Bluegrass Speedway
No nepotism for Francis as he meets the parents
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Steve Francis
Even if Steve Francis wasn't a marquee star with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, he'd have no choice but to enter the national tour's first-ever event at Bluegrass Speedway this Saturday night (May 8). Missing the track's 50-lap, $10,000-to-win My Old Kentucky Home Shootout, after all, would mean serious family consequences for Francis.
"I've said if he didn't make this race," joked Bluegrass Speedway promoter David Ferrell, who is also the driver's father-in-law, "he'll get no Thanksgiving dinner."
Francis, of course, became the son-in-law of David and Anita Ferrell, who have operated the high-banked, half-mile oval for more than a decade, on Feb. 27 when he married their daughter Amanda. Now the WoO's 2007 champion and winningest driver since 2004 (27 victories) is ready to make his first appearance at the track as an official member of the family.
"I've never been in this type of situation," said Francis, a 42-year-old from Ashland, Ky. "I'm treating it like it's another World of Outlaws race, but it won't be. For one thing, it's about as close as we get to home this year on the Outlaw deal (just under 180 miles) so I'll have a lot of family and friends there. And since Amanda's parents run the place, that adds a little different feel."
While Francis realizes that his connection to the Ferrells might lead to the perception that he was the driving force behind the WoO visiting the track for the first time, or that he'll receive special treatment, but he emphasized that's not the case at all. He said all he did was provide David Ferrell a contact number for WoO director Tim Christman when his father-in-law expressed interest in booking an Outlaw show. As for the other issue, well.
"The first time I raced there last year after me and Amanda got engaged I went out for hot laps in the wrong group," said Francis. "I got black-flagged off the track, didn't even get a practice lap. I can guarantee they won't play any favoritism."
David Ferrell chuckled when asked to recall the tough love displayed toward his daughter's then fiance.
"Hey, he was out there in the wrong session and got motioned off," Ferrell said with a smile. "I hope he doesn't expect any special favors. He's getting treated like everyone else."
Actually, Francis said he expects to see very little of his in-laws — and his wife — during Saturday's racing program. They'll all be hard at work running the racetrack. David oversees all aspects of the speedway's operation including track preparation, Anita handles behind-the-scenes matters and Amanda also pitches in by tackling ticketing and gate concerns.
"Amanda and I will be doing our own thing," Francis said. "When I ran there last year she was busy all night. I saw her and she had two radios on."
Francis will focus on getting his groove back on the series, a pursuit that's been pretty tough so far this season for the veteran driver, who has experienced some struggles with his own equipment after spending the last two seasons driving for Maryland car owner Dale Beitler.
"We've got to get our consistency back," said Francis, who enters this weekend's WoO doubleheader (the tour runs at Lincoln Speedway in Illinois on Friday) ranked sixth in the points standings with one win, three top-five and six top-10 finishes in 10 events. "We're about halfway there. We're showing signs. But it's been a lot tougher getting everything together again with our own deal than I really anticipated."
Bluegrass would be a good place for Francis to get his comeback rolling. He's enjoyed success at the track in the past, winning three features, including one last summer.
Surprisingly, however, Saturday night will mark the first time Francis has ever entered a race at Bluegrass with his own No. 15 machine. His first two wins there came behind the wheel of Tim Logan's car and last year he drove a D.J. Wells-owned entry to victory. Earlier in the 2000s, when the Dirt Track World Championship event was held at Bluegrass, he campaigned the Rocket Chassis house car now steered by Richards.
"It's a pretty high-speed track," Francis said of Bluegrass. "I've run well there and I've had calls from some Outlaw guys asking about what gears and tires to run. But guys like (Darrell) Lanigan (eight career victories at Bluegrass) and (Rick) Eckert have both won Dirt Track World Championships there, so it's not like I'm the only one who's had success at the place."
Francis is just the WoO regular who's turned the most laps around Bluegrass this year, though most of them haven't come behind the wheel of his race car.
"I was actually down there about 10 days ago helping David with the racetrack a little," said Francis. "I must have made about 500 laps in the water truck while he was running the grader the other way."
Francis has by no means become a staffer at Bluegrass Speedway, but he does now talk regularly with David Ferrell about track prep and other racing issues. The conversations have, in fact, opened the driver's eyes to the racetrack promotion business.
"I didn't understand a lot of promoters' decision throughout my career, but I've learned a lot on that end from sitting around and talking to him," said Francis, who will entertain several representatives from his sponsor Valvoline's nearby headquarters during Saturday night's program. "I think I have a little better appreciation and understanding of the promoter's side now, and I think he understands the racer's side more than he did before."
The two men could very well have their next discussion on the Bluegrass Speedway homestretch Saturday with Ferrell handing Francis a $10,000 first-place check for winning the event. What would that be like?
"It would be pretty cool," said Francis.
"I'd just as soon give it to him as anybody," commented Ferrell, before adding with a laugh, "I don't think he'll give me a discount (on the payoff) though. He'll probably want a tip on top of it."
