Glenn Ferguson came out of the gates flying in 2009 with divisional and national event victories as he secured his spot in the Tournament of Champions rather early in the year. Ferguson’s tournament-clinching victory came in the second national event of the year in Rockingham, N.C. with a win over Doug Ramsey at the IHRA Spring Nationals.

With a ticket to the tournament already in hand Ferguson was on cruise control the remainder of the season, picking up a few more divisional wins here and there. He came close to picking up a second tournament qualifier in the Patriots divisional points race, but was edged out of the top three by Keith Mayers. Ferguson finished in fourth. Ferguson will now look to add to his four world championships when the Tournament of Champions gets underway at the Rockingham Nitro Jam in April of 2010.

NAME: Glenn Ferguson Jr.

DOB: March 31, 1970

HOMETOWN: Greensboro, NC

CLASS: Hot Rod, Super Rod, Quick Rod

DIVISION: Patriots, Raiders

CAREER: Three-time Hot Rod World Champion (1994, 2000, 2008), 2000 Super Rod World Champion

2009: Won 2009 Spring Nationals in HR; Finished 4th in Patriots Division in HR; Finished 14th in Raiders Division in Super Rod

GET TO KNOW GLENN FERGUSON JR.

With Christmas just around the bend, what did Santa bring you last year?
Mainly clothes. Normally it’s something like a gift card to play golf, because I like to play a lot of golf, so usually I get a gift card to play at a nice course. But mainly just clothes, you know, stuff that I can use. I’m real funny in that I like to have something I can really use.

Golf, huh? What’s your favorite place to play?
Actually it’s Grandover, a resort here in Greensboro. It’s like 80 or 85 dollars to play a round. Normally I play courses that are like 25 or 30 dollars. Grandover is a great place to play, one of those nice courses.

What’s been your best round?
The best I’ve shot is a 79. Normally I’m good for an 85 to a 90, but sometimes you have those good rounds.

It is almost time to start making a few New Years resolutions, did you have one last year?
(Laughs) Actually I’m not really one to do that. I tried it in the past, and about a week or two later that stuff just goes away. I tell you what I did, though. I went to church. I hadn’t gone in a year or two, I’m ashamed to say, but I went for the first time in the New Year.  I’m just trying to be a better person. We can all improve on who we are, no matter who we are. That’s just one of my goals this year, to try and live life and enjoy it. The other day I saw this lady in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, and she was from Tennessee. She was standing at the back of her car, crying, and it was raining when I came out and I saw she was trying to get something out of her trunk. I looked and I could tell she had a flat tire, so out of the blue I asked her, “Ma’am, do you need any help?” She said she had never changed a flat in her life, and she didn’t know if she even had a spare. She was a nurse and was here in North Carolina to go to some type of school, and she was also blind in one eye. So, I got down there and it was raining and about 33 degrees and I was soaking wet after changing the tire. She tried to pay me, but I told her that my mom is 72 and if my mom needed help, I’d want someone to help her out. That’s my plan this year, to help people when I can.

Pretend that you could start a brand-new career tomorrow. What would it be?
I would love to race full time for a living, like in Pro Stock. I would like to get a salary whether I win or lose. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve got to win to be able to keep on racing.

Talk about a famous person that you would like to interview. But, no drag racers.
(Laughs) Man, I was hoping you wouldn’t say that because I would love to talk to Bob Glidden. (Long pause) Probably Michael Jordan.

What would you want to ask him?
Probably about when he was growing up, and what it’s like to be him right now. I think it would be a tough job, you know, because when he goes out in public he’s got people all over him wanting autographs. I’ve just always liked Michael because he played for Carolina (North Carolina Tarheels) and he’s always been my favorite athlete.

Let’s pretend you’ve been on a deserted island for 2 years. When you come back, where’s the first place you want to go and eat?
Probably Cracker Barrel. (Laughs) I’d have meat loaf, plenty of biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy, turnip greens, and you gotta have sweet tea with lemon. I like Mexican food, but I can do Cracker Barrel just about anytime.

Talk about a friend of yours who can always make you laugh.
Definitely Shannon Waycaster. He cracks me up all the time. He never really gets upset or lets things bother him. Sometimes I wish I had his personality because I can let things get to me or over-analyze a lot of stuff. Shannon is religious and he goes to church, even though he cuts up a lot. He’s always just smiling, laughing, and always making comments that crack me up.

Let’s say you go back to a high school reunion. You walk in the room, and people turn, see you, and say to themselves, “That’s Glenn Ferguson. He was the person most likely to _____.”
Oh, man. That’s a tough one. I was probably the guy who would find a way to cheat on a test. I hate to say it, but the only thing I passed in school was math, everything else I flunked. If I could find a way to fudge a little, I’d do it.

What’s in your refrigerator right now?
(Laughs loudly) I can already tell you that. Coke, Dr. Pepper, milk orange juice, cheese, ham, bologna, Texas Pete, mustard, eggs, bacon, basic stuff like that. I live by myself, so I eat out all the time.

So, if the stove was turned on for the first time and made that funny smell, you’d be wondering what it was?
Funny you should say that. A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend came over and let herself in before I got home. She made hot dogs and when I came in I smelled something and I said, “Hey, what’s burning?”  (Laughs)

When you were a kid, what got you in trouble the most?
Umm, probably my mouth, because when I was a kid, I never shut up. That’s what kept me in trouble. I mean, the teacher would call home and say, “You gotta do something about this kid. He won’t stop talking.” I guess I had a lot on my mind.

You get the chance to have a one-on-one lesson with another racer. Who would it be, and what would you want to improve?
Anthony Bertozzi has always been my hero, or whatever you want to call it. Anthony Bertozzi or Scotty Richardson. I’ve done pretty decent, winning four championships and everything, but that guy has won a lot more than I have. When I got into the IHRA back in the mid 90s I asked Anthony a question. He’s a really funny person and he cuts up a lot, but you never know whether to take him seriously.  I asked him, “What makes you so good?” and he looked at me with this little smirk on his face and he said, “Hang around with people who win, not with people who lose.” He looked at me and I started laughing, and I said, “No, seriously.”  He looked at me with a straight face and said, “You think I’m not serious?” He said, “Fergy, if you hang around with someone who never wins, what do you think you’re going to learn from that?” He told me, “You’re not going to learn it all, and you’re not going to learn it overnight, but when you hang around people who win, you’ll pick up stuff. It will help you.”

If you could put together a time capsule that would be opened in 25 years, what items would you put in it that represent you?
I would probably put in some pictures. I’m real big on pictures. I’d probably put in some of my race car, and I’d also put in a bunch of my kids. My wallet is overflowing with pictures of my three kids. I show ‘em off to everyone. Also, probably a video. I’ve been on ESPN a few times, and now and then I’ll put one in to watch and it motivates me right before racing time.

Talk about a food you wouldn’t eat, even if you were paid $100.
Probably mushrooms. I do not do mushrooms at all. I can’t eat mushrooms or olives.

Let’s say someone wants to write a book about your life. What will the title be?
Back in my late teens and 20s I got a lot of bad raps. I was cocky back in my days, and a lot of people said that maybe I had to be that way in order to race. I wish things were different, but they’re not. I was 17, 18 years old and winning championships on a local level, and I just got a bad rap. If a book was written about me, I’d want people to know that I’m more mature and that if you get to know me I’m a pretty good person.

Maybe “People Can Change” should be the title.
Oh, absolutely. That says it all. People do change. I can’t tell you about the jackets, the helmets, or the fits I used to throw in my racecar as a teenager. But you won’t see that anymore. I take my helmet off and put it in the passenger seat. I go back and close my door, get out and turn my bottles off, and that’s that.