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NASCAR: 10 small-team drivers who deserve Danica Patrick’s ride

By Asher Fair

LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH - JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton's 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JUNE 29: David Ragan, driver of the #38 Shriners Hospital for Children 95th Anniversary Ford (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JUNE 29: David Ragan, driver of the #38 Shriners Hospital for Children 95th Anniversary Ford (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

#6 – David Ragan, Front Row Motorsports, No. 38 Ford

David Ragan, 31, has spent some seasons driving for some solid teams in the NASCAR Cup Series. Unlike Danica Patrick in her time at Stewart-Haas Racing, however, he has actually performed well for the teams he has driven for, and that’s despite the fact that none of the teams he has ever driven for have been as good as Stewart-Haas Racing.

Ragan began driving full-time in the 2007 season for Roush Fenway Racing, and he kicked off his time there with a 5th place finish at the Daytona 500. Right away, he secured himself a top 5 finish, something Patrick is still searching for after 177 career starts.

Ragan drove for Roush Fenway Racing from the 2007 season through the 2011 season before driving for Front Row Motorsports full-time from the 2012 season through the 2014 season. He drove for Front Row Motorsports in the 2015 Daytona 500 before hopping over to Joe Gibbs Racing to replace the injured Kyle Busch for a few races.

After nine races in relief of Busch, Ragan drove for Michael Waltrip Racing for the rest of the 2015 season. In the 2016 season, he ended up with BK Racing before making a return to Front Row Motorsports this season.

In 385 career Cup Series starts, a total that is just over twice as many starts as Patrick has in her career, Ragan has more than twice as many top 5 finishes (15) as she has top 10 finishes (7) and more than five times as many top 10 finishes (38) as she has.

Ragan also recently finished in 6th place at Daytona seven races ago, a result that would tie Patrick’s career-high, while she hasn’t finished higher than 10th place in any of the last 87 races. Ragan, unlike Patrick, has also won a race in his Cup Series career. In fact, he has won twice.

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