Something that most of you will be happy to read

Ragan wants to stay in Cup, but open to Nationwide ride: David Ragan believes he likely will compete in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series in 2012. For whom he will be driving, though, has yet to be determined. UPS, Ragan's current primary sponsor on the Roush Fenway Racing #6 Ford, announced earlier this week that the company would scale back it's racing program next season. Minus funding, Ragan said Saturday he isn't sure in which direction his career is headed. While he's hopeful that funding can be found that will allow him to remain at Roush Fenway, Ragan knows the odds are less than favorable. But he says he's "confident" that he will run in Cup. "With a competitive team," he said. "I'm not going to be in a back-marker car just to say I'm driving a Sprint Cup car," Ragan, who won his first Cup race at Daytona in July, said. "I'm not too proud to go back to the Nationwide Series and contend for a championship. Ragan, 25, is under contract to Roush Fenway for 2012, meaning Roush could "loan" the driver to another Ford organization next season. But he said it's not a given that he would end up with a Ford team.(Scene Daily)(10-30-2011)

Let the "Good, he didn't deserve a Cup ride anyway" comments roll in. (not hatin', I just know you're all gonna say that )

Good, he didn't deserve a cup ride anyway

He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

antknee wrote:He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

Well, let's do the math here:

Ragan has ONE win in five years of Cup in one of the best teams in NASCAR currently. That says something about his talent levels.

RandomClassic wrote:

antknee wrote:He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

Well, let's do the math here:

Ragan has ONE win in five years of Cup in one of the best teams in NASCAR currently. That says something about his talent levels.

Menard's win total is the same, and they both started in 2007. Reutimann also started that year, and only has two wins. Truex Jr. started a year before, and has only one win. Burton hasn't won since 2008, and just scored his first Top 5 in over a year last week. McMurray's won in pretty much anything he runs, but normally has 2-3 year winless streaks. Not defending Ragan's performance, just saying get your facts right.

Also, just want to point out that maybe Ragan's problems are crappy equipment. Cause didn't we say the same thing about McMurray, Burton, and Menard, and what equipment were they all running when they did crappy? Roush-Yates. Maybe Ragan just needs to get out of Roush-Yates equipment.

Just look at Kyle Busch. Won 4 races with hendrick over 3 years, but then kicked the daylights out of everone when he switched to JGR.

flyingturns89 wrote:

RandomClassic wrote:

antknee wrote:He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

Well, let's do the math here:

Ragan has ONE win in five years of Cup in one of the best teams in NASCAR currently. That says something about his talent levels.

Menard's win total is the same, and they both started in 2007. Reutimann also started that year, and only has two wins. Truex Jr. started a year before, and has only one win. Burton hasn't won since 2008, and just scored his first Top 5 in over a year last week. McMurray's won in pretty much anything he runs, but normally has 2-3 year winless streaks. Not defending Ragan's performance, just saying get your facts right.

Also, just want to point out that maybe Ragan's problems are crappy equipment. Cause didn't we say the same thing about McMurray, Burton, and Menard, and what equipment were they all running when they did crappy? Roush-Yates. Maybe Ragan just needs to get out of Roush-Yates equipment.

Look at the teams they are driving for. Not to mention, Burton has had the crappiest luck this year.

PKligBKFan wrote:

flyingturns89 wrote:

RandomClassic wrote:

antknee wrote:He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

Well, let's do the math here:

Ragan has ONE win in five years of Cup in one of the best teams in NASCAR currently. That says something about his talent levels.

Menard's win total is the same, and they both started in 2007. Reutimann also started that year, and only has two wins. Truex Jr. started a year before, and has only one win. Burton hasn't won since 2008, and just scored his first Top 5 in over a year last week. McMurray's won in pretty much anything he runs, but normally has 2-3 year winless streaks. Not defending Ragan's performance, just saying get your facts right.

Also, just want to point out that maybe Ragan's problems are crappy equipment. Cause didn't we say the same thing about McMurray, Burton, and Menard, and what equipment were they all running when they did crappy? Roush-Yates. Maybe Ragan just needs to get out of Roush-Yates equipment.

Look at the teams they are driving for. Not to mention, Burton has had the crappiest luck this year.

This. Aside from Burton (Well, except 2009.) and some of McMurry (Roush Years). Menard has been in R&D cars his whole career. Reutimann and Truex Jr both drove for realitive fail teams. (MWR and Failing DEI.)

Dammit, I thought it would be about Kyle Busch being kicked out of NASCAR, then again, give David the Busch ride, see how that twists things up.

But his contract is an issue.

flyingturns89 wrote:

RandomClassic wrote:

antknee wrote:He's no worse than the other I-can-only-be-competitive-at-restrictor-plate-tracks drivers. He's 19th in points so there are a LOT of drivers faring worse this season. Big names like Menard, Burton, Truex Jr, Reutimann, McMurray. Do they also not deserve a cup ride? Just saying.

Well, let's do the math here:

Ragan has ONE win in five years of Cup in one of the best teams in NASCAR currently. That says something about his talent levels.

Menard's win total is the same, and they both started in 2007. Reutimann also started that year, and only has two wins. Truex Jr. started a year before, and has only one win. Burton hasn't won since 2008, and just scored his first Top 5 in over a year last week. McMurray's won in pretty much anything he runs, but normally has 2-3 year winless streaks. Not defending Ragan's performance, just saying get your facts right.

Also, just want to point out that maybe Ragan's problems are crappy equipment. Cause didn't we say the same thing about McMurray, Burton, and Menard, and what equipment were they all running when they did crappy? Roush-Yates. Maybe Ragan just needs to get out of Roush-Yates equipment.

Menard has been gradually improving. Ragan has not. Also, Menard won at a track that requires lifting, making it infinitely more valuable than Ragan's Daytona win. Therefore, I defend Menard's place in the Cup series, and if I was a team owner, I would take Menard's money over David Ragan's money.

Jeff Burton is a pay driver these days, so is Reutimann. Truex, Jr. is actually competitive at times, and would be a lot more competitive if MWR wasn't a cesspool of well-funded mediocrity, and McMurray is currently enduring a nightmare season, he's already shown he can win when he has a good car under him. Ragan has had a good car under him for five years and he has been pretty useless TBH.

Kyle Busch's success at Joe Gibbs I think is largely due to him being the #1 driver over at the team, with JGR apparently alternating between Busch and Hamlin for the role as #1 driver in the team (and interestingly, Hamlin does a MUCH better job than Kyle Busch does...). Logano's place in the team is only to bring in the cash to support Busch and Hamlin.

gwoodard41 wrote:Dammit, I thought it would be about Kyle Busch being kicked out of NASCAR, then again, give David the Busch ride, see how that twists things up.

Bro, we know this is never going to happen. As much as I and many others hate Busch, that will never happen. Why? Because somehow, he still brings sponsors and unlike Ragan, he's actually towards the front most of the time. Hell, Dollar General would not even be on his truck if it was only Brian Ickler driving and I'm willing to bet he's the reason Gibbs now has them for 2012.

Still sucks to see more troubles for full time teams, and more people out of work, even if it does get rid of a poor performer like Ragan.