AAA Sponsors #6 Ford Fusion

AAA and Roush Racing have teamed for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup racing series. AAA, the organization that helped pioneer and officiate motorsports in the United States until 1955, is the primary sponsor of Roush Racing's flagship No. 6 Nextel Cup Ford Fusion.

DAVID RAGAN FINISHES FIRST RACE AT THE BRICKYARD IN 16TH PLACE

David Ragan and the No. 6 AAA Insurance Ford Fusion

 

Started 30th / Finished 16th

 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 29, 2007) –David Ragan’s first race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway proved to be more challenging than originally anticipated when rain showers spoiled Friday’s practice sessions, as well as the sessions that were rescheduled for Saturday morning.

 

Ragan was also facing the challenge of participating in both the Busch Series race at O’Reilly Race Park and the NEXTEL Cup Series event at the Brickyard on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

 

In an attempt to refrain from canceling qualifying later Saturday afternoon NASCAR officials made the decision to run practice from 11:15am-2:30pm EST and then start qualifying at 5:30pm EST.

 

Ragan was the eighth driver to make his two lap qualifying attempt for Sunday afternoon’s 400 mile race putting him in the 30th position by the time the last car had gone.

 

Ragan rolled off the grid along side teammate Matt Kenseth at approximately 2:15pm on Sunday afternoon.  When the green flag dropped Ragan quickly dropped back six positions before radioing to his team that his AAA Ford Fusion was free getting into the corners and the back end was over rotating a little bit.

 

When the first caution of the day came out on lap 14 Ragan was having even more trouble, this time with the brakes.

 

“I really have to pump the brakes getting into the corners,” said Ragan.  “I may have a loose brake pedal or something.  It is starting to go to the floor when I’m heading into the turns.”

 

After listening to his driver, crew chief, Jimmy Fennig made the decision to bring Ragan down pit road for four tires, fuel, one round down in the track bar and a half pound of air in the right rear tire.  Ragan entered pit road in 40th position and reentered the field in 38th.

 

Once the green flag dropped again Ragan’s AAA Ford was showing improvement and he began to pick up some positions.  There was a mandatory competition caution scheduled for lap 40 at which time the AAA pit crew took the opportunity to bring Ragan back down pit road for four new tires, fuel and another round down in the track bar.

 

On lap 45 Ragan narrowly escaped a wreck involving eight other cars on the straight away.  By dodging this incident Ragan was able to pick up several spots and restarted on lap 52 in 14th position.

 

Ragan made his next trip into the pits on lap 62.  Fennig made the call for two tires and fuel.  Ragan reentered the field in 19th position.

 

When the track went green again Ragan began losing spots when he radioed to his team that his Fusion was running loose in the middle of the corners and it slides the nose center off. 

 

A debris caution on lap 75 was the perfect opportunity for Ragan to come down pit road for an adjustment to help improve the handling of his race car.

 

The AAA pit crew went to work giving Ragan four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments in the right side tires before sending him back out in 23rd position.

 

Ragan was able to pick up a few spots after the restart but by lap 89 when the caution flag flew again he reported the that his Ford Fusion was a little tight under the throttle and was sliding on exit a little bit if he didn’t hit his marks just right.

 

Ragan came into the pits on lap 91 for four tires, fuel, track bar and air pressure adjustments and restarted on lap 97 in 20th position.

 

Fennig and the AAA pit crew continued to make small adjustments to the track bar and air pressure as the conclusion of the 160 lap event drew nearer.  Finally on the final run that would bring the field to the checkered flag, Ragan’s AAA Insurance Ford was showing improvement and he was able to battle his way to the 16th position before crossing the finish line.

 

“We started off the race just trying to fine-tune our car,” said Ragan.  “There toward the middle part we took two tires one time to try to get some track position and that just didn’t work very well.  Our car liked four tires and the two tires just made it really loose.  We ended up with a 16th place finish our first time here and we would have liked to have been up there in the top-10 or 15, but we’ve still just got a little bit of work to do.  It was a decent day, picked up a few points, just got to keep doing that to get better.”

 

Ragan is currently 22nd in the NEXTEL Cup Championship point standings and second is the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Race.

 

The next stop for the NEXTEL Cup Series is Pocono Raceway on Sunday August 5th for the 1:00pm EST start of the Pennsylvania 500 (ESPN/MRN).  Ragan will also be competing in the Busch Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal on August 4th.

 


About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating 13 motorsports teams, five in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; five in the Busch Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Todd Kluever, Michel Jourdain Jr. and Danny O’Quinn Jr.; and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Edwards, Peter Shepherd, Travis Kvapil and Erik Darnell. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.