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Ragan Finishes 19th in Inaugural Race in Canada |
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Montreal, Can. (August 4, 2007)
David Ragan and the No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion team was
poised for a good run in the inaugural Busch Series race in
Canada at the vaunted Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday
afternoon. After testing all day Thursday the team was
confident they had a fast race car that could run up front
with some of the best road course racers in the world. But
bad luck and poor track position cost Ragan a shot at a
great finish. Ragan brought home a 19th place finish, two
laps down. |
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The strategies used for a road course differ from that of
a traditional oval shaped track. During practice Thursday
and Friday the track proved to be very difficult on the
brakes for the entire field. Early in the race a lot of
the field began making pit stops, guarding against wear
and tear on their equipment. It was a strategy the Discount
Tire team did not buy into, staying out early on. |
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The fireworks started early in the race. On lap three,
Ragan was issued a pass through penalty due to missing
a turn on the back side of the course. Ragan was trying
to avoid hitting the No. 66 driven by Steven Wallace who
locked up the brakes in front of him. After coming off
pit road, Ragan made his way back on the course in the
rear of the field in the 30th position. Ragan spent the
next 10 laps making up ground, moving into the 21st
position by lap 15. Ragan and the Discount Tire team
made their first pit stop under a green-flag on lap 17.
Crew Chief Mike Kelley called for fuel and four fresh
tires. An average pit stop left Ragan in the 29th position.
On lap 19 Ragan went one lap down. |
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On lap 23, the No. 30 car driven by Stanton Barrett
made contact with Ragan, causing a blown left rear
tire. After getting a fresh tire Ragan tried to maneuver
through the field with average success, picking up two
spots over the next few laps. The first caution of the
night flew on lap 32. Ragan made his second pit stop of
the day on lap 33. Kelley called for two tires, fuel
and fender work. Ragan was in the 27th position on the
restart on lap 35. The caution flew yet again on lap 39.
Ragan was called back to the pits for fuel only and
returned to the race in 25th place. |
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Ragan had few handling problems for much of the race but
his frustration with the lack of track position was evident.
Ragan spent the latter portion of the race feverishly trying
to make up ground. The final 10 laps of the race were marred
with several accidents that slowed the action. Ragan and the
Discount Tire team benefited from the late cautions, picking
up several spots and finishing the race in 19th place, two
laps down. |
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"Cutting the tire and having to pit under green was probably
our biggest problem of the day. We just couldn't seem to
rebound and had two cautions after that so we were on the
wrong side of the pit strategy. Once you get down that one
lap or two laps here on the road courses, you just can't
seem to rebound. With a top-20 finish, we brought the car
home in one piece. I guess we'll go to Pocono and show them
what we've got there." |
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The 19th-place finish leaves Ragan fifth in the Busch Series
point standings. Ragan and the team will return to action next
Saturday, August 11 at Watkins Glen International. |
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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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