ARCA Racing Series Graduate: David Ragan

Written by ARCA News

(3-9-10) - This is an installment which looks at former ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards competitors who've gone on to success in NASCAR.

When a young, relatively unknown driver arrives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it's easy for fans to consider him an ‘overnight' success.

But the truth is, no one makes it to the top tier of stock car racing without laying the groundwork in the developmental years, from local tracks to what is arguably the biggest stepping stone to NASCAR: the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards.

Among the current drivers who have successfully made the transition from ARCA to Sprint Cup racing is 24-year-old David Ragan, now in his fourth season behind the wheel of the No. 6 UPS Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing.

Many fans were surprised when Ragan, then just 20-years-old, was announced as Mark Martin's replacement in the No. 6 Cup car at the end of the 2006 season. Martin had been in the flagship Roush-Fenway ride for 24 years and many fans thought the two-year search for his successor would result in a more experienced driver being pegged as pilot of the prestigious ride.

Ragan not only took over the coveted No. 6 car in 2007, but in 2009 became the beneficiary of one of NASCAR's most lucrative sponsorships, when shipping giant UPS moved to Roush-Fenway Racing after years of its popular pairing with driver Dale Jarrett.

Though Ragan may have seemed like an overnight success to those who had not followed his pre-Cup career, he had actually enjoyed an excellent run in the ARCA Racing Series, as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series, and in smaller developmental series as a youth.

Ragan's tenure in the ARCA Racing series began in 2003 when he was just 17-years-old. His first start came in the ‘03 ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Lake Erie Speedway, where he turned heads by qualifying second and running up front much of the race, finishing 12th.

From 2003 to 2008, Ragan made a total of 31 ARCA starts, simultaneously venturing into all three of NASCAR's elite series. His most complete ARCA season was 2005, when he ran 19 of 23 races, leading 126 laps and finishing the year ranked 14th in championship points.

Ragan scored his first ARCA win in the 2005 Williams Brothers 200 at Lanier Speedway in Georgia after starting the race on the pole. He had a total of three poles and eight top-five finishes in '05, including three second-place runs.

By 2006, Ragan had parlayed his success in ARCA, as well as a strong showing in Roush Racing's Driver X competition, into an opportunity to drive for Roush in NASCAR's top three series. In 2007, Ragan was named Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and was runner-up for that title in the Cup series, finishing second to Juan Pablo Montoya.

Since moving to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2007, Ragan has accumulated 19 top-10 finishes and, in 2008, was a strong contender to make the Chase. He ended ‘08 ranked 13th in points - the highest possible finish for a non-Chase driver - and led the series in laps completed. He has also done double-duty in the Nationwide Series, putting together back-to-back top-five season rankings in 2007-2008 and posting two NNS wins in 2009 - one each at the venerable Talladega and Bristol venues.

As David Ragan heads into 2010, his fourth full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series, he serves as an excellent example for young drivers hoping to capitalize on their time spent learning the racing ropes in the ARCA Racing Series.