Ragan gaining valuable experience at Joe Gibbs Racing

WHEN KYLE BUSCH suffered a broken leg and foot in the XFINITY Series race at Daytona last month, Joe Gibbs Racing needed an experienced driver to fill in for Busch. Enter David Ragan, super sub.

Ragan, 29, won only one Sprint Cup race driving for Roush Fenway Racing from 2006 to 2011, the summer race at Daytona in 2011. His other victory was at Talladega 2 years ago driving for Front Row Motorsports. Ragan is on loan to JGR from Front Row, a modestly funded two-car Ford team.

"This as an opportunity to help a team in need," Ragan said yesterday from Richmond, Va., where his No. 18 Toyota team was testing. "I can learn from another top team and kind of rebuild my career and confidence in a winning car."

JGR is one of NASCAR's powerhouse organizations, featuring Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.

As expected, Ragan needed a few races to settle in with his temporary team and crew chief Adam Stevens. At Martinsville, before NASCAR's Easter break, Ragan secured his best finish so far, fifth place.

"With a new team and a new manufacturer, it's a learning process," Ragan said. "Early on, we stumbled a little. We should've had better finishes. We've had moments of brilliance through the weekends, but we really haven't been able to put an entire weekend together. I've been a lot more comfortable [lately]."

Ragan akcnowledges he wasn't entirely relaxed when he started in the Cup series with Roush Fenway.

"I wish I'd won more races [there] and a championship, but I was rushed into the Cup series," he said. "I was 20 and had no trucks or Nationwide [series] experience. It was a steep learning curve. But, if I had to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. Jack [Roush] was a great mentor."

To gain experience, Ragan raced full time in the Cup and Nationwide series in 2007 and '08.

"In the Sprint Cup Series, sometimes your careers go in different directions," he said. "And I think every driver - maybe with the exception of one or two over the years - have all had ups and downs and have been more successful with multiple teams. So in my situation, leaving Roush, going to Front Row Motorsports, I knew I had a great opportunity to help a smaller team and still work on some of my skills. The resources and all the tools that the larger teams have, it's really remarkable that a smaller organization can even keep up with the larger teams."

Unless you are a Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick or Brad Keselowski, who win multiple times, winning one or two races per year is an accomplishment.

"We don't have a 50 percent chance of winning, as they do in other sports," Ragan pointed out. "For us, it's one [chance] in 43. To win, you have to have a perfect race."

Ragan says Kyle Busch, who still has no timetable for his return, has been supportive of him.

"We talk every week, and he's been to a few meetings at the Gibbs shop," Ragan said. "He wants to get back in the car, but he wants the [No. 18] to be as competitive as it can be."

Looking ahead to when his racing career is over, Ragan is a part owner of a Ford dealership in Perry, Ga., 60 miles south of Atlanta. His father, Ken, a former NASCAR racer, is the general manager of David Ragan Ford. A brother and uncle also work for the dealership. Ragan makes a few appearances a year to greet customers and hopefully sell some cars.

In 16 starts at Texas, scene of Saturday night's race, Ragan won the poll in 2011, and has finished seventh and eighth. Chris Buescher, the pride of Prosper, Texas, will sub for Ragan and drive the No. 34 Ford at Texas for Front Row.

Television ratings for the season's first five Sprint Cup races on Fox are up 8 percent over 2014. Through the fifth race at Fontana, Calif., Fox is averaging a 5.4 rating (9.1 million viewers).

The first Cup telecast on Fox Sports 1 at Martinsville March 29 delivered a 2.4 rating, with 4.1 million viewers. The race aired opposite the NCAA Tournament.

Duck Commander 500

Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: Fox/WNPV (1440-AM)

Course: 1.5-mile oval

Distance: 334 laps/501 miles

Forecast: rain, mid-70s

Last year's winner: Joey Logano

Last year's pole: Tony Stewart, 195.454 mph

Track qualifying record: Matt Kenseth, 199.299 mph (November 2014)

Track facts: Joey Logano passed Jeff Gordon on the final lap to win last year's race. Logano led the most laps (108). Brad Keselowski paced the second most laps (85), but finished 15th. Jimmie Johnson won the fall race at Texas, giving him the most wins at the track (four). Carl Edwards is a three-time winner at Texas. Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart are two-time winners ... Logano has continued his strong performances from a year ago (career-high five wins) with one victory, two other top-five finishes and three top 10s ... Roush Fenway drivers have the most wins at the track (nine), three more than Hendrick Motorsports drivers.

Wins: Kevin Harvick, 2; Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, 1 each.

STANDINGS

1. Kevin Harvick ... 263

2. Joey Logano ... 239

3. Martin Truex Jr. ... 231

4. Brad Keselowski ... 206

5. Kasey Kahne ... 193

6. Paul Menard ... 173

7. Denny Hamlin ... 172

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... 172

9. Aric Almirola ... 170

10. Jimmie Johnson ... 168

11. Matt Kenseth ... 168

12. David Ragan ... 163

13. Casey Mears ... 161

14. Jamie McMurray ... 154

15. Danica Patrick ... 148

16. Jeff Gordon ... 148

17. Carl Edwards ... 148

18. Clint Bowyer ... 146

19. AJ Allmendinger ... 138

20. Greg Biffle ... 138

Up next: Food City 500, April 19, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn., 1 p.m.; TV: Fox; last year's winner: Carl Edwards.