What’s next for David Ragan after MWR? Driver hopes new connections produce options

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The connections made this season by David Ragan might have been as important as the cars he has driven to showcase his talent.

With Michael Waltrip Racing shutting its doors after the Sprint Cup season, Ragan’s NASCAR future is far from certain. He has made a solid impression in qualifying the No. 55 Toyota, earning top-five starting spots in three of the past seven races, but a 12th at Daytona International Speedway has been his best finish since joining MWR three months ago.

It’s been a transient season for Ragan, who started the season-opening Daytona 500 for Front Row Motorsports and followed with a nine-race stint in place of injured Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing.

There are benefits to bouncing around, though, for a driver whose movement was limited for much of his career (with Roush Fenway Racing from 2006-11 and Front Row from 2012-14).

“I’ve met some new people with these opportunities that I didn’t know six months ago, or a year ago,” he told NASCAR Talk in a Saturday interview before the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. “In the NASCAR world, a lot of it is who you know, who has a connection here or there.”

“I got to work with (No. 18 crew chief) Adam Stevens. Coach Gibbs, a legend in the sports world. I got to know some of the people at (sponsors) M&Ms Mars and Interstate Batteries. And got to work with Michael and the Aaron’s team. Some of the Toyota people, I didn’t know. I’d only driven for Ford my entire career. To open that door and see how that works to run their racing program, it’s been eye opening, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve made some good friends. Some guys who were practically neighbors, and I didn’t really know who they were. Definitely, I made some friends I’ll have for life.”

He also has been exposed to new technology, crediting extra time spent in Toyota Racing Development’s simulator with helping fine-tune his setups to arrive at the track better prepared (and in better position to qualify well).

Ragan said there are no regrets about leaving Front Row (where he won at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2013) because he wasn’t guaranteed sponsorship for a full season.

“If it had been a full-time deal, then I would have signed up for that at the beginning of the year,” he said. “I wouldn’t have left. But at the time, I didn’t know, and it allowed me to do something different.

“I’m a lot smarter driver than I was six months ago because I got to work with some really smart people who have a lot of resources at their disposal. It’s helped me be a better driver for whatever that next situation may bring.”

Ragan would like to remain in the Sprint Cup Series but said he would consider a competitive ride in the Xfinity or Camping World Truck series.

“Where I’m at in my career, it’s more about being competitive than just making a paycheck or being a Sprint Cup driver,” said Ragan, who has two Cup wins and has driven full time in the series since 2007. “I don’t want to be in a position where I’m 35th in qualifying, and you finish 30th every week. That’s no fun. It’s a way to make a living and stay involved, and it’s better than the alternative of nothing, but I don’t want to be in that position.

“So I’ll try really hard to try to find something competitive in one of the top three series where I feel like I can go out and win some races and race for a championship.”

A key could be bringing sponsorship. Aaron’s, which backs the No. 55, hasn’t decided on its 2016 plans but said “NASCAR will be an important part of our future” in a release last week.

Would the Atlanta-based company be interested in staying with a driver from Unadilla, Ga.?

“There may be a chance,” Ragan said. “I’m sure they’ve got a lot of things they’ve got to go through and a process that involves looking at their program and what kind of money they spend and where.

“I hope I have a good chance to make my case and to be with them in the future. They’re a great company. They’ve been around NASCAR for a long time.”

Ragan, who turns 30 in December, is hoping to stick around for a while, too. He hopes that posting solid results alongside championship-caliber teammates such as Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer will help make his case.

“Hopefully, it’s that David Ragan is a good driver and good spokesperson who takes care of his equipment and can get out of a race car what one of the best drivers can,” he said. “I’ve had some of the best teammates in the garage. I’ve held my own and did well and have done a good job being a teammate. Hopefully that will take notice around the garage.

“Having that right program that is funded (with) good employees, good manufacturing support and a good driver. You have to have everything come together. Hopefully I can be a part of one of those puzzles somewhere.”

More rain postpones conclusion of Charlotte Xfinity race

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CONCORD, N.C. — Despite an improving forecast, rain continued to plague NASCAR and its drivers Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The twice-rescheduled Xfinity Series race was stopped twice because of weather Monday after finally getting the green flag, and the conclusion of the 300-mile race was postponed until after the completion of Monday’s rescheduled 600-mile Cup Series race.

Forty-eight of the race’s scheduled 200 laps were completed before weather and the impending scheduled start of the Cup race intervened.

When (or if) the race resumes Monday night, it will be broadcast by FS2, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

After 48 laps, Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Allgaier are in the top three positions.

Gibbs won the first stage.

Monday Charlotte Cup race: Start time, TV info, weather

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After two days of soaking rains, the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is set for a 3 p.m. ET start Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The 600-mile marathon was scheduled for a 6:21 p.m. start Sunday, but persistent rain forced a postponement to Memorial Day.

A look at the Monday Cup schedule:

Details for Monday’s Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given at 3:12 p.m. by USO official Barry Morris and retired drivers Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte. … The green flag is scheduled to be waved at 3:23 p.m.

PRERACE: Driver introductions are scheduled at 2:30 p.m. … The invocation will be given by retired Air Force Master Sergeant Monty Self at 3 p.m. … The national anthem will be performed by U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Elizabeth Marino at 3:04 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (600 miles) on the 1.5-mile track.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 100. Stage 2 ends at Lap 200. Stage 3 ends at Lap 300.

STARTING LINEUP: Charlotte Cup starting lineup

TV/RADIO: Fox will broadcast the race at 3 p.m. … Performance Racing Network coverage begins at 3 p.m. and can be heard on goprn.com. … SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast.

STREAMING: Foxsports.com

FORECAST: Weather Underground — The forecast calls for overcast skies with a high of 71. There is a 15% chance of rain at the start of the race.

LAST TIME: Denny Hamlin won last year’s 600 as the race was extended to two overtimes, making it the longest race in distance in Cup history.

Monday Charlotte Xfinity race: Start time, TV info, weather

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Charlotte Motor Speedway’s rescheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race is set for an 11 a.m. start Monday.

The race originally was scheduled Saturday, but was postponed by weather to noon Monday. After Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 Cup Series race also was postponed to Monday, the Xfinity Series race was moved to an 11 a.m. start.

A look at the Monday Xfinity schedule:

Details for Monday’s Xfinity race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given at 11:01 a.m. by representatives of race sponsor Alsco Uniforms … The green flag is scheduled to be waved at 11:12 a.m.

PRERACE: Xfinity garage opened at 8 a.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 200 laps (300 miles) on the 1.5-mile track.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 45. Stage 2 ends at Lap 90.

STARTING LINEUP: Charlotte Xfinity starting lineup (Justin Haley will replace Kyle Busch in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing car).

TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 11 a.m. … Performance Racing Network coverage begins at 11 a.m. and can be heard on goprn.com. … SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast.

STREAMING: Foxsports.com

FORECAST: Weather Underground — The forecast calls for overcast skies with a high of 71. There is a 15% chance of rain at the start of the race.

LAST TIME: Josh Berry won last May’s Xfinity race. Ty Gibbs was second and Sam Mayer third.

Justin Haley replaces Kyle Busch in Kaulig car for Xfinity race

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Justin Haley will drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 car in Monday morning’s scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Haley replaces Cup Series regular Kyle Busch, who was scheduled to drive for Kaulig in the 300-miler. The race was postponed from Saturday to Monday because of weather, giving NASCAR a 900-mile doubleheader at the track.

Busch decided to concentrate on the Coca-Cola 600 Cup race, scheduled for a  3 p.m. start.

Haley also will race in the 600.

Ty Gibbs is scheduled to run in both races.