Canadian teen racer set for NASCAR Clash after recovering from rare cancer

Ollie Ferguson, a 16-year-old from Lindsay, Ont., will race at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina on Feb. 1 during NASCAR Clash weekend's Cook Out Clash, and he previously recovered from myelodysplasia after a bone marrow transplant donated by his sister.

A 16-year-old racer from Lindsay, Ontario, is headed to a high-profile weekend of American stock-car racing. Ollie Ferguson will compete at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina on Feb. 1 during NASCAR Clash weekend's Cook Out Clash, a non-championship exhibition event held before the Daytona 500. He began racing at age nine and has moved up through junior late-models to full-size stock cars. As a child he was diagnosed with myelodysplasia and received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, followed by a multi-year recovery. Known details: - Ollie Ferguson is 16 and from Lindsay, Ontario, and will race at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1 during NASCAR Clash weekend's Cook Out Clash. - The Cook Out Clash is a NASCAR Cup Series non-championship exhibition event held before the Daytona 500 and will be televised to a national audience. - Ferguson was diagnosed with myelodysplasia at age four and required a bone marrow transplant at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, with his sister Scarlette as the donor. - He began racing at nine, moved into full-size stock cars at 13, and received the Ontario Sportsman Series awards "Most Promising New Talent" and "Hard Charger" two years ago. - Local officials and community supporters have recognized his progress, and his family described the opportunity to race at Bowman Gray as a surreal milestone. Summary: Ollie Ferguson's entry at Bowman Gray represents a notable step in his young racing career and draws attention from his community and beyond. He is scheduled to compete on Feb. 1 during NASCAR Clash weekend, and the event will be televised; further developments will follow the race schedule and event coverage.