David Ragan’s feel-good story of patience and perseverance might as well start on Memorial Day Weekend, 2006.
While most of the NASCAR attention focused on the traditional Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced at Mansfield Motorsports Park, the ½-mile paved Ohio track no longer hosting NASCAR events.
That’s where Ragan’s career almost ended. Even to the most optimistic observer, a successful NASCAR career – in any series – seemed doubtful.
Mansfield was race No. 7 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck schedule that season. Ragan had started four of the first six races that year, crashing out of two of them. After again wrecking his No. 6 Ford truck in practice for the event at Mansfield, owner Jack Roush benched him in favor of Auggie Vidovich (who eventually finished 19th).
It was a typical Roush technique. One that looks brilliant five years later.
Now, a half-decade gone by, Ragan is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner.
Though probably still the lesser known Roush Fenway Racing stable member, he joins teammates Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle on two exclusive lists: NASCAR premier series winner, and more importantly, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship contender.
Ragan’s win immediately put him in the hunt for one of two Chase Wild Card spots.
After race No. 26, the top-10 drivers earn berths for the 12-driver Chase. Spots 11 and 12 go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided that they are in the top 20.
Currently, those Wild Cards would belong to Denny Hamlin (currently in 11th) and Ragan (17th).
If he does make the Chase, consider him a legitimate threat. A strong restrictor-plate racer, Ragan should contend at Talladega’s Chase race. Also, five intermediate tracks make up the Chase, a style firmly in Roush Fenway Racing’s wheelhouse.
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