Unadilla’s David Ragan has had his share of ups and downs in his NASCAR career. As he returns to his home track this weekend for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he’s back on the upswing again.
Ragan started his Sprint Cup career in the No. 6 Ford at Roush Fenway Racing. Although he won a race at Daytona in 2011, the team’s sponsor, UPS, left the team, and Ragan took a ride with the underdog Front Row Motorsports, where he delivered a stunning victory at Talladega Superspeedway in 2013.
Heading into the 2015 season, Front Row expanded from two to three drivers, but Ragan started the year with no points from 2014. That meant that he would have had to qualify his way into the first five races with no safety net of a provisional starting position from last year’s points total. It took a heroic effort to get into last weekend’s Daytona 500 and he would have been vulnerable if rain were to wash out qualifying in coming races.
So when Joe Gibbs Racing came calling earlier this week, asking him to fill in for the injured Kyle Busch in the No. 5 Toyota, Ragan’s career took another turn. Now, with Busch healing from a broken leg, Ragan is temporarily behind the wheel of one of the best cars in the garage and with one of the sport’s top teams.
Choosing Ragan might seem like a surprise to some, given he’s been driving for rival Ford Motor Company throughout his career. But his current team, manufacturer and sponsors signed off on the deal, paving the way for Ragan not only to get a temporary ride in a fast car, but also a chance to showcase his talents for the future.
“Any time you can be considered for a top-tier ride, it’s good for your career,” said Ragan, who was in Atlanta on Wednesday for an appearance for CSX, one of his sponsors at Front Row. “I feel like that at 29 years old, I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me.”
In moving to his temporary home at Gibbs, Ragan will reunite with two former teammates, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth, who drove for Roush Fenway Racing when Ragan was there.
“They’re good friends, and I’ve enjoyed my relationship with them,” Ragan said. “They’re both championship-caliber drivers, and it’ll be good to get to work with them again.”
Despite the big break, Ragan is remaining loyal to Front Row and his current sponsors.
“It’s a win for everybody,” Ragan said. “Everybody signed off on it and allowed me the opportunity to fill in in a high-profile ride.”
Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark said the fact that Ragan came to Atlanta on Wednesday on behalf of CSX “speaks volumes for David.”
Clark also said he told Ragan, who raced Legends cars at his track as a youngster, to make the most of the situation, but cautioned him to not put too much pressure on himself.
“I told him not to feel like he’s got to go out there and win the first race,” Clark said. “But David is smart. He’s been around a long time and knows what to do.”
