Ferris Wires Field To Capture Lucas Oil Speedway Opener

 

Though Ferris led all 25 laps, he had to protect his lead through five restarts – including one with two laps remaining after a red flag halted the action.

 

“I was getting tired. I was ready to be done,” Ferris said in victory lane after the hard-earned victory.

 

Ferris started third but took over the lead on the opening lap as Cole Henson, who started on the pole, slipped high in turn three. Ferris opened a 2.1-second lead over Joe Walkenhorst by lap five when the race’s first caution waved.

 

Henson worked his way around Walkenhorst into second on the restart and gave chase to the leader. Those two were nearly a straightaway ahead of third-place Todd McCoin by lap 11 as another yellow appeared when Walkenhorst spun in turn four.

 

Ferris opened a 1.5-second lead by lap 17, but another caution wiped out that advantage and put Henson right behind Ferris with eight laps to go.

 

Once again, Ferris handled the restart and pulled out to an eight-car-length lead and McCoin slipped past Henson for second. But the race’s fourth caution, after Dalton Imhoff spun, turned it into a five-lap shootout.

 

Ferris continued to lead McCoin and Henson as the trio headed to the white flag when fifth-running Bryon Allison took a wild ride, when his car flipped multiple times down the backstretch and came to a rest on the roof to bring out the red flag. Allison emerged from the car and walked away from the wreckage.

 

The 12-minute stoppage didn’t bother Ferris in the two-lap sprint to the checkered flag as Ferris prevailed by 1.78 seconds over McCoin.

 

“I just knew that if I could just stay right there in the middle of the track they were gonna have a hard time passing me,” Ferris said.

 

McCoin was disqualified in post-race technical inspection. Henson officially wound up in second with Tucker Cox third, Lane Ehlert fourth and Darrin Crisler fifth.