By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For the final race of the 2018 season, it was David Ragan who was found in the middle of it all.
Capping off his fifth season with Front Row Motorsports, Ragan ended the year with back-to-back 20th-place finishes in his No. 38 Ford.
With Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 going without major incident from green to checkered, guys like Ragan struggled to advance far into the top 20. Starting from 25th, Ragan and teammate Michael McDowell were seen flirting around 25th for most of the 267-lapper. Soon after, Ragan moved upward while McDowell descended down the running order.
Cracking the top 20, Ragan earned his fourth top 20 at Homestead in 12 stars and his 14th top 20 to end 2018. Additionally, his result secured him 25th spot in driver points, edging teammate McDowell by one spot, 31 points.
One sure-fire way to gauge one’s success is lining it up even with the season prior. And for Ragan, most numbers place 2018 as an improvement year for himself and Front Row.
Though Ragan’s sixth-place finish at Talladega in the spring stood as his only inside the top 10 all year (earning three top 10s in 2017) nearly every other category was improved upon including top 20s (14 in 2018 compared to eight in 2017).
Additionally, improvements in average start (29.0 to 24.2), average finish (24.9 to 22.9), races finished (32 to 34), lead-lap finishes (seven to eight) and final championship standing (30th to 25th) make 2018 a positive turnaround for the veteran driver.
A return to Front Row in 2019 would surely bring another step up the competitive ladder for the 32-year-old.
List of 20th-Place Finishers in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch
Darlington: Michael McDowell (2)
Indianapolis: Regan Smith
Las Vegas: Ross Chastain
Richmond: William Byron (4)
Charlotte ROVAL: Cole Whitt
Dover: Matt Kenseth
Talladega: William Byron (5)
Kansas: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Martinsville: Ryan Blaney
Texas: AJ Allmendinger
ISM: David Ragan
Homestead: David Ragan (2)
Mid-Pack With Zach: David Ragan, Front Row Motorsports
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For the final race of the 2018 season, it was David Ragan who was found in the middle of it all.
Capping off his fifth season with Front Row Motorsports, Ragan ended the year with back-to-back 20th-place finishes in his No. 38 Ford.
With Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 going without major incident from green to checkered, guys like Ragan struggled to advance far into the top 20. Starting from 25th, Ragan and teammate Michael McDowell were seen flirting around 25th for most of the 267-lapper. Soon after, Ragan moved upward while McDowell descended down the running order.
Cracking the top 20, Ragan earned his fourth top 20 at Homestead in 12 stars and his 14th top 20 to end 2018. Additionally, his result secured him 25th spot in driver points, edging teammate McDowell by one spot, 31 points.
One sure-fire way to gauge one’s success is lining it up even with the season prior. And for Ragan, most numbers place 2018 as an improvement year for himself and Front Row.
Though Ragan’s sixth-place finish at Talladega in the spring stood as his only inside the top 10 all year (earning three top 10s in 2017) nearly every other category was improved upon including top 20s (14 in 2018 compared to eight in 2017).
Additionally, improvements in average start (29.0 to 24.2), average finish (24.9 to 22.9), races finished (32 to 34), lead-lap finishes (seven to eight) and final championship standing (30th to 25th) make 2018 a positive turnaround for the veteran driver.
A return to Front Row in 2019 would surely bring another step up the competitive ladder for the 32-year-old.
List of 20th-Place Finishers in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch
Darlington: Michael McDowell (2)
Indianapolis: Regan Smith
Las Vegas: Ross Chastain
Richmond: William Byron (4)
Charlotte ROVAL: Cole Whitt
Dover: Matt Kenseth
Talladega: William Byron (5)
Kansas: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Martinsville: Ryan Blaney
Texas: AJ Allmendinger
ISM: David Ragan
Homestead: David Ragan (2)