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Taylor Ferns

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Taylor Ferns
Ferns at Angell Park Speedway in 2013
NationalityUnited States American
BornTaylor Lynn Ferns
(1995-12-12) December 12, 1995 (age 29)
Shelby Township, Michigan,
United States
Indy NXT career
Debut season2024
Current teamAbel Motorsports
Car number55
Starts2
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finishTBD in 2024

Taylor Lynn Ferns (born December 12, 1995[1]) is an American racing driver, team owner, lawyer, writer for SpeedSport, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She currently competes in Indy NXT driving for Abel Motorsports,[2][3] as well as in the USAC Silver Crown Series driving for her own team, Taylor Ferns Racing.[3][4]

At 28 years old, she has made a significant impact in motorsports, particularly in the USAC Silver Crown series, where she became the first woman to achieve a podium finish. Her career includes numerous milestones, such as being the youngest female to win a sprint car race and the second female to win a USAC championship.[1] Taylor has also competed in diverse racing formats, from midgets to sprint cars and Silver Crown vehicles. She also competed in select ARCA races throughout 2013 with Venturini Motorsports. Taylor also made history when she won the 65th running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway, leading wire to wire. She also made history by becoming the first female to win a 500 Sprint Car Tour race.[5] Taylor made her official INDY NXT debut ant Iowa Speedway on July 13, 2024 driving for Abel Motorsports’ INDY NXT Series team. This was also the same track she made her USAC Silver Crown debut at.[6]

Personal life

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Taylor was born and raised in Shelby Twp., MI.[1] Ferns grew up in a motorsports-oriented family, with her uncles racing late models and stock cars in Michigan during the 1980s and 1990s.[6] Her father played a significant role in encouraging her racing journey, introducing her to quarter midget racing when she was six years old. This marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for the sport.[7]

Education

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In addition to her racing pursuits, Taylor earned her undergraduate degree in finance and economics from Grand Valley State University. She holds an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) from Wayne State University and earned her JD (Juris Doctor) from Wayne State University Law School in May 2024.[1]

Philanthropy

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Passionate about empowering women in motorsports, Taylor mentors younger girls in the field.

In 2023, Ferns launched The Safety Bank, a charitable initiative designed to make racing safety gear more accessible.[8] In 2024, she announced a partnership with the Shift Up Now Foundation.

Ferns recognized that many racers, particularly those at the grassroots level, often lack access to high-quality safety equipment due to cost constraints. To address this, she has leveraged her long-standing partnerships with manufacturers like Simpson Race Products to collect and redistribute surplus safety gear such as gloves, suits, and helmets.

The initiative operates by setting up donation bins at racetracks and motorsport events. Racers and teams with excess or unused gear can contribute, and The Safety Bank distributes these items on a first-come, first-served basis. This project has also received significant support from Sabelt America, which donated $30,000 worth of equipment to launch the program.

Business Endeavors

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Early career

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Ferns credits mentor and IndyCar legend, Lynn St. James, for making her the athlete she is today. Ferns caught the attention of St.James when she attended her Driver Development at the age of 13.[6]

Notable Achievements

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Motorsports career results

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American open–wheel racing results

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Indy NXT

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) (Races with L indicate a race lap led) (Races with * indicate most race laps led)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2024 Abel Motorsports STP
 BAR
 IMS
 IMS
 DET
 ROA
 LAG
 LAG
 MDO
 IOW
16 		GTW
15 		POR
 MIL
18 		NSH
18 		24th 53

ARCA Racing Series

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Racing Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ARSC Pts Ref
2013 Venturini Motorsports 55 Toyota DAY MOB
9 		SLM TAL TOL
20 		ELK
12 		POC MCH ROA WIN CHI NJM POC
15 		BLN ISF
9 		MAD DSF
10 		IOW
13 		SLM KEN
12 		KAN 20th 1340 [9]

USAC Silver Crown

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Sprint Cars

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Midgets

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Home". The Official Website of Taylor Ferns. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  2. ^ "Taylor Ferns". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  3. ^ a b "USAC standout Ferns joins Abel Motorsports for oval Indy NXT races". RACER. 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  4. ^ "TAYLOR FERNS GOES FULL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN RACING IN 2023 - USAC Racing". www.usacracing.com. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  5. ^ Sink, David (2024-09-08). "Taylor Ferns Wires James/O'Connor Memorial". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  6. ^ a b c Smedley, Kyle. "'It's kind of like a drug': Taylor Ferns ready to make Indy NXT Series debut at Iowa". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  7. ^ Neveu, Cameron (2023-03-23). "Meet the world's fastest law student, Taylor Ferns". Hagerty Motorsports. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  8. ^ Staff Report (2023-09-01). "FERNS: Giving Back". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  9. ^ "Taylor Ferns – 2013 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
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