Amanda headed to the New Smyrna/Daytona beach area on Thursday, July 15 to prepare for her first late model race on Saturday, July 17. The first item of business was to stop by the Race Against Drugs office to meet with Scott Steger. After spending about an hour talking with Scott, it was off to New Smyrna Speedway for a pracice session. Mother Nature, however, was not very cooperative. Rain moved in and the practice session was rescheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Everyone went back to the Phase 1 Motorsports shop to help with putting some new graphics on the car. Then, with plenty of free time left on Thursday evening, it was back to the hotel for dinner with Rick from Eagle Jet International. Friday morning was a beautiful, clear morning and perfect for a practice session. Unfortunately, the car had different ideas. After several laps into her first run, the car began to lose power when Amanda would step on the gas. After checking multiple things in the engine and several attempts to run, the decision was made to take the car back to the shop for some work on the electronic and fuel systems. With nothing else to do with the afternoon, Amanda decided to spend a few hours on the beach relaxing followed by dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp House. Today Amanda will have one last chance to practice at 11:00 a.m. before making her debut in a late model. Check back after the race tonight or tomorrow morning for details about the race.
BREAKING NEWS July 8, 2010
After completing two successful test sessions in a late model, Amanda Ferguson Motorsports has joined forces with Phase 1 Motorsports. Amanda will drive the Phase 1 Motorsports 2010 Chevrolet Impala late model stock car, sponsored by Eagle Jet International for four races with an option for two additional races during the 2010 race season. After finishing her testing session this evening Amanda said, "I am pleasantly surprised at how natural it feels to drive a stock car. The transition from a sprint car into a late model was not as big as I thought it would be." When asked whether or not she felt ready to race she replied, "I feel confident that after the practice session next Thursday I will be ready to tackle the world of late model racing." Look for Amanda in her first late model race on July 17th at New Smyrna Speedway.
Late Model Testing at New Smyrna July 8, 2010
Amanda will be heading to New Smyrna Speedway this afternoon for a late model testing session. She will be working with Doug Elliott and his crew as she tries to gain more seat time and experience in a late model. Look for pictures to be posted later this evening.
Testing for RACE101
June 28, 2010
Monday - The day started early for Amanda as she arrived at the shop before 8:00 a.m. to make sure everything was in order for the day. After arriving at Hickory Motor Speedway and unloading the car, Amanda spent some time with Tony driving around the track in the Excursion talking about race lines, turn entry & exit, when to pick up the throttle, and how deep to drive into the corners. After making some laps, Amanda was enjoying the way a late model handles. After some more laps she asked Tony to loosen the car up some. After some adjustments were made Amanda headed out for more laps. This time, however, she felt the car was a little too free. So, for the last round of laps a slight adjustment was made and Amanda really liked the car. The day was hot, well over 94 degrees, but Amanda had a great time. She is already looking forward to the next time she can climb into a late model. Stay tuned for any future test dates. Look for some new pictures tomorrow evening after the family returns from the Charlotte, NC area.
Sunday - Amanda met with Tony Blanchard at the RACE101 shop in Denver, NC this afternoon to make sure the seat, steering wheel and pedals would work. The seat was a pretty good fit; but, she couldn't even touch the pedals with her toes stretched out! Early tomorrow morning she will head to the shop to help Tony with any preparations that need to be finished and to make sure that the seat is moved forward enough. Look for an update tomorrow evening (if we have internet access), otherwise, check back Tuesday.
Saturday - Amanda is in North Carolina again this weekend as she prepares for a testing session at Hickory Motor Speedway on Monday, June 28. After spending all day Saturday in the Smokey Mountains relaxing with her family, Amanda heads to the Denver, NC area on Sunday to meet up with Tony at the RACE101 shop. Stay tuned for more updates.
Racing at Punta Gorda Speedway June 12, 2010
It was a hot, humid typical summer evening at the new Punta Gorda Speedway. Nineteen sprint cars showed up ready to get back to racing after a two month break. Amanda started 4th in the second heat race. After a slow start by the car in front of her, Amanda found herself dropping into line back in the sixth position. By the time the checkered flag fell she had managed to work her way back up to the 3rd position. This lined her up once again in the fourth position for the 30 lap feature. When the car in front of her once again failed to keep up with the car on the pole Amanda found herself slipping back to the 10th position before she could find a hole in the inside line. As the laps counted down Amanda worked her way back up to the 6th position by the time the checkered flag fell. All heats and feature were run caution free. Great job sprint car drivers! Amanda's next race will be her first race with the TBARA running at DeSoto Speedway in Bradenton, FL on June 19th.
GATORS DOCKSIDE Celebrity Challenge Fund Raiser
The Good Neighbor Program has teamed with The Great American Bake Sale for a Celebrity Event in an effort to End Childhood Hunger in our community. Local News Personalities and Sports Celebrities will be V.I.P. Servers at "GATORS Dockside" (in Clermont) from 11am-3pm. They will be competing with each other to see who can raise the most money. We can guarantee lots of yummy treats and a good time. Our Celebrity Event is part of Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale®, a national effort to end childhood hunger in America. Today, one in four children is at risk of hunger. They go to bed hungry at night and go to school without breakfast. Without regular, nutritious meals children are unable to thrive in school and after-school activities. Share Our Strength is committed to ending childhood hunger by funding feeding programs across the country that hundreds and thousands of kids depend on.
So come on out and do your part in ending childhood hunger in our community.
Racing at Eastbay Raceway Park May 8, 2010
It was a warm spring evening and 27 sprint car came to race the 4th Top Gun Sprint Series race of the year. Amanda's car was fast during practice so she decided to not make any changes. During the heat race Amanda felt her car was a little too tight. She started 6th in the third heat and finished 5th. This meant she would be starting in 12th position. As the green flag fell, Amanda followed the 19 of Keith Butler into turn 1. Suddenly, the 19 began to spin in front of Amanda. As Amanda checked up and took evasive action to avoid an incident with the 19, several cars further back in the field did not check up and drove into Amanda's left side. With the drag link snapped off Amanda had no steering ending her night. Amanda's next scheduled race is with the CFSS at CCMP, Punta Gorda, FL.
Amanda's First Win on Dirt! April 9, 2010
Earlier this evening, Amanda raced her way to her first win on dirt at the Ocala Speedway. There was a field of 19 cars for the second Top Gun Sprint Series race of the season. It was their first of three scheduled races at Ocala Speedway. Amanda started 5th in the first heat race. She managed to hang on to a third place finish despite having no brakes during the race. After the heat, Amanda did not want any changes to the set-up. Her only request was that the team try to get her some brakes for the feature. Amanda lined up in the second position for the feature with Tim George on the pole. The first start did not complete a lap as a car spun bringing out the caution. On the second restart, Amanda managed to slip by Tim, after some minor contact, and take the lead only to find the caution flying once again. This time Amanda lined up first for a single file start and she never looked back. Despite several cautions, no other car was able to challenge her for the lead. After the race Tim told her that on the second restart he noticed her left rear shock mount had broken and the shock was flopping around. Despite not having a shock on the left rear Amanda said the car was handling great and she knew she just needed to run a smooth and consistent race if she wanted to stay in the lead. Thanks to everyone that came out to support and help Amanda - Stan & Shane Butler, David Slawiak, Heather Rehm, Keith & Austin Jackson, Robby Hackett, Grandpa Mike, Grandpa Neal & Grandmom Carol and Jim & Kathleen Banta. Look for Amanda Saturday night at Punta Gorda in the KJ Motorsports #20.
RACE101 Weekend March 26 - 28
Friday - Amanda is back in North Carolina for another full weekend of classes with the RACE101 program. Friday was a day of demonstrations about fire-proof safety products and communications equipment. After spending the afternoon in the shop, Amanda and several of the students headed to an indoor karting track. This was Amanda's first time karting and she had a great time. The biggest problem of the evening was how to reach the steering wheel and pedals. Fortunately, the workers at The Pit moved the pedals and seat and gave her a cushion for behind her back to help her reach the steering wheel. It wasn't a great fit, but she made it work.
Saturday - The day will be spent at the shop learning how to rebuild shocks and then the class will head off to Hickory Motor Speedway to watch a fellow classmate race.
Daytona 500 Experience March 20, 2010
Amanda was very excited when she was asked if she would come talk to girl scouts about her racing. The girl scouts were part of the first annual Girl Scout sleepover at the Daytona 500 Experience. Amanda spent 30 minutes talking about her racing career followed by a short question and answer session. Amanda then spent time signing autographs and taking pictures with some of the troops before heading out to Lake City where she would be racing later that evening. Amanda's next speaking appearance is currently scheduled for mid-May at Astatula Elementary School for the Arts.
Racing at North Florida Speedway March 20, 2010
Amanda raced her first dirt race of the season Saturday evening at North Florida Speedway, Lake City, FL. Amanda started 4th in the first heat race and finished 2nd. She felt her car needed more side-bite to offset the extremely dry-slick conditions. There was a fan pick dash and Amanda was one of the 7 cars picked. She lined up in the fourth position and once again finished 2nd. The car was getting better, but she still felt she needed a little more side-bite. For the feature, Amanda lined up in the third position. On lap 1 she overdrove into turn 3 and slid up the track allowing 3 cars to slip under her. She quickly found where her car worked best and chased down the 4th and 5th place cars. Having a good run down the front stretch she went high to make her move but unfortunately both cars in front of her got turned sideways and slid up the track. In an effort to miss both cars Amanda found herself too high in the loose part of the track and was unable to keep her car off the wall ending a very promising run. The car sustained damage to the front end and right rear. Amanda was fine with only a swollen, bruised knee. "It's too bad the night ended this way," commented Amanda after the race. "My car was the best it's ever been. We were definately on our way to a top 3 run." Amanda's next race will be on dirt at Ocala Speedway on April 9th. Special thanks to Keith, Jennifer and Tommy for all their help setting up the car.
Racing at CCMP March 13, 2010
There were 16 cars ready to take the green flag at the Checkered Flag Sprint Series 2nd race of the season. Once again, Amanda struggled in practice with a car that was too loose. A chassis adjustment was made prior to the heat race and helped some. Amanda started 4th and finished 4th in the first heat. After the heat she wanted to add even more cross-weight for the feature. Amanda lined up in the 6th position for the start of the feature. Stuck behind a slower car on the outside Amanda fell back to the 12th position before finding an opening in the lower line. Amanda had worked her way up to the 9th position by lap 12. On lap 14 as she looked under the 8th place car of David Slawiak she felt her car break loose coming out of turn 4. When she attempted to correct the car she found her left arm restraint had gotten hung up on something and she was unable to make the correction causing her to spin into the infield. After lining up at the tail of the field she knew she had her work cut out for her. As the laps wound down with the help of several cautions, Amanda was able to work her way back through the field to finish 5th. Look for Amanda on March 20th at North Florida Speedway with the Top Gun Sprint Series.
RACE101 Class March 1, 2010
Amanda attended her first full weekend of classes (February 26-28) at the RACE 101 shop in Denver, NC. On Friday, ISP Seats and Safety Solutions were both on hand to talk about the importance of safety in motorsports. On Saturday, the students were divided into 2 separate groups based on their level of knowledge. "Many of the parts we had to identify were totally foreign to me," said Amanda. "My sprint car doesn't have a lot of the parts a stock car has and some of the parts that we do have in common (like a power steering pump) don't look alike at all." Armed with some pictures of the parts table and a parts catalog Amanda is determined to learn what the parts look like and what they are for. Saturday was also a day for learning about public relations and marketing. Amanda is busy at work revising her current racing resume and there will be some changes to the web site, too. Sunday was a wrap-up day from Saturday and then Judy Kouba Dominick from GM Motorsports came to talk with the students about the reality of the motorsports world. Amanda will be returning to Denver, NC on March 26th for her second weekend of classes.
Racing at CCMP February 20, 2010
A total of 16 cars showed up for the Checkered Flag Sprint Series event. The 16 cars were broken up into 2 heat races. Amanda was in the first heat and lined up in the 4th postion. As the green flag fell, it became apparent that Amanda was having trouble getting on the throttle without the car breaking loose. She did not get a great start but managed to finish in the third position.turn one. In between the heat and the feature a stagger adjustment was made to help with the loose condition. Then it was off to an autograph session to meet the fans. During the autograph session, Amanda and Keith took a few minutes to walk through the grandstands and hand out some autographed K&N Filters Hats. For the feature the KJ Motorsports cars lined up as follows: Mickey in 3rd, Amanda in 8th and Keith in 11th. At the first caution of the race Amanda was running in the 5th position. After the restart Amanda made a move on the high side to pass Scotty Adema for the 4th position. With her car still breaking loose coming off the corner Amanda found herself struggling to pass Mickey for the third position. With only 2 laps left, Keith caught Amanda and was able to pass her for the 4th position. Amanda would finish the race in 5th position. "I really wanted a top 3 finish tonight," acknowledged Amanda after the race. "My car was fast; we just needed more forward bite coming off the corner." In the final standings, Mark Gimmler won the event followed by Gary Gimmler, Mickey Kempgens, Keith Butler and Amanda Ferguson in 5th. Look for Amanda on the track again on March 13th with the CFSS at Charlotte County Motorsports Park.
CHARLOTTE, NC - On Friday, January 29th, Amanda finally met her fellow classmates in the RACE 101 program. The 15 scholarship recipients participated in a press conference where they answered questions about themselves and the RACE 101 program. Following the press conference the students ate lunch which was followed by a quick orientation about the programs expectations. Amanda is very excited to be part of this group of hand-selected race car drivers from across the United States and Canada. Her next trip to Charlotte, NC will be the weekend of February 26 - 28. As the event finished up most of the families headed out of town trying to beat the approaching winter storm. Amanda and family went out to dinner followed by a quick snowball fight before heading to the airport for a late evening flight back to Florida.
Amanda Heads to Charlotte, NC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RACE 101 scholarship winners to be introduced Friday Montverde, Florida, teen Ferguson lone female recipient
DENVER, NORTH CAROLINA, January 26, 2010 – Fifteen of North America’s brightest car racing prospects converge on Charlotte, North Carolina, this Friday to be introduced as RACE 101’s inaugural class.
An acronym for Research, Analyze, Consult, Educate, 1 on 1 – RACE 101 is a one-year advanced motorsports education program designed for aspiring race car drivers looking to advance their careers. The inaugural class consists of 15 scholarship winners from across North America.
Montverde, Florida, racer Amanda Ferguson was chosen from hundreds of applicants based on her passion for racing and her competitive spirit. She is also the lone female student in RACE 101’s class of 2010.
The 16-year-old competes in a 360-cubic-inch sprint car in the Checkered Flag Sprint Series. She has experienced success on the race track, and she has also participated in the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program.
Ferguson plans to use her RACE 101 education to create opportunities in full-fendered stock cars with hopes of eventually competing in NASCAR.
Need for “motorsports” based education
RACE 101 was founded by acclaimed crew chief Tony Blanchard. Best known for his work with NASCAR Sprint Cup sensation Joey Logano during his formative stock car racing years Blanchard recognized a need in the racing industry. “Achieving a career in motorsports requires much more than racing talent,” says Blanchard. “Young racers need to understand the mechanical side of their cars, and they need a solid public relations foundation. “We’re able to provide an education in their area of need. I’m excited to work with these young racers, and we have some great instructors and mentors involved with the program.”
The press conference introducing the inaugural RACE 101 class will be cybercast from Charlotte, North Carolina, at www.Race101.net on Friday, January 29th, at 11:00 a.m.. For more information, contact Adam Ross at 519-212-8632 or adam@race101.net.
**Interview opportunities will be available between 11:50 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 29th following the press conference with scholarship winners or the RACE 101 staff. Interviews can be conducted via Skype or telephone, and they can be arranged in advance by contacting pr@race101.net or adam@race101.net. Interviews can also be arranged online during the press conference by using the communication boxes provided on the website.
**Driver photos will also be available on Friday following the press conference through the website or by e-mailing pr@race101.net
CFSS 2009 RACE SEASON BANQUET
January 9, 2010
The Checkered Flag Sprint Series awards banquet was held at the Center Place in Brandon, Florida this past Saturday evening. Amanda finished the year 5th place in points and she nabbed the Performance Analysis Rookie Challenge award with 13 top ten finishes, 5 top 5 finishes, 5 heat wins, 1 feature win and 1 Barfield Clean Sweep award. The food was terrific and the company even better. Thanks to everyone that worked so hard making the 2009 season run smoothly. Special thanks to Ann Rehm for her hard work organizing the banquet. Amanda is looking forward to the start of the 2010 season. Look for her in Charlotte, NC on January 29 for a press conference regarding her acceptance into the Race101 program. Then it's back to Florida for the first race of the season on January 30th at Charlotte County Motorsports Park, Punta Gorda, FL.
heat and the feature a stagger adjustment was made to help with the loose condition. Then it was off to an autograph session to meet the fans. During the autograph session, Amanda and Keith took a few minutes to walk through the grandstands and hand out some autographed K&N Filters Hats. For the feature the KJ Motorsports cars lined up as follows: Mickey in 3rd, Amanda in 8th and Keith in 11th. At the first caution of the race Amanda was running in the 5th position. After the restart Amanda made a move on the high side to pass Scotty Adema for the 4th position. With her car still breaking loose coming off the corner Amanda found herself struggling to pass Mickey for the third position. With only 2 laps left, Keith caught Amanda and was able to pass her for the 4th position. Amanda would finish the race in 5th position. "I really wanted a top 3 finish tonight," acknowledged Amanda after the race. "My car was fast; we just needed more forward bite coming off the corner." In the final standings, Mark Gimmler won the event followed by Gary Gimmler, Mickey Kempgens, Keith Butler and Amanda Ferguson in 5th. Look for Amanda on the track again on March 13th with the CFSS at Charlotte County Motorsports Park.