Wikipedia

Taylor Ferns

Taylor Lynn Ferns (born December 12, 1995[1]) is an American racing driver, team owner, lawyer, writer for SpeedSport, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She last competed part-time 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]

Taylor Ferns
Ferns at Iowa Speedway in 2024
BornTaylor Lynn Ferns
(1995-12-12) December 12, 1995 (age 30)
Shelby Township, Michigan, U.S.
Indy NXT career
Debut season2024
Starts4
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish24th in 2024

Racing career

edit
Angell Park 2013 USAC Midget heat winner Taylor Ferns

Early Career & Midget Racing (2002–2011)

edit

Ferns began racing quarter midgets at age six, influenced by her family's involvement in local stock car racing. In 2010, she transitioned to full-time regional midget and sprint car racing. During her first year at Spartan Speedway, she won four feature races and received Rookie of the Year honors. In 2011, she won the USAC D1 Midget Championship.[5]

Stock Cars & ARCA (2012–2013)

edit

Her early pavement success led to stock car racing, including regional late models in 2012 and the ARCA Menards Series in 2013. Due to high funding requirements for further NASCAR advancement, she returned to grassroots open-wheel racing.[6][7]

Academic Hiatus & USAC Return (2014–2023)

edit

Ferns balanced her education and racing career, eventually pausing full-time driving to earn a bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics, an MBA, and a Juris Doctor.[7]

  • 2022 Comeback: Returned to a more regular racing schedule, prioritizing the 500 Sprint Car Tour and the USAC Silver Crown Series under her own team banner, Taylor Ferns Racing.
  • 2022–2023 Form: Stamped her historic podium finishes in Silver Crown, collected multiple top-10 finishes on the 500 Sprint Car Tour, and ventured into road racing for the first time by attending the Skip Barber Racing School at Sebring.[8][9][10]

Indy NXT & Open-Wheel Progression (2024–Present)

edit

In 2024, Ferns got a corporate sponsor and signed a part-time deal to race for Abel Motorsports in Indy NXT, the main training series for IndyCar. She brought her short-track skills to major tracks like World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway working toward her goal of making it to IndyCar.[11]

Personal life

edit

Ferns was born and raised in Shelby Township, Michigan.[1] She grew up in a motorsports-oriented family, with her uncles racing late models and stock cars in Michigan during the 1980s and 1990s.[12] Her father introduced her to quarter midget racing when she was six years old.[13]

Education

edit

In addition to her racing pursuits, Ferns 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

edit

In 2023, Ferns launched The Safety Bank, a charitable initiative designed to make racing safety gear more accessible.[14] In 2024, she announced a partnership with the Shift Up Now Foundation.

Motorsports career results

edit

American open–wheel racing results

edit

Indy NXT

edit

(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 MOH IOW
16		 GTW
15		 POR MIL
18		 NSH
18		 24th 53

ARCA Racing Series

edit

(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 [15]

USAC Silver Crown

edit

Sprint Cars

edit

Midgets

edit

Consulting firm

edit

In 2026, Ferns launched FERNS & CO., a strategic consulting firm focused on business development, partnership cultivation, and strategic planning for clients within and outside the motorsports industry.[16]

References

edit
  1. 1 2 3 "Home". The Official Website of Taylor Ferns. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  2. ↑ "Taylor Ferns". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  3. 1 2 "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. ↑ M, Tania (2024-03-19). "Taylor Ferns: Racing Toward a Legacy in Open Wheel and Beyond". Gran Touring Motorsports. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  6. ↑ Goricki, David (July 11, 2024). "After acing education, Taylor Ferns looks to move to head of the class in IndyCar pursuit".
  7. 1 2 Staff, SPEED SPORT (2022-10-27). "Taylor Ferns". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  8. ↑ "Ferns is "All In" on Comeback Tour". 500 Sprint Car Tour. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  9. ↑ "Taylor Ferns discovers road racing at Sebring". Skip Barber. 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  10. ↑ "Taylor Ferns | Making History in USAC Silver Crown". www.cariqfabfour.com. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  11. ↑ "TAYLOR FERNS JOINS ABEL MOTORSPORTS' INDY NXT PROGRAM". www.usacracing.com. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Neveu, Cameron (2023-03-23). "Meet the world's fastest law student, Taylor Ferns". Hagerty Motorsports. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  14. ↑ Staff Report (2023-09-01). "FERNS: Giving Back". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  15. ↑ "Taylor Ferns – 2013 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Sprint Car Driver Launches Motorsports Consulting Firm". Performance Racing Industry. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taylor_Ferns&oldid=1359840925"