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TRACKS: Larry Ferriss Joins Irwindale Tech Staff in NASCAR Late Models

30 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Irwindale, Calif. - - Larry Ferriss won't be doing much Saturday afternoon golfing after March 17 of this year. The 54 year-old Covina resident and long time racing mechanic will be taking on a new "weekend job" as the tech inspector for Irwindale Speedway's highly-competitive NASCAR Super Late Model Division. "We're very pleased to have Larry joining our tech team," said Competition Director Chris Morgan. "Larry's expertise and experience will be a welcome addition to our already top-notch tech squad."

Ferriss' background includes a stint as a NASCAR Southwest Tour car owner/entrant during the 1984 and 85 seasons, with Dennis Dyer driving his La Victoria-sponsored Chevy. Larry, who operates an independent diesel truck repair service, has a racing background that includes a great deal of drag racing and, most recently, saw him acting as crew chief for his fellow Covina resident, the popular Jimmy White, on his Super Late Model and Grand American Modified machines at Irwindale.

Interestingly enough, Ferriss was also a champion driver as well as a winning mechanic, only on a slightly smaller scale. Ferriss competed for years as a professional radio control model driver winning many pro races around the state. This season, maybe on those quiet Sunday afternoons when he's recovered from his hectic Saturday night duties, he'll most likely be found in the Covina Hills flying one of his favorite radio control gliders. Or maybe, just maybe, getting in a few holes of golf. His other favorite recreation, Bass fishing, will have to wait until the off-season since that endeavor isn't that easy to get to with only one day off on the weekend.

Ferris is married (Grace), and has two daughters, Tina, who is a marketing executive with the Wynn Oil Company, and Sherry who is a homemaker and the mother of Larry and Grace's two grand children.

His opinion of his new (Saturday) boss, Chris Morgan, is based on his crew-chiefing experiences over the first two years of racing at Irwindale. "The guy really turned the Speedway around," said Ferriss, "Chris is easy to get along with, he tries to work with everyone to ensure fair competition. This is job going to be a challenge for me, but one that I'm really looking forward to beginning. Winning races here at Irwindale has come to mean that you're running an honest car in some of the toughest weekly competition anywhere, we're planning to keep the tech side of that reputation very much intact."

Irwindale's regular weekly racing season gets into high gear early this year on March 17. That's when the mighty NASCAR Super Late Models rip into action with a 100-lap opener. Also on that evening's bill will be the Grand American Modifieds and the Super Stocks. The NASCAR Late Models will fire off on March 24 and the Modified 4's (nee Mini-Stocks) will start their season on April 7.

Text Provided By Doug Stokes

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.