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Ragan Earns a Hard Fought Top-10 Finish at Nashville |
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Lebanon, Tenn. (June 9, 2007)
David Ragan and the No. 6 Discount
Tire team bounced back in a major way in the Federated Auto Parts
300 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night. The young team
worked hard all weekend to get prepared for the NASCAR Busch Series
race in Nashville. Ragan, pulling double duty in both series, made
it in time for qualifying, flying from Pocono, Penn., site of Sunday's
NASCAR Nextel Cup series race. Ragan made no laps in the car because
weather grounded all planes Friday in Pennsylvania. Ragan qualified
16th and then outshined many of NASCAR's premier Busch Series drivers
to capture his third top 10 of the year. |
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It was a hot and humid day at Nashville Superspeedway and the track
temperature exceeded 100 degrees at the start of the race. It was
evident the fear of not knowing how the Ford Fusion would handle for
Ragan was a major concern for the Discount Tire team. |
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It appeared as if the No. 6 Discount Tire team wanted to be patient
the first few laps. Ragan was instructed by crew chief Mike Kelley
to take care of his race car and run consistent laps early.
The race started with little drama as 63 of the first 64 laps were
run under green. But the drama started early for the Discount Tire
team. On lap seven Ragan commented the car was a little free and on
lap 11 Ragan said the car was a little tight on exit. This handling
problem was not very evident as the Discount Tire Ford Fusion gained
seven positions the first 55 laps. A caution flew on lap 64 just as
the Discount Tire Ford Fusion claimed the ninth position. |
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The No. 6 Discount Tire team made their first pit stop under caution
on lap 68. Crew chief Mike Kelley ordered four tires, fuel, a track
bar adjustment and a slight air pressure adjustment. Ragan had moved
to the eighth position after the stop and when green-flag racing
resumed the Discount Tire Ford Fusion was making up ground on the
leaders very fast. |
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On lap 77 Ragan had climbed to the sixth position. Ragan continued
to run in the sixth position for the next 20 laps, but on lap 81 he
commented that the car was over rotating in the back end. On lap 97
the car was still free in the back end but Ragan moved comfortably
into the fifth position. At one point on lap 104 Kelley commented
that he was the fastest car on the track. Ragan's momentum was cut
short by a caution on lap 109. |
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Upon entering the pit stall on lap 111, Kelley ordered four tires,
fuel and an air pressure adjustment. An average pit stop would cost
the Discount Tire team valuable track position. Ragan would exit the
pit in the 15th position. Green-flag racing resumedon lap 117. |
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Ragan spent the next 20 laps fighting for track position with a lot of
fast cars in front of him and an ill-handling race car. The car got
extremely tight into the corners. The caution flew again on lap 135
and a chance for redemption on pit road was on every crew members'
mind. Ragan pitted on lap 137. Kelley called for four tires, fuel
and a track bar adjustment. A great effort by the pit crew allowed
Ragan to gain four positions and move into 11th upon exiting the pit
stall. |
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Ragan stayed in the 11th position for the next 15 laps. On lap 152 a
wreck in turn four brought out the caution yet again. The Discount Tire
pit crew was poised for another great stop when the pits opened on lap
154. Kelley called for two tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.
The decision to take two tires instead of four was a risky strategy
that increased track position for the remainder of the race. |
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When green-flag racing resumed on lap 157 Ragan had moved into the 10th
position. Ragan seemed poised to make one last charge on the leaders,
but on lap 164 he commented the car was real tight. Kelley told Ragan
to concentrate on catching the race leaders and put some space between
him and the middle of the pack. Ragan responded by charging to the ninth
position by lap 192 and to eighth by lap 210. The Discount Tire Ford moved
through each turn effortlessly and by lap 222 he had moved into seventh
for the remainder of the evening. |
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Ragan was the highest finishing rookie of the race. His Roush Fenway Racing
teammate Carl Edwards won the race, his fourth of the season. |
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"We had a hard earned top-10 finish tonight," said Ragan. "You always want
to run a little better than you did, but what a great rebound from last week.
We had one mishap on pit road early on, but the Discount Tire Ford Fusion
team worked extremely hard in getting the car prepared. I take my hat off
to Auggie Vidovich for practicing the car on Friday. It was truly a team
effort from start to finish. It was a fun race. Carl Edwards is an
unbelievable driver. He showed us what it's all about today. It was a good
run for everyone at Roush Fenway Racing, a solid points day." |
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The seventh-place finish leaves Ragan eighth in the Busch Series point
standings. Ragan and the team will return to action next Saturday, June
16th at Kentucky Speedway. |
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About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating 13 motorsports teams,
five in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle,
Carl Edwards and David Ragan; five in the Busch Series with Kenseth, Biffle,
Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Todd Kluever, Michel Jourdain Jr. and Danny O'Quinn Jr.;
and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Edwards, Peter Shepherd, Travis Kvapil
and Erik Darnell. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto
www.RoushFenway.com.
For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645. |
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