CONCORD, N.C. — Story by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Barry Lenhart photo —

It’s Fergy time!

Despite having to qualify last (due to missing the draw) in both of twin Ohlin’s Shocks Time Trial sessions for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Thursday night at the Bad Boy Buggies World Finals, local favorite Chris Ferguson proved that the delay was no hindrance.

The 25-year-old North Carolina native blistered the Dirt Track at Charlotte in the first round — going out in Group ‘B’ and posting the fastest lap seen all day long, a 14.744 second (91.563 mph) clip that was three tenths of a second faster than anyone else in the field. The result puts him on the pole for the fourth of six heat races on Friday.

Round one time trials set the heat race lineups for Friday’s $12,000-to-win program, while round two time trials did the same for Saturday night’s slate of events.

And while Ferguson’s Longhorn Chassis No. 22 was in the pit area all afternoon, both he and his father arrived late due to work commitments and did not arrange to have another team member sign in and pull a pill. At the end of the night, though, it didn’t matter.

“It worked out pretty decent though because the times didn’t change (over the course of the session),” said Ferguson. “The first round everybody was kind of running the middle-bottom, and then I went up there and just blasted the top and it wasn’t too rough. Sometimes you just gotta go up there and hope that it works, and fortunately for me, tonight it worked.”

It almost didn’t work in round two, however. Heading for turn one, he jumped over the cushion and got up on two wheels, slowing briefly before recovering to post the sixth-quickest lap time in his second round group.

“In the second round, when I went up there (in the outside groove), there had been some cars up there and it dug some holes,” said Ferguson, who captured his first two WoO LMS victories of his career earlier this season. “Going into one and two I hit one and thought I was gonna flip.”

Topping round two time trials and posting the second fastest lap of the night was three-time WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan. The Union, Ky. driver stormed to a 14.999 (90.006) in round two Group ‘A’ and it stayed on top the rest of the way, making for a banner night for the veteran driver, who is in his first weekend driving a brand-new Club 29 machine for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer’s dirt late model team.

“The car was extremely good,” said Lanigan, a three-time WoO LMS champion who has two career World Finals wins and was second-fastest in his group in the opening round. “We were just a hair short of fast time in the first round, and then we got it done in the second round. I’m really happy with the piece.”

“You had to be real careful. You had to get a good lap, but you couldn’t get up there against that cushion too hard because it would just jerk you into it. I just kind of ran right against it without jumping it. We got lucky and cut a smooth lap.”

Josh Richards, Scott Bloomquist, Group ‘A’ leader Chris Madden (15.104) and Lanigan (15.107) were the rest of the ‘Fast Five’ overall qualifiers from round one of time trials; while Group ‘B’ pacesetter Richards (15.145), Jimmy Owens, Billy Moyer Jr. and Randy Weaver were the balance of the top five in round two.

Due to their fast starts, Ferguson, Richards, Bloomquist, Madden, Lanigan and Steve Francis will lead their respective fields to the green flag for Friday night’s heat racing action.

A total of 86 World of Outlaws Late Models signed into the pit area on Thursday, setting a new event record for the class at the Bad Boy Buggies World Finals.

Gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon for the second day of action at the Bad Boy Buggies World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte, with hot laps kicking off at 4 p.m. Tickets are still available by calling 1-800-455-FANS.

RESULTS: World of Outlaws Late Model Series; Bad Boy Buggies World Finals; The Dirt Track at Charlotte; Nov. 5, 2015

First Qualifying Session (Friday)

Group A: 1. Chris Madden, 15.104; 2. Darrell Lanigan, 15.107; 3. Steve Francis, 15.196; 4. Frank Heckenast Jr., 15.308; 5. Austin Smith, 15.312; 6. Mike Marla, 15.316; 7. Casey Roberts, 15.364; 8. Boom Briggs, 15.423; 9. Donald Bradsher, 15.428; 10. Justin Labonte, 15.434; 11. Mason Zeigler, 15.440; 12. Chub Frank, 15.460; 13. Brandon Overton, 15.467; 14. Donny Schatz 15.487; 15. Chris Simpson, 15.518; 16. Willie Milliken, 15.548; 17. Gregg Satterlee, 15.575; 18. Austin Kirkpatrcick, 15.600; 19. Dennis Franklin, 15.610; 20. Will Vaught, 15.625; 21. Dale Mcdowell, 15.627; 22. Kenny Pettyjohn, 15.627; 23. Matt Westfall, 15.655, 24. Austin Hubbard, 15.657; 25. Tim Shaffer, 15.660; 26. Dennis Erb Jr., 15.704; 27. Garrett Alberson, 15.773; 28. Chris Brown, 15.781; 29. Josh Rice, 15.781; 30. Josh Rice, 15.832; 31. Jason Wagner, 15.900; 32. Jim Rasey, 15.939; 33. Joey Coulter, 15.965; 34. Kyle Pierce 16.018; 35. Pancho Lawler, 16.046; 36. Gary Stuhler, 16.061; 37. Kelly Guy, 16.088; 38. Nick davis, 16.286; 39. Adam Bowman, 16.302; 40. Bob Gordon, 16.369; 41. Earl Pearson Jr., 16.399; 42. Brian Ledbetter, 16.623; 43. Dan Stone, 16.677.

Group B: 1. Chris Ferguson, 14.744 seconds; 2. Josh Richards, 15.045; 3. Scott Bloomquist, 15.094; 4. Jimmy Owens, 15.119; 5. Randy Weaver, 15.192; 6. Shane Clanton, 15.367; 7. Brandon Sheppard, 15.417; 8. John Henderson, 15.421; 9. Greg Johnson, 15.423; 10. Jonathan Davenport, 15.432; 11. Mark Parks, 15.483; 12. Jason Feger, 15.530; 13. Don O’Neal, 15.545; 14. Russell Erwin Jr., 15.566; 15. Billy Moyer, 15.592; 16. James Rice, 15.603; 17. Eric Wells, 15.633; 18. Rick Eckert, 15.638; 19. Morgan Bagley, 15.651; 20. Dale Hollidge, 15.669; 21. Paul Wilmoth, 15.669; 22. Max Blair, 15.687; 23. Chad Hollenbeck, 15.711; 24. Dean Bowen, 15.805; 25. Chase Junghans, 15.828; 26. Walker Arthur, 15.859; 27. Nick Latham, 15.865; 28. Dustin Mitchell, 15.873; 29. Tim McCreadie, 15.875; 30. Jay Sessoms, 15.991; 31. Allen Murray, 16.007; 32. Jeff Wolfenbarger, 16.008; 33. Kerry King Jr., 16.122; 34. Cody Mahoney, 16.144; 35. Greg Clark, 16.193; 36. Colton Flinner, 16.204; 37. Andy Fries, 16.221; 38. Jordan Yaggy, 16.224; 39. Tyler Horst, 16.280; 40. Reid Millard, 16.848; 41. Dan Shepherd, 16.863; 42. Scott Lewis, 19.598; 43. Ross Robinson, no time.

Second Qualifying Session (Saturday)

Group A: 1. Darrell Lanigan, 14.999; 2. Randy Weaver, 15.201; 3. Casey Roberts, 15.215; 4. Brandon Sheppard, 15.232; 5. Scott Bloomquist, 15.233; 6. Shane Clanton, 15.319; 7. Rick Eckert, 15.381; 8. Paul Wilmoth, 15.388; 9. Tim Shaffer, 15.428; 10. Will Vaught, 15.484; 11. Chris Brown, 15.505; 12. Chase Junghans, 15.520; 13. Jonathan Davenport, 15.536; 14. Willie Milliken, 15.537; 15. Walker Arthur, 15.554; 16. Chub Frank, 115.571; 17. Dennis Erb Jr., 15.620; 18. Jason Feger, 15.651; 19. Gregg Satterlee, 15.661; 20. Matt Westfall, 15.706; 21. Dustin Mitchell, 15.717; 22. Scott Lewis, 15.723; 23. Allen Murray, 15.774; 24. Mark Parks, 15.790; 25. Morgan Bagley, 15.811; 26. Kelly Guy, 15.814; 27. Earl Pearson Jr., 15.863; 28. Austin Hubbard, 15.877; 29. Kyle Pierce, 15.915; 30. Brian Ligon, 15.966; 31. Dale Hollidge, 15.982; 32. Kerry King Jr., 16.012; 33. Jordan Yaggy, 16.087; 34. Austin Kirkpatrick, 16.230; 35. Jason Wagner, 16.230; 36. Garrett Alberson, 16.307; 37. Brian Ledbetter, 16.379; 38. Bob Gordon, 16.463; 39. Ross Robinson, 16.700; 40. Kenny Pettyjohn, 16.740; 41. Dan Shepherd, 16.968; 42. John Henderson, —; 43. Jim Rasey, 16.619

Group B: 1. Josh Richards, 15.145; 2. Jimmy Owens, 15.150; 3. Billy Moyer Jr., 15.160; 4. Chris Madden, 15.284; 5. Justin Labonte, 15.284; 6. Chris Ferguson, 15.316; 7. Mike Marlar, 15.328; 8. Dennis Franklin, 15.347; 9. Don O’Neal, 15.386; 10. Greg Johnson, 15.418; 11. Brandon Overton, 15.492; 12. Steve Francis, 15.503; 13. Austin Smith, 15.511; 14. Chris Simpson, 15.524; 15. Max Blair, 15.558; 16. Pancho Lawler, 15.581; 17. James Rice, 15.622; 18. Donny Schatz, 15.647; 19. Donald Bradsher, 15.680; 20. Nick Latham, 15.684; 21. Frank Heckenast Jr., 15.685; 22. Eric Wells, 15.706; 23. Tim McCreadie, 15.814; 24. Dean Bowen, 15.818; 25. Boom Briggs, 15.836; 26. Gary Stuhler, 15.838; 27. Josh Rice, 15.842; 28. Chad Hollenbeck, 15.861; 29. Dale McDowell, 15.925; 30. Russell Erwin Jr., 15.988; 31. Andy Fries, 16.171; 32. Colton Flinner, 16.238; 33. Dan Stone, 16.240; 34. Tyler Horst, 16.247; 35. Greg Clark, 16.259; 36. Jay Sessoms, 16.265; 37. Mason Zeigler, 16.273; 38. Cody Mahoney, 16.392; 39. Reid Millard, 16.474; 40. Nick Davis, 16.507; 41. Jeff Wolfenbarger, 17.029; 42. Adam Bowman, no time; 43. Joey Coulter, no time.

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.

The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com

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