Ragan Claims Solid Top-10 Finish at Texas
November 8, 20097:41 PM
FORT WORTH, Texas (November 7, 2009) – David Ragan and the No. 6 Discount Tire team had a workman-like effort at Texas Motor Speedway. The team had a solid run in the Nationwide Series O’Reilly Challenge on Saturday afternoon. Ragan rolled off the starting grid in the second position and stayed in the top 10 for most of the race, securing an eighth-place finish.
It was a beautiful day at Texas Motor Speedway. The temperature at the start of the race was 75 degrees. Ragan and the team had great practice sessions on Friday and crew chief Dan Stillman thought the Discount Tire Ford Fusion would be in the hunt from the start of the race. Ragan was instructed by Stillman to stay aggressive early and stay in the lead pack. Ragan ran in the top five the first 50 laps of the race. Ragan made a green-flag pit stop on lap 57 for four fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Ragan had commented his Ford Fusion was free in the center of the corners and tight up off. After cycling through green-flag stops Ragan settled into the 10th position.
Ragan continued to fight through the field and by lap 118 was scored in the fifth position. The Discount Tire Ford Fusion was a rocket ship for the next 50 laps. Ragan’s lap times were comparable with race leader Kyle Busch and if not for a debris caution on lap 179, Ragan was poised to take the third position away from Brad Keselowski. Stillman called Ragan to the pit stall for the last time for four tires, while the top three stayed out. It was a gamble for the Discount Tire team. Green-flag racing resumed on lap 185.
Ragan restarted the race in the 13th position. Ragan maneuvered through the field and gained five spots the last 15 laps of the race. Busch ran away with the win, but Ragan and Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth all finished the race in the top 10.
"This was a solid run for us,” said Ragan. “You always want to run a little better, but we worked hard and were highly competitive. It was a good run for everyone at Roush Fenway Racing.”
Ragan and the team will return to action next Saturday, November 14th at Phoenix International Raceway.
About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating nine motorsports teams. Five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; three in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Erik Darnell, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Colin Braun; and one in the Camping World Truck Series with Braun. 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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