to have them representing RACE 101 as our first group of alumni."
For more information on RACE 101 visit www.race101.net. Information on all 14 graduates can be found on the website. For interview requests, or for any information not found on the website please send inquiries to pr101@race101.net.