Dues Paid: Ragan Rebounds In Second NASCAR Sprint Cup Season
Roush Fenway Racing’s David Ragan, the author of one 2008 rebound, is a study in persistence.
As a 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate, Ragan labored under media attention fixated on eventual winner Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Wrigley’s Big Red Dodge). He finished as the rookie runner-up, and began this season in obscurity compared to more accomplished teammates such as former series champion Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford), former series runner up Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) and current series wins leader Carl Edwards.
But eight races in, Ragan is 18th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. He has one top 10 and, more importantly, only one DNF (did not finish). He’s also only 81 points out of 12th place — the cutoff spot for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Ragan, 22, appears to be a challenger for a Chase spot in only his second fulltime season. That’s light years from his two-race series debut in late 2006, when he invited the ire of several veteran competitors at Martinsville Speedway.
Ragan finished 23rd in the 2007 season standings, with two top fives, three top 10s and four DNFs.
Now Ragan looks to be a worthy successor to four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup runner-up Mark Martin (No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet), who drove the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway for 19 seasons.
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