Chris Ferguson
The Show-me 100 weekend has, to this point, been more of an adventure than Chris Ferguson might have expected or wanted. After winning the 2020 version of the Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway, the driver of the No. 22 Team Zero Race Car looked forward to a return to the track had paid him $12,000 for that Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory last July. However, his return to the sire of one of his biggest career wins proved to not be an easy one.
As his Chris Ferguson Racing team made its way to the Wheatland, MO facility from their Mt. Holly, NC shop, their truck suffered a breakdown. Getting the rig’s faulty transmission repaired took hours which resulted in a long and frustrating journey.
While it proved to be unfortunate for the track and fans, the postponement of Thursday’s Cowboy Classic for rain benefitted the Ferguson crew. Had that race been contested at the scheduled time, the No. 22 would not have been able to enter because it was still in route.
However, the track along with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials were forced to move that race to Friday evening as part of a double-header with the Tribute to Dom and Billie Gibson. That one day reprieve allowed the CFM team to make both shows after their hauler pulled through the gates of the track’s pit area.
But finally making it to Lucas Oil Speedway did not end Ferguson’s difficulties.
Ferguson, a non Lucas Oil regular, made the feature in what was supposed to have been the Thursday race after qualifying 11th in his group then finishing 3rd in the fifth heat race. He went on to finish 17th in that feature.
Then more trouble struck. Mechanical issues briefly sidelined the car which deprived Ferguson of a qualifying opportunity for the second event. As a result, he would have to start from the tail in the third heat race.
Importantly, Ferguson was able to come far enough up through the field in his heat to finish in the 5th position. That provided him with a better starting spot for the second B-main which ultimately led to a second-place finish. After starting the 40-lap Gibson Tribute feature from 23rd, Ferguson roared up to a podium finish.
Chris Ferguson’s No. 22 Team Zero Race Car
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“We changed the rear end after practice, we broke something in the rear end so we didn’t get to qualify,” Ferguson explained after the second feature. “We battled all night. We had a hot rod tonight. We just needed a couple more laps. We really like coming out here to this place. If we can put ourselves in position+ to start up front, I think we can win that thing tomorrow so that was definitely needed tonight.”
A points-paying system from the two preliminary races(not Lucas Oil Series points) was employed to help set the starting lineup for Saturday’s prestigious Show-me 100. Ferguson’s finishes on Friday night will place him 8th on the starting grid for the $30,000-to-win main event.
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