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Two wins in one day for KJ Motorsports

Photo from Jennifer Butler

Amanda Ferguson, 15, won her first ever heat race in the Checkered Flag Sprint Series during a May 2 event at the Charlotte County Speedway in Punta Gorda. Her teammate Keith Butler went on to win the feature race later in the day.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS

jceballos@tampatrib.com

Published: May 13, 2009

RIVERVIEW - The KJ Motorsports team traveled about 100 miles south to Punta Gorda for its first Checkered Flag Sprint Series race.

The trip was worth it, as one of its drivers won a preliminary heat race, while another took the top spot in the feature race.

Seventeen cars arrived for the May 2 event at the Charlotte County Speedway and were broken up into two heat races.

Keith Butler was in the first heat and finished third, while Amanda Ferguson - who joined KJ Motorsports in April - competed in the second heat and won. It was the first heat race win in the Checkered Flag Sprint Series in the teen's young career.

"This past race was her third time in a car for us," said Jennifer Butler, co-founder of KJ Motorsports along with her husband, Keith. "She hasn't been in sprint cars for very long, and winning a heat race was a huge success for her."

All 17 cars participated in the 30-lap feature race, with Butler starting ninth and Ferguson beginning in the third position. On lap nine, another car made contact with Ferguson's and spun her around.

This brought out the caution flag, and after the race was restarted Ferguson joined the field at the rear and finished eighth. Butler battled all the way to the top and took the checkered flag, giving him five straight wins for the season.

At 271, Butler is currently the Checkered Flag Sprint Series points leader, while Ferguson is sixth with 191. The Checkered Flag Sprint Series is in its second year and features sprint cars, which are mostly designed to run on short oval or circular tracks.

Based in Riverview, KJ Motorsports will next compete in the Checkered Flag Sprint Series during a June 6 race at the New Smyrna Speedway in Samsula.

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 627-4762.

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