Story By: BEN SHELTON / PAYLOR MOTORSPORTS – LINCOLNTON, NC – Carson Ferguson made a triumphant return to the driver’s seat over the weekend by claiming the richest win of his young career.
The North Carolina driver collected $23,000 on Saturday night for his victory in the Southern Showcase aboard his Hoopaugh Grading Company / Paylor Motorsports No. 93 WP Racing Shocks / Schaeffer’s Racing Oil / Longhorn Chassis by Wesley Page / Vic Hill Racing Engine Super Late Model.
The win, which marked his fifth of the season, came in Carson’s return to racing after a hard wreck at Eldora Speedway’s World 100 in September had sidelined him for the past month with a mild concussion and neck whiplash.
Ferguson had to muscle up during the course of the 60-lap feature to claim the landmark win.
“Just doubting myself after wrecking at Eldora (Speedway), then I spent a lot of days at home. You kind of doubt yourself, but this one puts the cherry up on top. I don’t really know what to say. I never thought I’d have a car look like that after the race, but I really wanted this bad,” Ferguson said in Victory Lane referring to his beat-up body on his familiar No. 93
Carson was thrilled to score the career win, but admitted he wished many of the key players in his racing operation could’ve been in attendance.
“I wish my dad was here, and (shock guru) Wesley Page, and (car owners) Donald and Gena Bradsher — everybody who’s helped me,” Ferguson said. “It’s just me, (crew chief) Andrew (Stewart) and Aiden this weekend.”
After nearly a month away from the driver’s seat, Carson Ferguson returned to the Paylor Motorsports No. 93 machine on Friday evening for the opening round of the two-day Southern Showcase at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series.
Following the 10th-fastest lap in Friday’s qualifying group, Ferguson nabbed the final transfer position in his heat race before completing the short 30-lap feature with an 18th -place finish.
With the field elevated to 34 Super Late Models on Saturday, Carson dominated his heat race and pulled the No. 1 in the redraw to sit on the pole of the 60-lap main event.
Trading sliders on the first lap, Ferguson ran second in the first 45 laps of the A-Main before powering around Cody Overton on the outside during a late restart. Leading the final 15 circuits, Carson secured a career-best $23,000 payday at Swainsboro Raceway. In his second triumph with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series, Carson outran Ashton Winger, Cody Overton, Pearson Williams, and Josh Putnam who completed the Top-5 finishers.
Next on tap for the North Carolina racer is a trip to Tri-County Racetrack (Brasstown, N.C.) this Thursday, Oct. 12 for the $23,023-to-win Castrol FloRacing Night in America event.