USA Today Sports
David Ragan has had himself quite the year in NASCAR in 2015. If I were a betting man I might consider inviting Ragan to Las Vegas with me as luck and happenstance have opened many doors for him this season. Although luck has opened the doors, it’s also fair to point out that Ragan’s talent has allowed him to walk through said doors.
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Ragan began 2015 with the No. 34 team and Front Row Racing. After an injury to Kyle Busch, Ragan had the opportunity to drive the No. 18 machine for Joe Gibbs Racing for a handful of races. Ragan’s performance in the No. 18 team opened the door for him to be invited to drive the No. 55 machine for Michael Waltrip Racing after it was discovered that Brian Vickers had to leave the ride for health reasons.
Ragan’s look might have took a hit when MWR announced they wouldn’t be running a full-time team in 2016 but then another door in the distance appeared to have opened. In recent weeks there have been rumblings that the folks over at RPM are not happy with Sam Hornish Jr. and his performance in the No. 9 machine. Interestingly enough, Ragan was towards the top of the list of drivers to pilot the No. 9 machine coming into this season. If RPM does decide to pull the plug on Hornish Jr. and Clint Bowyer lands elsewhere, it’s more than possible that Ragan ends up with RPM in 2016.
Conversely, it’s also possible that Ragan leaves the Sprint Cup Series in favor of a full-time ride in the Xfinity Series or the Truck Series. Ragan recently spoke with NBC Sports where he talked about the importance of being in a position to win rather than simply staying in the Sprint Cup Series.
"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.Where I’m at in my career, it’s more about being competitive than just making a paycheck or being a Sprint Cup driver. 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."
Ragan’s stance speaks greatly of how much he has matured as a Sprint Cup Series driver and athlete. Most drivers would jump at the chance to run full-time in the Sprint Cup Series as opposed to running full-time in the Xfinity Series or Truck Series. The fact that Ragan is placing his value on winning rather than competing in the top series truly speaks volumes about him.
While Ragan might be willing to move to another series in 2016, I for one believe that he will not have an issue landing a competitive ride in the Sprint Cup Series.
Next: NASCAR: Four Drivers Most Likely To Exit The Chase Early