David Ragan – Race Recap
Sharp Aquos 500-Fontana, CA / September 2, 2007
Started 33rd / Finished 12th

RAGAN GETS LUCKY DOG AWARD AND FINISHES 12TH IN CALIFORNIA

Fontana, CA (September 2, 2007) – California Speedway proved to be a challenge for all 43 competitors in Sunday’s Sharp Aquos 500. The 100+ degree weather affected the drivers, crew members and even the fans in attendance. As if the weather wasn’t enough to deal with, Ragan kept things interesting. The No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion was very fast, but a speeding penalty on pit road would leave him battling for the lucky dog position. Ragan qualified 33rd, survived the heat and rebounded back from going a lap down to earn a 12th place finish while Jimmie Johnson went on to win the 250 lap event.

From his 33rd starting position, Ragan spent the first 30 laps getting a good handle on his No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion. Ragan described his car as “pretty neutral” and began his move towards the front. The second caution of the day came out on lap 15 when Ragan had worked his way up to the 26th position. Crew chief Jimmy Fennig decided it was too early in the 250 lap event to pit and left Ragan on the track sitting 24th for the restart on lap 19.

The third caution quickly followed the second when it came out on lap 22 with Ragan running 23rd. Ragan said the No. 6 was a little free in turns one and two, so Fennig made the call to come down pit road under caution for right side tires and fuel. The two-tire stop maintained Ragan’s track position, but from the drop of the green flag the team quickly realized their car did not respond well to two-tire stops. Ragan steadily dropped back and was scored as 30th when the next caution came out on lap 39.

This time around the car was really loose and the back end was over-rotating. Ragan came down pit road under caution for four tires and fuel. The quick work by Ragan’s team allowed him to gain three spots on pit road, placing him 27th for the green flag restart on lap 45. From there Ragan was still a little free, but he was able to keep advancing through the field.

The team continued to make four-tire stops and adjustments on the car to get the handling better for Ragan. He had a really fast car and the changes started to show through on lap 138 when they broke into the top 10. About 10 laps later the field began coming in for green flag pit stops. Ragan came in for his stop on lap 153, but was caught speeding off pit road and had to come back in on lap 160 to serve a drive-thru penalty. Ragan accidentally sped off pit road again on his drive-thru penalty and was told he would have to come in for a stop-and-go penalty. Luckily for Ragan the caution came out and they could come in for four tires and fuel while serving their penalty and remain only one lap down to the leaders.

The field restarted on lap 168 with Ragan sitting 34 th, one lap down to the leaders. Ragan had a really fast car and now had his eyes set on becoming the “lucky dog” to get his lap back. Ragan was up to 28th on lap 177 and was the first car one lap down; now all he needed was a caution to get back on the lead lap. He wouldn’t have to wait very long, as the next caution came out on lap 179 and Ragan was the recipient of the “lucky dog” award. With nothing to lose Ragan came down pit road for four tires and fuel, and returned to the track on the lead lap in the 22nd position on lap 186.

Ragan knew he had a really fast car and wanted to make up for his speeding error and get back to the top 10. Ragan made his move to the front and was up to 16th on lap 210 when green flag pit stops began again. Fennig brought Ragan down pit road on lap 214 under green flag racing for four tires and fuel. From there Ragan was on his own. Ragan kept laying down fast lap times and picked off his fellow competitors one at a time. Ultimately he finished 12th and was the highest finishing rookie.

“We had a great car,” said Ragan. “Other than my mistakes speeding on pit road and blending a little too early, we might have had a car that could have finished in the top five or contend for a win, but just a small mistake hurt us like that. I just gassed it a little too early on that pit stop. We had a good stop and when you’re right there on the speed limit going down pit road and if you hit it just a split-second too early, it reflects on your speed there at the last mark and that’s where we got busted at.”