David Ragan Advance
Texas Motor Speedway, Apr. 14-15
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Samsung 500
Sunday, Apr. 15 2:00 PM Eastern on FOX/PRN
Fast Facts
David Ragan competed at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005. He started 34th and finished in the 39th position.
Ragan has also competed in the Craftsman Truck Series at the track in 2004 and twice in 2006 finishing 20th, eighth and sixth respectively.
This will be Ragan’s first start in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway. He attempted to qualify for the 2006 fall race, but was not quick enough to make the field.
David Ragan was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 1 Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Motor Speedway. Ragan finished 15th and took top rookie honors for the fourth time in six races.
Ragan claimed a $5,000 award at Martinsville as part of the Raybestos Rookie Magnificent Seven program and won an authentic Ridgeway clock. Ragan also captured the bonus in the season opening Daytona 500. The Raybestos Rookie of the Race normally pays $1,500 but that increases to $5,000 at seven designated races throughout the 2007 season. The next race where the bonus is available is Darlington (May 12).
Ragan took the lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings by one point (68-67) over Juan Pablo Montoya entering the April 15 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
David Ragan
Team: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: Primary RK-201 Previously ran at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Backup RK-405 Previously ran at Texas Motor Speedway
Ragan on racing in the Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway:
“Well, we’ve had a weekend off in the Cup cars so I am anxious to get back in our AAA Ford. Texas is not a COT race and I have raced there a few times before in the Busch cars and in the trucks so it will be a little more familiar to me than some of these other tracks. We have a pretty cool AAA Insurance paint scheme on the car this weekend so I am excited to see that, especially if we see it in the top-5 at the end of the day on Sunday.”
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
“Texas should be a good track for David. He has two good finishes there in the trucks and I think he will do well on the mile and a half tracks. We are taking the same two cars that we took to Atlanta so hopefully we will be able to get a good qualifying spot and stay out of the mess at the back of the field. David has done a great job of taking care of his race car so far this year so we just need to keep up the good work and move on up there in the points.”
