David Ragan has no hard feelings leaving No. 18

David Ragan prepares to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama. (Getty Images)
David Ragan prepares to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama. (Getty Images)
David Ragan prepares to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1, 2015 in Talladega, Alabama. (Getty Images)

David Ragan has had an incredible journey in 2015. He started the season in the Front Row Motorsports Ford, but after Kyle Busch was injured in the season opening NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona, Ragan was tapped to substitute in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.  This week it was announced that rookie Erik Jones will move to the No. 18 starting next week at Kansas.  Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series GEICO 500, Ragan met with the media as he prepared for his last race in the JGR No. 18.

“There’s no hard feelings at all not really,” Ragan said. “I think timing is everything and it’s so much more important for me to have an opportunity going forward with a full-time car, with a very competitive organization like Michael Waltrip Racing than it would be for me to run a few more races before Kyle’s (Busch) return. Ultimately, I always knew that this was just going to be a couple of months – a three-month deal – until Kyle gets back and for me the big picture is the entire season and finishing the season and having a real chance at being competitive going forward and having a shot to make the Chase. “

“Ultimately, I hope Kyle is going well and ready to return soon,” he added.” I know Erik (Jones) will do a great job. He’s a young kid with a great career in front of him and I was there 10 years ago and he deserves a chance and I’m very fortunate that timing was in my favor to have another seat to go and fill and it all worked out.” MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.