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Dan
Ferguson is Back on Top
PITTSBORO, N.C. (November 14, 2016): Dan Ferguson never
quite imagined that in three years of running the quickest
and fastest sportsman doorslammer category, he’d rack up
two championships and a second place finish in points. He
took a leap of faith into the world of PDRA’s Ronnie Davis
Top Sportsman presented by MagnaFuel and it turns out he
was pretty good at it. Going to the semi-finals at the
2014 season opener in Rockingham, NC led to traveling to
more, which led to a runner up, more traveling and many
more round wins, which eventually earned Ferguson the 2014
Top Sportsman World Championship. To prove it wasn’t
beginners luck, Ferguson came out and won the 2015 season
opener in Dallas, TX continued to lead the points for much
of the 2015 season, although he was edged out for the
championship by Ronnie Davis.
Now in 2016, Ferguson has continued to do much of the
same, taking over the points lead with a win at the second
stop on the 2016 tour and never relinquishing it. With
only two races left in the season, Ferguson had pulled
away from the rest of the field and only needed one round
win to clinch his second championship in three years, a
feat Ferguson calls “unbelievable.”
With that round win, Ferguson quietly claimed victory. He
went on to the finals of the Sunshine State Shootout, his
fourth of the season. He finished 946 points ahead of
Cheyenne Stanley. Ferguson is quick to thank Dale Pittman,
whose car he drove all season, for the large role he
played in this championship.
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“I wouldn’t have been racing
this year if it wasn’t for Dale,” thanked the 29 year old champ. “I wasn’t
planning on racing this year. I was going to sit the year out. Dale was
willing to team up with me, allowing me to drive his car, and we just had
an awesome time. Rick Fogle does all the round to round maintenance; he
makes sure I am lined up straight, sets my wheelie bars. Dale helps with
nitrous bottles, parachutes, video, electrical work, and he can jump in on
anything else, too, if we have problem and need to fix something. Mike
Matheos did a lot of upgrading to our car last year and helps keep it in
good shape between races. I also want to thank Jim Rowe and Marty Noir,
who come to the races when they can, as well as my parents and
grandparents. Pat Musi’s engine was great. The Musi family was always good
about getting us parts like rods, rings, and valve springs quickly anytime
we needed anything. Carl Rossler and crew at Rossler Transmissions were
also great to us. They build a tough, reliable and quick reacting
transmission.
“I’m really happy to be back at the top. When I started this journey, I
was only planning on going to one race, with the goal being to make it in
the field. I didn’t have any idea this is the path it would take. It’s
pretty surreal”.
Ferguson also thanked class sponsor MagnaFuel and contingency sponsors
Flatout Gaskets, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jesel, Lovendahl Racing Solutions,
Edelbrock EFI, VP Racing Fuels, and JRI Shocks.
This season was emotional for Ferguson in more ways than one, with roller
coaster highs and lows. At the event where Ferguson took over the points
lead, the Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway, his friend and mentor
Ronnie Davis suffered a horrendous on track accident, injuring journalist
and photographer Ian Tocher in the process. Davis later succumbed to his
injuries. Ferguson won the event and dedicated his win to Davis and Tocher.
Being able to win for them is something he counts as a highlight of the
season.
The success Ferguson has seen in his young career is almost unheard of in
Top Sportsman. He’s led the points for an astounding 20 out of the 25
events held by the PDRA in the past three seasons, as well as
participating in 27 of 36 potential rounds of racing in the 2016 season
with a 20-7 win-loss record.
“I’ve got a great team,” Ferguson said of his success. “I sure couldn’t
have done it without Dale and Rick. I think racing Motocross when I was
younger gave me a really good feel for cars and mechanics and controls.
Keeping my head in the game is the hardest part. When I cut a bad light or
make a bad decision on top end, I can look back and see that I wasn’t
focused during that run.”
Ferguson says he tries to keep his racing approach “nonchalant. I don’t
have any rituals. I’m not superstitious. I think if you get yourself into
too strict of a routine you create weaknesses for yourself. I don’t really
care what lane I’m in. I try to alternate so I don’t start getting a
favorite lane. Same with staging. If you have a routine and it gets
disrupted it can mess you up. I think it’s good to not have too much of a
routine. The one thing I try to do the same is my burnout. I do my burnout
the same every time and I back up real quick. I like to get back to the
starting line so I'm not rushed at all. My crew guys are always telling me
I need to slow down,” he joked.
Although Ferguson ran Dale Pittman’s 1963 Corvette with a Pat Musi 903
cubic inch, nitrous-oxide assisted motor in Top Sportsman this season, he
also got some seat time behind the wheel of Cor Valentyn’s blown ‘63
‘vette, which Ferguson wheeled at local quick 8 events in Ohio. He and
Valentyn plan to continue running local events next season in “The
Patriot” Corvette, but at PDRA races Ferguson will be back in the Pontiac
Firebird he won the 2014 championship with in Top Sportsman with a smaller
787 engine.
“Next racing season is probably going to be tough,” Ferguson continued. “I
don’t know how I’m going to have the money it takes to compete after what
I will have to spend to have the Firebird race ready by March. I’m sure
it’ll work out somehow, but at this point in time I don’t know how. I had
it for sale before I crashed at Norwalk last year. After that instead of
fixing it I turned it into a giant restoration project that snowballed big
time with updates and whatnot that I felt I should do.”
Ferguson, who repairs and flips vehicles and rebuilds LT and LS engines
for a living, says even if he puts most of his money into racing, it’s
still tough to compete on a national level. Ironically, the start of his
2017 championship-defending season will look much like his first venture
into PDRA in 2014. Ferguson plans to attend the first race and then take
it from there to see where he stands financially. For somebody who
considers the PDRA “home” the thought of not defending his second
championship with the series is a tough pill to swallow. Still, Ferguson
has faith that it will work out and is keeping a positive outlook. “I love
the PDRA, all the racers and fans I have met, and all the fans I’ve made
there,” emphasized the champ. “Every time I pull in the gate, I’m just
happy to be there.”
Photo: Gary Rowe /
PDRA660.com / RaceWorks.com
ABOUT THE PDRA
Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina, the Professional Drag Racers
Association is the top sanctioning body in the United States for the sport
of eighth-mile drag racing. The PDRA’s professional categories include Pro
Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost, and Pro Extreme Motorcycle along with Top
Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster. The 2016
PDRA schedule consists of nine national events. For more on the world’s
premier eighth mile drag racing organization visit
www.pdra660.com.
Follow the PDRA:
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
YouTube.
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers Association
lisa@pdra660.com
704.692.4636
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