Roush sells half of racing team to FSG
Team to be called Roush Fenway Racing with sale
By Official Release
February 14, 2007
07:10 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group announced Wednesday the formation of Roush Fenway Racing.
Under the agreement, FSG will purchase 50 percent of Roush Racing to form the new entity. Jack Roush will continue to manage the competitive operations of the race teams and Geoff Smith will continue as president to oversee business activities.
FSG will support Roush Fenway Racing's marketing and sales activities by using their experience, network of relationships, and powerful demographic base to add value to sponsors and help Roush Fenway Racing maintain an unsurpassed position among NASCAR teams on and off the track.
"This partnership will bring a whole new perspective to our business," said Roush. "There is a lot of hard work that goes into being successful in sport. John Henry and FSG understand what it takes."
"Anybody that has watched the Red Sox has been impressed with their tenacity and their ability to prevail after all the frustration. To be able to have someone to bounce ideas and strategies off of will be fun. Everyone at Roush Racing is excited to welcome our new partner and we look forward to our success together."
"This is an unprecedented partnership of two extremely successful organizations with proven track records for winning in their respective businesses and sports," said Mike Dee, chief operating officer of the Boston Red Sox and president of Fenway Sports Group. "We believe in NASCAR and like its long-term business future and are thrilled to be a part of this exciting and growing industry."
Over the last 35 years, Roush Racing has become one of the most successful teams in motorsports. Having won 30 championships and more than 300 races in drag racing, sports car racing and NASCAR, the team looks to continue its winning tradition under the new name. The new Roush Fenway Racing logo will make its track debut at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.
"Although there have been many instances of cross ownership in the world of professional sports, this partnership marks the first time that owners of a professional franchise in one of the four major leagues have crossed over into the world of NASCAR," said Dee. "Both Roush Racing and FSG have reached a mature stage in their evolution and this partnership will provide both organizations with the necessary resources to remain competitive at the highest levels of their respective sports."
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
It's hard to believe that a season with two of its drivers in the "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup" can be considered disappointing for a team.
But that's exactly the case for Roush Racing.
While Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth did make the "Chase," the other three Roush drivers fell short of expectations.
Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and newcomer Jamie McMurray suffered through a variety of problems and setbacks to put a damper on Roush's 2006 campaign.
This year Roush will face the challenge of replacing Martin, who left the team's No. 6 entry for a shortened Cup schedule with Ginn Racing.
Unproven David Ragan will try to fulfill the lofty task of taking Martin's seat with Kenseth, McMurray, Edwards and Biffle all back in the Roush stable.
"It was OK," Roush said of the 2006 team effort. "It was a great year. OK, it was a good year, it wasn't a great year. We wound up falling short of our mark in several areas, but it was still a year that we can build from and we’ve taken great steps to close the gap and hopefully get back ahead in some of the areas where we weren’t as dominant as we had been previously."
Ragan will be under the spotlight in his first full NEXTEL Cup season, after making a rough debut at the end of 2006. But the young driver is hopeful he can fulfill the promise Roush sees in him.
"I’m still a rookie," Ragan said. "I just turned 21 a few weeks ago, so I feel like I’m getting a little older and also got a lot more pressure on me this year than the last few years to go out and get the job done, but week in and week out I want to get better. I want to try to win some races in the Busch car. I’m not counting it out in the Cup car. I feel like the team is capable of winning races."
Kenseth will be looking to win another series title to go along with his 2003 championship and likes the changes to this year's "Chase" format.
"The only thing about rewarding more points to winning is that I think it’s cool if you win a race early in the year to be able to take those points into the 'Chase' if you make the 'Chase,' Kenseth said. "But I’ve said all along with more points to the winner, I don’t think it’s gonna change the winners of the races. It’s gonna give the winners more points, but I don’t think it’s gonna change the people who win."
Biffle is looking to return to the winning ways of 2005 and is confident the Roush experience factor will get the No. 16 team back on track.
"I think the truck teams ran very well last year and I think the Busch cars are gonna be better this year, and I think we’re right on track with our Cup program, so I think it’s gonna be a good year for us," Biffle said.
McMurray will have veteran crew chief Larry Carter calling the shots for the No. 26 team this year and hopes he can rebound from his dismal first season with Roush.
"I feel like this year we actually have the people in the right place and have a great group of people – from where it starts all the way up to the crew chief – so I’m excited about that part of our program this season," McMurray said.
__________________
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Roush Fenway Racing's Cup, Busch & Truck Teams Fontana Fast Facts
Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release
ROUSH FENWAY RACING
California Speedway, Feb. 23-25
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Auto Club 500, Feb. 25
NASCAR Busch Series: Stater Brothers 300, Feb. 24
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: San Bernardino County 200, Feb. 23
Roush Fenway Racing Fast Facts
David Ragan made his first and only start at California Speedway in the Busch race in September of 2006.
Ragan qualified 9th for the Ameriquest 300 on September 2, 2006 and finished 41st after being involved in a wreck.
Ragan is currently fifth in the Nextel Cup Series points standings.
Ragan currently leads the Raybestos Rookie points standings.
Ragan is the third Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish in the Daytona 500. The others: Scott Wimmer (third in 2004) and Jeff Gordon (fifth in 1993).
This will be David Ragan’s 2nd career Busch Series Race at Fontana.
Ragan is one of five drivers racing full-time in both the Busch and Cup Series in 2007.
In addition to Greg Biffle’s Cup win at Daytona in 2005, he also has three Busch Series wins, including one last February at the two-mile oval.
Biffle led 168 laps in last season’s Auto Club 500 before an engine failure took him out of contention on lap 229.
Biffle finished 25th in this year’s season opener at Daytona and currently sits 25th in the point standings, 102 points out of the lead.
This season Biffle will be running four different primary paint schemes with Ameriquest, 3M, Dish Network and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.
This weekend Biffle will run the black and gold paint scheme of his California-based primary sponsor, Ameriquest.
Matt Kenseth is the defending Auto Club 500 Champion, winning this race last February by holding off the No. 48 on a green-white-checkered finish.
Kenseth has posted four career wins at California Speedway, three in the Busch Series and one in Cup.
Since 2002, Kenseth has recorded three wins and five top-six finishes in the second race of the season: first at Rockingham ’02, third at Rockingham ‘03, first at Rockingham in ‘04, sixth at Fontana in ’05, and first at Fontana ’06.
Kenseth will run the Carhartt paint scheme this weekend for the first of four races on the season. The other three being Michigan in June, Loudon in July, and Charlotte in October.
For his career, Kenseth has led in seven of his 10 Cup races at Fontana for a total of 246 laps (fifth all time).
Since entering the Cup Series full time in 2000, no one has completed more laps on two-mile ovals (California Speedway & Michigan International Speedway) than Kenseth who has completed 5,299 of a possible 5,302.
Kenseth’s average finish at the two, two-mile tracks is 9.84; tops among active drivers with 11 or more starts.
Sunday’s race will mark the second for interim crew chief, Chip Bolin, calling the shots atop the No. 17 pit box. Bolin, who hails from South Carolina with a degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University, has been the engineer on the No. 17 team since it’s inception in 1999.
Statistically speaking, California Speedway is Jamie McMurray’s best track of the 22 track circuit.
In seven career Cup starts at the two-mile speedway, McMurray has five top-10 finishes, including three top-five finishes.
McMurray has completed all but two laps (1753/1755), a 99.9% laps completed record.
McMurray has a career starting position average of 24.4 and an average finishing position of 8.9 at California Speedway.
Among active drivers with more than five starts at California Speedway, McMurray ranks third in percentage of laps completed behind Jimmie Johnson and teammate Carl Edwards.
Carl Edwards will pull triple duty, competing in all three of NASCAR’s elite divisions, for the second weekend in a row.
Edwards holds the best average finish of all NEXTEL Cup drivers at California Speedway with a 4.4 average finish.
Edwards won his first career NEXTEL Cup pole at California Speedway in September of 2005.
In just five Nextel Cup Series races at California Speedway, Edwards boasts one pole, four top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Edwards captured his best Cup finish at California Speedway last February in the Auto Club 500 when he finished third.
The No. 99 Office Depot crew will be unloading chassis RK-270. Edwards captured wins in this car at Atlanta, Texas and Pocono in 2005.
After one race, Edwards is currently 23 in Nextel Cup driver point standings.
NNCS
Auto Club 500 - Feb. 25, 2007
Fontana, Calif.
David Ragan
Team: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: Primary RK- 318 New car, tested at Las Vegas
Backup RK- 405 Previously ran at Texas Motor Speedway, finished 35th after being involved in a wreck
Ragan on racing at California Speedway:
“The only race that I’ve run at California Speedway was the September Busch race last year and we got involved in a crash when the car in front of us blew a tire. I like the track and I just hope that we will have some better luck this time around. We had a good race last weekend in Daytona so I hope the momentum from that will carry over into this weekend. Sunday’s race will be the Auto Club 500 sponsored by the AAA club of Southern California. AAA has been such a great sponsor, I just hope that we can go out there and give them something to cheer about.”
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at California Speedway:
“We had a good race last week. The guys in the shop have built another solid race car so now we just have to take it out there and see what it can do on the track. David has proven that he can compete with what this series has to offer, but that does not give us a reason to slack off. We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us and David still has a lot to learn. I have a lot of confidence in this team and this program so we will just keep working hard to be the best that we can be.”
Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 Ameriquest Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Pat Tryson
Chassis: 431 Brand new
Biffle on racing at California Speedway:
“California and Michigan are probably my two favorite tracks. I’ve had a lot of success at California Speedway in the Busch Series and we’ve run well there the last several times in the Cup car. We’re taking a brand new car but it is very similar to one we tested in Vegas and we were really happy with that one. My family usually makes it down to California for both races and I think they’re planning to be there this weekend. We were obviously a little disappointed with the way things turned out in Daytona but we’re definitely looking at California as a track where we can get things started on the right foot.”
Crew Chief Pat Tryson on racing at California Speedway:
“We’re taking a brand new car to California this weekend. We modeled this car after one of the cars we tested in Vegas last month and we were really happy with the performance of that car. We’ve taken this one to the wind tunnel and it turned in some pretty impressive numbers, so we feel pretty confident in taking it this weekend. California is a good track for Greg and we had several good runs there with Mark as well, so we’ve got pretty high expectations heading into this weekend.”
Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Carhartt/DEWALT Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Chip Bolin (interim)
Chassis: RK-317 Last ran: Pocono, Jul. ’06, finished 14th
Also ran: All-Star race ‘06; involved in accident, finished 11th
’05 ran Kansas (pole), Texas & Homestead recording three top fives
RK-385 Last ran: Kansas, Oct. ’06, finished 23rd
Also ran: Indianapolis, Aug. ’06, finished 2nd
Kenseth on racing at California Speedway:
“I’m definitely looking forward to getting out to Fontana. It’s just such a relief to get back into a normal routine at the track. Daytona is so different, in the practice and qualifying schedules and you’re down there for so long, that it just seems to drag on. Then there’s so much build up for the race, you just can’t wait to get it started. This weekend will bring a little normalcy back into our race weekend.
“Fontana has been a good track for us recently. Last February was sort of a weird deal. We didn’t have the best car, but we had it good at the end. Then the two best cars had engine problems and the next thing you know, we were leading when it mattered. I really like this type of track. It’s smooth and wide with plenty of room to try some different lines and set up the pass.
“Chip (Bolin) did a good job for us last week at Daytona and we were within about 300 yards of a third-place finish, but that went away in a hurry. We’ve always bounced back in a big way after Daytona, so I’m expecting nothing less this weekend.”
Interim Crew Chief Chip Bolin on racing at California Speedway:
“It’s business as usual for the No. 17 team. Everyone has done a great job stepping up at the track in Robbie’s (Reiser) absence and I don’t anticipate a let down this week. At the shop, nothing’s changed because Robbie is still there and we continue to work in the same fashion and roles as before. The truth is, we’ve been together so long and Robbie’s done a good job of piecing this team together that the operation continues to run as smoothly as ever.
“We had a good Vegas test in both the Cup and Busch cars and I was able to attend both with Matt. We’ll use that test along with what worked well for us at California last year to hopefully be in contention for a win this weekend.”
Jamie McMurray
Team: No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Larry Carter
Chassis: Primary: RK – 445 Tested at Las Vegas Speedway in Jan. 2007
Backup: RK – 403
McMurray on racing at California Speedway:
“Last week was a tough way to start the season for this No. 26 group; it’s the last thing I wanted to do. It’s disappointing because I have yet to finish a Daytona 500. This weekend we return to a track (Fontana) where, according to stats, it’s my best track; however, I really don’t look at the stats to predict how we are going to run. I hope we get out there and show how strong this team really is for 2007. We had a chance to work on our intermediate program a lot in Las Vegas testing, so hopefully, the hard work will pay off in Fontana. It’s a track that I’ve enjoyed running in the past and a track where I’ve had a lot of success at in the past. Regardless, I hope we have a great race and bounce back a little in the points.”
Crew Chief Larry Carter on racing at California Speedway:
“I know the No. 26 team is looking forward to Fontana this weekend. After the unfortunate luck we experienced in Daytona, I know the guys are looking forward to getting back out there. We worked on a lot of different setups while we tested a couple weeks ago in Las Vegas and that should help us out at California Speedway. I know in the past, the Roush group has had a lot of success with their program. Hopefully, I can take some notes from last year, a few from our test session and give Jamie a great car for this weekend’s race.”
Carl Edwards
Team: No.99 Office Depot Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-270 Edwards raced this car to wins at Atlanta, Texas and Pocono in 2005
Edwards on racing at California Speedway:
"I just love California Speedway. I have been on the track 11 times and have come away with 10 top 10s and a Busch Series win. The Office Depot Ford Fusion should be extremely fast out there. After Daytona, it will be great to be on a two-mile track where I feel very confident. It should be lots of fun.”
Crew Chief Bob Osborne on racing at California Speedway:
"California Speedway should be a great track for the Office Depot Ford Fusion this weekend. Carl has had a great history there and has always finished well. The track compliments his driving style. It's very fast and we expect great results."
Team: No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Mike Kelley
Chassis: RK-374 Ran at Fontana and Michigan
Ragan on racing in the Busch Series at California Speedway:
“I got to race here last year in the No. 50 Busch car and we qualified ninth. We have a good car that sets up nicely for this track. It’s very important to get back on the right foot this weekend. We have a great sponsor in Discount Tire and a strong team that yearns for a win. Hopefully it will be a special weekend”.
Crew Chief Mike Kelley on racing at California Speedway:
“We are really excited to get back to Fontana especially after the Las Vegas test. Our car is very fast and I am expecting good things to happen. The whole team has to concentrate on righting the ship and digging out of the hole we were left in after Daytona. I am confident our fortunes will change for the Discount Tire Ford Fusion”.
Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Eddie Pardue
Chassis: RK-373 Ran several times in 2006
Biffle on racing in the Busch Series at California Speedway:
“I can’t wait to run the Busch race at California this weekend. I won this race with Eddie Pardue and the guys last year and I expect to repeat that this year. Roush Fenway cars have a really strong record at California and I’ve won three Busch races there myself. That track is a lot of fun for a driver because it is so wide and smooth. It’s easy to pass and there are several grooves to choose from to make your car work. If one line doesn’t work you can always move up or down the track to find one that suits the car’s handling. It’s a fun place to race.”
Eddie Pardue on racing at California Speedway:
“I expect to have a really good race in California this weekend. Greg drove to victory lane last year and we have everything in place for him to do that again this weekend. We’re bringing one of our newer cars from the end of last year that he has raced before, so it should be pretty good for him.”
Matt Kenseth
Team: No.17 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Chassis: RK- 360 Last ran Homestead – finished first
Kenseth on racing in the Busch Series at California Speedway:
"Fontana will always be special place for me, mostly because of the success we enjoyed out there with Robbie (Reiser) and his dad John. We won three Busch races and then finally we broke through with a Cup win last February at Fontana. It's just a great race track. It's big and fast, smooth and wide. You can run several different grooves and try some different things to make your car work better through the turns. You don't have to have a perfect handling racecar because there are some different things you can try on the entry and exit of the turns to make your car work better. We were good here last year in the Busch Series, but not quite good enough to compete for the win at the end. I'm sure Drew (Blickensderfer) and the guys have done a great job setting the car up and if the Vegas Busch test is any indication, we should be able to compete for the win this weekend."
Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at California Speedway:
“We are taking the car that last ran at Homestead and was really strong and it tested well at Las Vegas this year. California has been good to Roush Fenway Racing and we always look forward to going out west. This is the first down force race this year, so we are excited to see how all the things we have been working on this winter will work out on the track.”
Carl Edwards
Team: No.60 World Financial Group Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Pierre Kuettel (P.K.)
Chassis: RK- 377 Last ran at Homestead; finished 2nd
Edwards on racing at California Speedway:
“I just can’t wait to get into the World Financial Ford Fusion at California. It’s great to have them back with us. The last time we ran their paint scheme we ended up in Victory Lane. California Speedway is just awesome. It’s very fast and runs a lot like Michigan. It has multi-grooves and should provide some very exciting racing.”
Crew Chief Pierre Kuettel (P.K.) on racing at California Speedway:
“We’re coming off a great race in Daytona and we’re hoping to capitalize on the momentum for California. Statistically, this is one of Carl’s best tracks. He’s also won there in a Busch car. We will be running the World Financial Group paint scheme for the first time this year. We tested chassis 377 at Vegas and it ran like a rocket. We’re taking it and we’re looking for great results.”
Roush Fenway Racing's Teams Fontana Fast Facts - continued
NCTS
San Bernardino 200 - Feb. 23, 2007
Fontana, Calif.
Travis Kvapil
Team: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Mike Beam
Chassis: 50, last raced at Homestead where Mark Martin won after starting sixth.
Kvapil on racing at California Speedway:
“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve raced at Fontana in a truck, but the last time we were out there we sat on the pole. It’s a big speedway and drafting will play a big part in the race. You’ve got to have good horsepower and a good handling truck to get around there. We had a great race at Daytona last week. We were all a little disappointed with the finish, but it’s really fired all the guys up. We can’t wait to get to California and seal the deal out there.”
Crew Chief Mike Beam on racing at California Speedway:
“California Speedway is one of those tracks where you’ve got to have everything just right if you’re going to go to victory lane. It’s a wide track with multiple grooves, so you can seek out where your truck runs the best. Travis has run well here in the past, and we won this race with Mark Martin last year. We feel like we’ve got a good chance at the win again this year.”
Carl Edwards
Team: No. 50 Roush Fenway Racing Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Chassis: 47, last raced at Homestead in November where Michel Jourdain started 25th and finished 31st
Edwards on racing at California Speedway:
"We had such a great truck in Daytona last week, but experienced some bad luck early in the race. I am very excited about having a second shot driving the No. 50 Ford F-150 at one of my favorite tracks, California Speedway. The 2-mile oval is very fast and driving the truck there should be a lot of fun."
Crew Chief Matt Puccia on racing at California Speedway:
“We can’t wait to get to California and leave the disappointment of Daytona behind us. Carl runs really well at these big, open tracks. I know he’s even more determined to put us in victory lane after last week. It was a mechanical failure that took us out of contention, something that we really couldn’t control, but it stings knowing what we could have accomplished.”
Erik Darnell
Team: No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150
Crew Chief: John Quinn
Chassis: 41, last raced at Homestead in November, where Darnell started fifth and finished third.
Darnell on racing at California Speedway:
“This will be the second time around for me at California Speedway. We had a decent run there last year, but we’re looking to improve on it this year. We had a strong run at Daytona, but I feel about like Travis probably feels - we didn’t get the finish to show for it. We’re going to look to rebound from that with a strong run in Fontana.”
Crew Chief John Quinn on racing at California Speedway:
“We’re all looking forward to getting to Fontana this weekend. We’re bringing truck chassis No. 41, which is a really good truck. We had a lot of good runs in this truck last year and we think it will be even better this year with the new nose on it. This is a track where you need the total package between aero and motor, and we feel like we’re in a great position on both.”
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
David Ragan, driver of the AAA Ford Fusion, finds himself 22nd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings heading into this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. Ragan, a Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender, will be making his second career start at the half-mile oval.
DAVID RAGAN - No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion -
YOUR FIRST EVENT AT MARTINSVILLE WAS A DIFFICULT EXPERIENCE, SO ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND?
"Certainly. I feel like we had a decent car at Bristol and the last few laps were a little rough and we lost a few spots that we should have had at the end of the race, but I'm always looking forward to all the short tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit. Yeah, it was a rough race last year. I feel again we had a good car, but a few mistakes on my behalf and a long day at Martinsville, we came out on the lead lap in 25th spot, but certainly we're looking forward to a lot better run than that coming up this weekend. Our new car of tomorrow we tested yesterday at Caraway (Asheboro, NC) and we feel like the AAA team is ready for the challenge. I think that we need to go into Martinsville with the same game plan as we have the previous four or five races - finish, run all the laps and the finish will take care of itself."
DO YOU SOMETIMES WONDER IF FATE COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A TOUGHER MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB ALL THE WAY AROUND WITH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH FROM MARTINSVILLE LAST YEAR TO NOW?
"I think it has been tough, certainly. Jeff Gordon could get in the No. 6 Ford Fusion and it would be tough to fill Mark Martin's shoes. Mark is a guy that's kind of irreplaceable. He's a great driver, a champion and you can definitely see by his new team he's with this year that he's doing a great job with what he's got to work with, but that fits our style just fine. I don't mind being the guy that six, 10, 15 races into the year, everyone has been talking about Montoya or been talking about Mark, but when you look up in the standings hopefully you'll see the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion there in the top 15 or top 20 and tied with Montoya for the rookie of the year lead or something like that and say, 'Man, we haven't even talked about him all year.' And that's just fine for us. We're gonna take care of what we can control. I'm continuing to feel more comfortable. Week in and week out I'm working better with Jimmy and that's fine. We'll sneak up on this thing and 15-20 races into the year, when we pop up with a strong top-five run, possibly a pole or a win down the road, that will surprise everyone and that's just the way we want it to play in our hands."
HAVE SHORT TRACKS BECOME MORE OF A CHALLENGE?
"I feel comfortable at the short tracks. I grew up racing just like a lot of the other Nextel Cup racers. We grew up racing on the short tracks at our local venues in South Georgia and the Southeast, where I was racing when I was a young kid, and I'm going into these races with a mindset that I'm gonna cut some people some breaks. I'm gonna move over if someone is faster, but, also, I've got a good enough race car where I can race them hard and we need to come out with a top-15 or top-20 finish. I think I cut a few people some breaks, but then sometimes they don't return the favor. It's gonna get old after awhile. I know there were a couple of incidents at Martinsville last year I created on my own behalf. At Bristol, I felt like I had some help every single time that I was spun around - all three or four times - and there were some top drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne, that were the cause of some of that. Certainly I understand that I'm a rookie in the series. I feel like I have paid some of my dues, but if we do have a fast enough race car that I can get out and race with those guys and be competitive on the same lap, I feel like this weekend and on forward it's time to start racing."
BEING FROM GEORGIA AND GOING THROUGH THE WEEK AFTER MARTINSVILLE AND MISSING THE ATLANTA RACE, CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FEELINGS?
"At the current time it was real tough. I was looking forward to making my first Cup start at Atlanta. That was something that was gonna be very special for myself and my family. I grew up racing at Atlanta. Ed Clark and everyone at the speedway has been really great to my family, but things always seem to work out for the best. What happened was that qualifying got rained out. I got to run the Craftsman Truck. We qualified strong and we were in the top 10 the whole race and finished sixth in the truck race that Saturday. If things would have worked out for me to run the Cup race, I would not have run the truck. Michel Jourdain would have run the truck and, guess what, I wouldn't have got to make any laps at Atlanta because qualifying was rained out. I would have been sitting on the sideline with nothing. NASCAR made me sit back and think about things that happened at Martinsville and looking forward to some of the bigger races and getting approved for Daytona this year, so it worked out perfect. I got to race the truck and had a lot of fun. We finished sixth, which was a nice finish for our truck team, and things couldn't have worked out any better. So I'm glad that the events did take place and I'm very thankful for it."
JUAN MONTOYA SAID HE WASN'T TIRED AFTER BRISTOL WHILE YOU WERE WORN OUT. HOW CAN THAT BE?
"I don't know if his car was driving a little better than mine was. We did finish ahead of him, so I don't know if that meant I was driving harder than he was or what, but I don't know. I think Kyle Busch was probably tired after the race. Bristol is a tough race. That was my first-ever 500-lap race at Bristol. The 300-lap race on Saturday, I don't want to say it was a piece of cake. I try to drive as hard as I can throughout the race and I don't know. I'll have to talk to Juan maybe this weekend and see how cool and calm and relaxed he did feel after the race because I really felt like the last 200 laps I really gave everything I could to get that top-20, to get a top-15. I was really trying to get every second I could on the race track and something my dad has always preached to me - whether it be a football game or a race - if you're not tired after you get done, you didn't put all in that you had. So I really make sure, I preach to myself during the race that I've got to concentrate. Mentally and physically I'm wore out after a race because I do give 100 percent and I'm sure Montoya was, too. Maybe he was cutting up a little bit with you, but I can assure you he was a little tired. He wasn't completely good to go for another 500 after that race."
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE COMPARED TO HIM AS A ROOKIE WITH ALL THE EXPERIENCE HE HAS IN OTHER SERIES?
"It's funny to sit back and look, and it's an honor to be able to compete with Montoya for rookie of the year honors. I look back and, yeah, we've had a few strong runs. We've struggled a little here and there, but at the same time we're sitting here and we're tied with him. I've passed him some. He's passed me some. We've really raced hard in the Busch Series and in the Cup Series. I tell my buddies and remind my dad, I said, 'He's an Indianapolis 500 winner. He's won races overseas and all. That's something pretty special.' He's not a rookie and he's not looking at the rookie of the year the same way I am. I don't want to say he's above that, but he's coming in as a champion in other divisions, so he's going about it in a little different way than I am, but it's certainly cool to be on that same level playing field and it definitely gives us something to shoot for every week."
HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY THE RESPECT YOU'VE GOTTEN FROM VETERANS AND OTHERS IN THE GARAGE?
"It helps to have some great teammates to lean on. Matt Kenseth, I think he's probably one of the most respected guys in the garage - maybe besides Dale Jarrett this week - but I think Matt is one of the best drivers out there. He's one of the smartest, definitely. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards - they've all been through a lot of the same things I've been through and I think it's great to have them on my team. At the same time, I think the way you earn respect is to go out and you don't have to let them by, you don't have to suck up to them, but just be one of the guys that race them hard but race them with respect and that's something I've really tried to do. When their car is a little faster than mine, I try to move over and let them by because at times maybe they'll repay the same favor. I understand with 50 to go or maybe 100 laps to go you're not as lenient as you are in the beginning, but that will come with time. I feel that I'm trying to do a good job. Maybe I'm a little too conservative at times and giving people a little extra room. I certainly want to finish as many races as I can. I don't want to have many DNFs, so I'm trying to be as cool and collective out on the race track as I can. Hopefully time will tell. I don't really know. Right now, I don't go around and ask other drivers what they think, but time will tell and I think we're on that right track in getting a little more respect in the garage."
TONY STEWART CALLED YOU A 'DART WITHOUT FEATHERS.' WHAT WAS IT LIKE HEARING THAT AT SUCH AN EARLY STAGE IN YOUR CAREER AND HAS IT HELPED YOUR PROGRESSION?
"When I first heard that I think my dad called me and I said, 'Man, that's pretty cool. At least Tony Stewart knows who David Ragan is. Just six months ago I was a kid wanting his autograph and now he knows who I am.' Tony and I have talked a lot since then. He's a great racer and he says a lot of things and he's liable to say some more bad things about me on down the road, but I think he's one of the greatest racers that NASCAR has had and I certainly have a lot of respect for him, but it didn't bother me at all. Things like that, I think, just make you a tougher guy and have more respect for the series that we're competing in now. But after I heard what he said, I was just kind of glad he knew who I was."
HOW MUCH HAS JIMMY FENNIG AND BEING AT ROUSH HELPED YOU?
"Time will only tell, but there's no substitute for someone like Jimmy Fennig. He reminds me a lot of my dad. He's very focused on the end result and he's a guy that's always in the right direction and that's moving forward. He's great to have on my team. I'd hate to know that I had to line up against him every week racing for someone else, so having Jimmy leading the AAA pit crew is a blessing almost. Certainly it's gonna take some time for myself, the crew and for Jimmy and all to gel together. It's pretty much a whole new group of guys from the last few years, so time will definitely help a lot, but having Jimmy is probably the biggest thing that Jack Roush and Geoff Smith - it's the best Christmas present that I could have ever asked for."
DID YOU PAY TO GO FOR A RIDE-ALONG WITH TONY THE NEXT WEEK AFTER MARTINSVILLE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED?
"I was at a Speedway Children's Charity Auction. That group is a very important thing to Atlanta Motor Speedway and to my family, so we've always attended those programs in Atlanta for the past few years and they were auctioning off rides with the Nextel Cup drivers for that Sunday. They were all playing up the Martinsville thing and I really wasn't looking to just do something for Tony, I was looking to do more for the charity and the young kids that were there, that were gonna benefit from me spending the money. It just worked our perfect where I bid on this ride and won it. Basically I just got to ride with Tony in the back of the truck for the parade lap at Atlanta. Certainly we had talked before then and Tony does great things for different charities and different groups with young kids, so it was a win-win situation. But I did tell Tony that he should match whatever I spent, and I think he did."
AFTER THAT WEEKEND, WHAT WAS IT LIKE WITH THE OTHER DRIVERS IN THE GARAGE AND TRYING TO GET TO KNOW THEM?
"I think that other drivers do look on certain situations like that and judge how you may act or how you are, and I think the more you race with them and the more interaction you have with the drivers on a personal basis is gonna help out a lot. We all look and judge people from the outside in all aspects of life, but I think the more you're at the tests, you're at race tracks with them, you're flying out here and there, so you get to hang out with them and that's probably the biggest thing. We're with each other 36-37 times a year, so we have to be good friends in order to make things go as smooth as possible throughout the year, so I think that maybe helped a little bit. Like I've said before, time will help everything. A lot of these questions, I'm just thinking that this will help, this might hurt, I don't need to do this, but the only true testament will be to look back six months from now and see where we're at."
YOUR CREW CHIEF SAID THEY'VE HAD TO REIN YOU IN TO START THE YEAR. HAS IT BEEN FRUSTRATING NOT TO GO AS HARD AS YOU WANT THE FIRST FEW RACES?
"It's been tough. That's probably been one of my toughest challenges for the switch from a Craftsman Truck to a Cup car. That's something that 500 miles versus 200 or 300, you have to go about things a little different way. They've been really preaching to me that you don't have to drive as hard as you can for all 500 laps. You have to be in a comfort zone at times. You have to think about how to have your car handling at the end of the race versus the start of the race, so things like that have been a lot different for me moving up into the Cup Series and I feel we're taking the right steps to get going. As a racer, I want to go as hard as I can. I want to try to win poles and I want to try to win races every week, but when we get to the race track we've been concentrating on our race setup. We've been doing a lot of practice laps and we haven't really concentrated that much on our qualifying effort, which something has been brought up over the past few weeks in our meetings at all, and that's something I'd like to work on. I'd like to qualify better. I'd like to be a little better at the beginning of the races, so certainly throughout the next 10-15 races we're gonna keep seeing things that come up and we're gonna work on, but, yeah, I'm probably scaled back to 90 or 95 percent right now and as I get more comfortable and know what I want, and as Jimmy understands what I need to go fast and still be able to take care of the race car, we'll learn how each other feels about that. Over the next month or so we'll be better."
DID YOUR DAD ONCE TELL YOU TO STAND OUT ABOVE THE CROWD? AND DID YOU TRY TO DO THAT?
"Certainly confidence is a very powerful thing in everything that you do in life. That's something that my dad has really preached to me is to not be overconfident, but have the confidence that you can go out and get the job done. If you believe you can do it, and if we work hard enough, we can accomplish anything. I feel that gong show, I knew young drivers like myself, we grew up in South Georgia. We didn't have a tremendous amount of money. We had a lot of good friends and family that helped me out with different sponsorships and things throughout the years, and to get an opportunity to showcase whatever I felt like I had at the time in front of Jack Roush and some of the guys at Roush Fenway Racing, 'Hey, this is probably the only chance I'll get to show everyone what I have,' so dad, it was the same thing. He coaches me a little bit still today - just try to go out and do something where they'll recognize you because there are a lot of young kids in America that have a lot of talent that can go out and drive a race car fast, but you have to just get an opportunity. I felt like that was my one and only shot and things worked out. I did what I was supposed to do. Erik Darnell, Danny O'Quinn - three or four of us - got a great opportunity to come out and drive for a great race team and here we are today."
APPARENTLY YOUR MOM THOUGHT YOU WERE TOO OVERCONFIDENT?
"You know how moms are. They don't want any controversy or they don't want any people talking bad about you and dad just tries to keep that quiet. 'That's alright.' At times, yeah, you can be a little overconfident and people, I'm trying to think right off the top of my head, I've seen different quotes and I try to remember that stuff, but Muhammad Ali, he was a great boxer and he loved to run his mouth. I think that's a little bit too much, but if you can go out and get the job done and back it up on race day. I remember Greg Biffle about a year ago. He qualified well at Las Vegas or something and he said, 'You know, I'm gonna be leading this race within five laps.' You might call that a little overconfident. Well, guess what, he was leading on lap three and he checked out from them, so if you can talk the talk, you better make sure you can get the job done on the race track."
IS THERE ONE ROUSH FENWAY TEAMMATE YOU LEAN ON THE MOST AND IS THERE ONE LESSION YOU'VE LEARNED SO FAR THAT YOU WON'T FORGET?
"I try to talk to all the guys because they all have different ideas. Each driver has a little different driving style, but Jimmy Fennig really thinks a lot of Matt Kenseth. He got to work with him some last year on the Busch side and certainly Matt is a great racer. He's a very smart racer who can go fast. He's been there and won championships, so I try to talk to Matt as much as I can, but I talk to Carl because he's running a lot of Busch races and we can relate on a lot of things. Greg has come up through the Truck Series and the Busch Series, somewhat like I have, so I really try to talk to those guys a lot. We were testing yesterday at Caraway with Jamie and all of them have a different perspective on a lot of different things. I think I probably lean on Matt the most."
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE BRAKES ON YOUR CAR AT BRISTOL AND WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE AT MARTINSVILLE?
"I feel like our brake package at [Bristol] was 100 percent. We do a lot of work on our brakes for the short tracks to make sure we don't have any problems. We'll have enough problems getting the car to handle and keeping all four tires on it the whole race, so we don't need to have any problems on our brakes, but as a whole organization, I feel like our brakes were fine the whole race. Obviously, different drivers or different teams might have had a little different handling problem. We were fighting a tight condition most of the race, so the more I slowed it down, the better off it would turn. But at the same time, I felt we didn't have any brake problems. We tested fine yesterday and I think that Martinsville will be a true test for the brakes, but we've got so many years of experience going to places like Martinsville and Richmond today (Busch Series test), that if you do have a brake problem you shouldn't have because we have great sponsors where we can buy great brake products and, at the same time, we shouldn't have any problems."
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Roush Fenway Racing Teams Dover NNCS, NBS & NCTS Races Notes & Quotes
Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release
ROUSH FENWAY RACING
Dover International Speedway, June 1-3
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Autism Speaks 400 presented by VISA
Sunday June 3
1:00 PM Eastern on FOX/MRN
David Ragan - No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Greg Biffle – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Matt Kenseth – No. 17 DEWALT Ford Fusion
Jamie McMurray – No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion
Carl Edwards – No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion
David Ragan - No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion
Greg Biffle – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Matt Kenseth - No.17 Arby’s Ford Fusion
Carl Edwards - No. 60 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Travis Kvapil – No. 6 K&N Filters Ford F-150
T.J. Bell - No. 50 Heathcliff’s Cat Litter Ford F-150
Erik Darnell - No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150
Roush Fenway Racing Fast Facts
David Ragan competed in the Dover 400 in September 2006. He started 37th and finished 42nd.
Ragan also competed in the Dover 200 that same weekend. He started 23rd and finished 18th.
Dover will be the 6th COT race of the 2007 season.
Ragan’s highest COT finish was 15th at Martinsville.
Ragan is currently 18th in the Nextel Cup Championship point standings
Ragan is currently 2nd in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year race. He trails Juan Pablo Montoya by six points.
Last Spring, Greg Biffle ran in the top five for most of the race at Dover but a late-race pit stop put him out of the top 10. He was able to make up a little ground in the final laps for an eighth place finish.
Biffle’s eighth place finish in Dover last season was his fourth top-10 in a streak of seven top-10 finishes in a row.
Biffle has two wins, four top-five and eight top-10 NASCAR Busch Series finishes as well as one top-five in the Craftsman Truck Series at Dover International Speedway.
Biffle finished 43rd last week in the Coca-Cola 600 and currently sits 19th in the point standings, 121 points out of the top 12.
This weekend Biffle will run the multi-colored 3M paint scheme.
Matt Kenseth is the only driver in the NEXTEL Cup Series that has completed every lap to this point in 2007, a total of 4,053.
Kenseth’s average finish in the NEXTEL Cup Series this season is 8.8, second only to Jeff Gordon.
Kenseth made his Cup debut at Dover International Speedway in September of 1998 at the age of 26. He substituted for Bill Elliott that day and drove to a sixth-place finish.
Kenseth scored the first pole of his Cup career at Dover in June of 2002, one of only three (Kansas and Bristol, both in ‘05).
Kenseth’s first Cup victory at Dover came last June in the Neighborhood Excellence 400.
In addition to his Cup victory, Kenseth also boasts two NASCAR Busch Series wins at Dover, his first coming in September of 1998, the day before his first Cup start, and the second in September of 2000.
Kenseth has led 637 laps in his NBS career at Dover, the most among all active drivers in the Busch Series. His seven top-five NBS finishes is tops among all NBS drivers, past or present.
Jamie McMurray averages a 15.6 starting position and a 14.5 finishing position at the “Monster Mile.” Dover ranks as McMurray’s seventh best track in finishing position on the circuit.
In the same race one year ago, McMurray battled with teammate Matt Kenseth for the win after leading 95 of the closing laps. McMurray took home a season best second-place finish.
This Sunday, McMurray will celebrate his 31st birthday at Dover International Speedway.
The No. 26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion will have a puzzle piece look to it this weekend to support autism awareness. Also this weekend, McMurray will don a special autism awareness fire suit and helmet.
McMurray is currently 12th in the NEXTEL Cup point standings.
Carl Edwards is currently eighth in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with 1414 points, 507 points behind leader, Jeff Gordon
In five NNCS starts at Dover, Edwards has achieved one top-five and two top-10 finishes
Edwards’ average start at Dover is 17th, his average finish is 12th place
Edwards’ best start and finish at Dover came last September when he qualified sixth and finished second
Edwards has led a total of 23 laps at Dover, all but two were logged in the fall race of 2006
Office Depot store No. 2432 from North Attleboro, Mass. is this week’s weekly sales winner and will ride along with Edwards on the No. 99 at Dover
Prior to this week’s race Edwards and NASCAR Busch Series crew chief Pierre Kuettel (P.K.) were guests on the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Autism Speaks 400 presented by VISA
Sunday June 3
1:00 PM Eastern on FOX/MRN
David Ragan
Team: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: RK-459 Previously ran at Phoenix, finished 41st
RK-467 Previously ran at Richmond, finished 20th
Ragan on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“Dover is where I got my first Cup start last fall so I am eager to go back and make some laps now that I have a little more experience under my belt. We had a tough weekend in Charlotte so the AAA team is looking to make a come back and get a good finish this weekend. It seems like whenever we have a good run going we get caught up in someone else’s mess so I’m going to have my spotter working overtime this weekend so we can make sure that doesn’t happen to us again.”
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“We are taking our Phoenix car to Dover this weekend. We got caught up in a mess and finished in the back at Phoenix so we are going to try to make sure that doesn’t happen again. This will be the second one-mile track that we have been to this year and one of the few tracks that David has been on in a Cup car before. It is a Car of Tomorrow race so that makes some difference, but any experience helps.”
Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Greg Erwin
Chassis: RK-472 Brand New
Biffle on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“I’ve had a couple of Busch wins at Dover and I’d have to say that my Cup win there in 2005 might be one of my more memorable wins. We didn’t run up front really for most of the race and then something just clicked and we took off. I’d definitely love to have that same kind of race this weekend. I know we’re bringing a brand new car and it will be Greg’s first weekend with the team as the crew chief, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Crew Chief Greg Erwin on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“We’re taking a brand new chassis to Dover this weekend. It is a little more similar to what our teammates have been running. I’m looking forward to racing with Greg and the team at Dover this weekend. I know Greg can win races there and I hope we can put him in a position to run up front this weekend.”
Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 DEWALT Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: RK-473 Last ran Darlington, May ’07, finished seventh
RK-457 Last ran Martinsville, Apr. ’07, finished 10th
Kenseth on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“Dover’s been my favorite track for quite awhile now. I used to always say that, and it seemed like we’d have bad luck there, so last year I kept telling myself how much I disliked it and it worked. We ended up winning there in the spring and coming pretty close to winning last fall. So, I guess in that line of thinking, again, I really dread going to Dover, it’s not one of my favorite tracks.
“But, in all seriousness, Dover’s always been special to me because I made my first start there in Bill Elliott’s car and was able to finish sixth that day, just a day after we won our first Busch race there. Then, to win there last year made it even more special. I love the track. It’s a super fast one-mile oval that commands a lot of respect and it’s just a lot of fun to race there.
“I’m hoping we’re as good there in the COT as we were last year in the old car. We felt pretty good after Darlington and felt like we’d gotten a little better with the COT. We were able to drive up towards the front and lead some laps, and do some things that we hadn’t done before in that car. We’re taking that same car this weekend, so I’m hoping we’ve learned some things that can help us get to the front again this week.”
Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Dover International Speedway:
“We’re bringing the same car we ran at Darlington a few weeks ago. It was pretty good down there and we felt like we’ve learned some things with the COT that should help us this coming weekend.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how these cars handle at Dover. I think we’ll see a lot of the same issues we’ve been having with these cars. Obviously, if we could’ve tested there like originally scheduled, then we might have a better handle on it, but at least everyone’s in the same boat. Nobody has tested there, so you’ll probably see teams trying a lot of different things on Friday.
“Charlotte was a little disappointing because our finish didn’t really represent where we ran or how good our car was. But, you know, we’ve done the opposite of that so many times, where we pulled out a much better finish than what our car was capable of through good pit stops and track position and all of those things. So, I guess Sunday was one of those that went the other way. But, I know the character of this team and you can be sure that we’ll be back at it and working even harder at Dover this weekend.”
Last edited by mrsmopar12 : 06-03-2007 at 01:15 AM.
Reason: s pacing err or s
Roush Fenway Racing's Teams Fontana Fast Facts
NNCS Driver David Ragan:This Week In Ford Racing
Roush Fenway Racing - Dover (Part 1)