Where the Raybestos Rookies finished in the Auto Club 500:
Ragan 16th
Menard 20th
Montoya 26th
Reutimann 33rd
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings:
Ragan 28
Montoya 19
Reutimann 17
Menard 11
Allmedinger 2
Whitt 2
DAVID RAGAN IN THE No. 6 AAA INSURANCE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORD WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE TODAY IN THE AUTO CLUB 500.
Notes:
Ragan finished 16th and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race for the second time this season.
RAGAN: “It was an average day. We want to come here and finish. The racer in us, we want to win, we want to finish second or third but this is something we’ll take and we’ll grow on. We got to run some decent laps and if the cautions would have fell in our liking we might could have been around 10th or 12th. But we’ll take it for everyone at AAA Insurance here in Southern California and we’ll move on to the next one.” AND YOU GAINED SOME RESPECT TODAY. “Hopefully. That’s what we’re here to do. Hopefully racing with some of the top guys and some give and take, hopefully as the year goes on, they’ll gain some respect for myself and the team. Every week is going to be an improvement for us. We’ve got to keep making sure it’s in the right direction.” COMMENT ON THE UPCOMING RACE AT LAS VEGAS. “We’ve got a decent package to go back to Vegas but it’s going to be a learning program all year for myself, my spotter, Jimmy [Fenning, crew chief] and I working together and when we get it out we’re going to be good.” WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING LIKE THIS, DO YOU WISH THE LAS VEGAS RACE WAS NEXT WEEK? “I think a week off is good for us but it’s not a week off for me. I’m going to VIR on Monday, practicing the road course car and then Bristol Tuesday and Wednesday and then to Mexico City on the weekend. I think it’s going to be good for the team. We don’t need the break. We’re prepared and ready to go with our Ford Fusions but I think for myself it’s not going to be a factor at all.”
PAUL MENARD, No. 15 MENARDS/QUAKER STATE CHEVROLET: “It’s kind of like our Busch race went last night. We were really good at the beginning and it got really loose toward the end. Our goal was to finish in the top-20 and we accomplished that and just get points. This top-35 is so huge. You’ve got to finish races and not do what David Reutimann did and wreck. You’ve got to finish all the races and get in the top-35 and then start racing. The car was pretty loose all night long.” DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING TODAY THAT WILL HELP YOU AT LAS VEGAS? “Probably not a whole lot. They are totally different tracks, totally different tire. We’ll probably bring the same car but that’s as close as you’re going to get.”
