Chris Ferguson Wins 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial at Cherokee Speedway

Ferguson jumped into the lead at the outset of the 40-lap race with an aggressive maneuver which gave him the lead and ultimately the commanding victory. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com
Ferguson jumped into the lead at the outset of the 40-lap race with an aggressive maneuver which gave him the lead and ultimately the commanding victory. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com
Mt. Holly, North Carolina's Chris Ferguson recently had an exceptionally full day at the office. The K&N sponsored Late Model driver competed in four different racing events in three different cars. In hindsight it appears the first three races were in essence a way of warming up for the big race of the day. The big race being the 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial at Cherokee Speedway, which Ferguson flat-out dominated. He was second quickest in qualifying and then led flag-to-flag to pick up the $4000 Ultimate Series-sanctioned win.
The K&N sponsored driver said that 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial was high up on his list of races to win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com
The K&N sponsored driver said that 27th Annual Stick Elliott Memorial was high up on his list of races to win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com


"It feels great to get this win under our belt," Ferguson told K&N News. "This race has been going on for 27 years, and to add my name to it means a lot, considering the past winners accomplishments. This is a race that was on my list. I have always wanted to be able to put a check mark next to it. I grew up watching my heroes run in this race and to add my name to such an impressive list of past winners is just amazing. We worked really hard getting our car good this week and it paid off when we finished over a straight away ahead of second place."

Ferguson began his day by competing in a U.S. Legends Modified race at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, North Carolina. In his first ever stint behind the wheel of a fender-less machine Ferguson finished third behind the current East Lincoln champion. Ferguson was however unable to complete in the second race of that event due to suspension damage. "That was a lot of fun. Those cars are really fast and have a completely different feel than anything I have ever driven. I've never driven a U.S. Legends Modified before so that was the biggest challenge. I had a great time though and hope to drive one again someday," commented Ferguson.
Ferguson holds a slim two point lead headed into the season finale Blue-Gray 100 at Cherokee in late November. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com
Ferguson holds a slim two point lead headed into the season finale Blue-Gray 100 at Cherokee in late November. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com


Next Ferguson piloted the Mike Mercer owned GM Performance Late Model at Cherokee. After qualifying in fourth position in the preliminary action, Ferguson moved up one spot to finish third in only his second appearance in the Chicken Hauler Barry Wright machine. "I appreciate Mike offering me a chance to run his crate car. He has really nice equipment and is great to work with. It had been a while since we ran a crate car but it came back to me. It's a little different than driving the super car for sure," Ferguson added.
The entire Chris Ferguson Motorsports crew was on hand to celebrate his big win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com
The entire Chris Ferguson Motorsports crew was on hand to celebrate his big win. Photo Credit: Glensphoto.com


When asked if he felt that racing three other events leading up to the Stick Elliott Memorial in a sense gave him an advantage, Ferguson remarked, "I think overall getting out and back into a different car every time I went out did make me a better driver. I was able to get more track time, along with getting used to adjusting to something different every time."

With his victory in the Stick Elliott Memorial Ferguson now holds a slim two point margin in the Ultimate Series point standings heading into the late November series end to the 2011 season at Cherokee. "We are excited about going back to Cherokee Speedway after our win," said Ferguson. "The Blue-Gray 100 is the season finale in our Super Late Model, and it pays $10,000 to win, along with $15,000 for the point's championship. We know this track really well and it would be awesome to end the season on a high note."

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