Ragan Signs with Front Row Motorsports, Stays with Ford
by MattWeaver on Jan 17, 2012 3:17 AM EST
in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
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Another free agent is off the market as David Ragan has signed a deal that will see him drive for Front Row Motorsports in 2012. Ragan's signing essentially landed him the last competitive open seat available.
Ragan drove for Roush-Fenway Racing from 2006-2011, picking up a single victory at Daytona in June. The 26-year old leaves Roush-Fenway Racing having picked up 30 top-10s and a 21.1 average finish in 182 Cup Series starts.
Signing with Front Row will keep Ragan in the Ford family as FRM uses engines provided by Roush.
"Front Row has made great progress in the last few years, and I look forward to helping them advance to the next level," Ragan said. "I think the team appreciates what I can bring to the table, and I think it's a good opportunity for both of us. I've also enjoyed a long relationship with Ford and I'm glad that I'll get to keep working with them."
The signing maximizes each party's strengths as both Ragan and FRM have shown considerable success at both Daytona and Talladega in recent years. David Gilliland will be Ragan's teammate in 2012 and finished third in the Daytona 500 and ninth in the Aaron's 499.
Gilliland drove the team's no. 34 entry last season and will move to the no. 38 to make room for Ragan.
"We've gotten better year to year and even week to week in the time I've been with Front Row, so I'm excited to be back for a third year and to have David (Ragan) as a teammate," Gilliland said. "It's good to be back in the '38' car, too. It was my dad's number, and I've also had some pretty good days at the racetrack with that number on the door."
Front Row Motorsports enters its fourth full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. The team completed it's best season in team history last year, earning one top-5, two top-10s, and three top-15s finishes in 2011.
How do you think Ragan will fare with Front Row Motorsports this season? Tell us in the comments section below!
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An addition like Ragan can't hurt the team.
Plus, now they are in the All-Star Race this year. Also, is anyone else singing, “Bye-Bye Vickers” lol.
I can hear Smoke from the Gulf Coast. I still haven't forgotten Sonoma. =D
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Senior Writer and Editor for SBNation's NASCAR Ranting and Raving
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I'm going to miss Vickers, He's still more talented that Ragan, Speed, Gilliland and half the remaining fulltime field.
Do you guys think he resurfaces with a team by ’13?
Maybe. I'm still high on Speed. He really started to put it together at the end of his Red Bull run.
I’d really love to see what he could do with a full-time IndyCar Series ride, especially with so many road and steet courses on the schedule.
But I guess back-marking in the Cup Series pays the bills, right?
Follow me on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN
Senior Writer and Editor for SBNation's NASCAR Ranting and Raving
Correspondent for SBNation's IndyCar Pop Off Valve Blog (http://www.popoffvalve.com/)
by MattWeaver on Jan 19, 2012 4:08 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Speed will be in an independent car for about 12 races this year ...
but I don’t know how well he will perform.
I’m really disappointed that no one picked Vickers up … is there really no one out there that would take him on, or do you think he’s being ‘selective’ with his offers (assuming he has some to look over)?
Founder and site manager of SBN's NASCAR Ranting & Raving (www.4ever3blog.com) - "Filling up your rearview and headed to the front."
Maybe he's still trying to buy Red Bull
That would explain why he hasn’t thrown his hat into the ring. Pure speculation though.
by UnderdogFan89 on Jan 20, 2012 2:12 AM EST up reply actions
That was once the plan but I think their equipment and cars have already been sold.
I’ll check tomorrow because now I’m curious.
Follow me on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN
Senior Writer and Editor for SBNation's NASCAR Ranting and Raving
Correspondent for SBNation's IndyCar Pop Off Valve Blog (http://www.popoffvalve.com/)
by MattWeaver on Jan 20, 2012 3:56 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
UPDATE:
Michael Waltrip Racing attempted to purchase Team Red Bull Racing’s assets but a the deal fell through.
You’ll hear a lot about TRB’s top-35 guaranteed spots the closer we get to Daytona.
Follow me on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN
Senior Writer and Editor for SBNation's NASCAR Ranting and Raving
Correspondent for SBNation's IndyCar Pop Off Valve Blog (http://www.popoffvalve.com/)
Not just theirs
But the #33’s points too, and the #6’s after Daytona. Here’s to not hoping for a point swap party come February.
by UnderdogFan89 on Jan 20, 2012 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
Why not? If it takes a points swap to ensure that Danica and Martin are in the show, I'll take it.
Stars and cars.
Martin's already in.
And if Stewart wants to give Danica his points, that’s fine with me. But I don’t like going “points shopping”. Within teams, that’s the teams call, and I have no problem with that. But going around to other teams doing these fake merges to get their points makes me want to puke. Case in point: Paul Menard was locked into the first 5 races last year after taking the #71’s points. The problem: the #71 was still functioning and was going to run the full season as an independent team. I have no idea what happened here, but something like that should NEVER happen, but it did. That’s my problem here.
by UnderdogFan89 on Jan 21, 2012 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
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