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NASCAR Has the Most Interesting Sponsors In Sports

Photo Credit: Tammyrae Benscoter

In the sport of NASCAR, as in many professional sports, it is certainly the sponsors that make it all possible.

But what makes the sport of NASCAR even more interesting is the diversity and uniqueness of the sponsors that have chosen to not only support stock car racing, but to invest in it as an asset to their own market development.

This race season as in the past, several NASCAR sponsors are focusing on fans’ health, using both race cars and trucks to market their unique products. For example, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday has an interesting returning sponsor in Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff, a product billed as America’s original, best-selling tobacco-free smokeless snuff.

Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff plans on advertising its wares as primary sponsor on Hornaday’s No. 9 Chevrolet race truck for at least twelve races, starting at Daytona. The sponsor will also serve as an associate sponsor for the remaining ten events in the Truck Series.

“It’s clear that Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff is a young but growing company but I look forward to taking them to the front of the field this year, not only on the race track but in the marketplace,” driver Ron Hornaday said.

In addition to snuff, supplement sponsors are also seemingly hot in NASCAR this year. One recent example is Nutrition53, a health supplement company coming on board to sponsor the No. 30 Toyota driven by David Stremme for Swan Racing.

Nutrition53 is owned by Bill Romanowski, an NFL veteran, who has also joined forces with team owner Brandon Davis to take the race team to the next level and forge a unique sponsor partnership.

“Bill Romanowski understands what it takes to win, which makes him a perfect fit at Swan Racing,” majority owner Brandon Davis said. “Bill is the only linebacker to start in five Super Bowls and he did it playing for four different teams.”

“His leadership skills and approach to successful competition will help Swan Racing become a championship contender.”

“I am thrilled to jump into the NASCAR world as a part owner and as a sponsor,” Romanowski said. “I’m eager to be a part of it.”

From supplements and snuff to construction sponsors, NASCAR again seems to have it all. NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney is one driver who will benefit on the construction side, being sponsored in 2013 by new company SANY America.

SANY America, the sixth largest industrial equipment company in the world, will serve as primary sponsor for Blaney’s #7 Chevrolet for 14 Cup events and will serve as associate partner for 22 races. The company sells cranes, concrete pump machinery, excavators and other heavy equipment.

JJ Yeley, another NASCAR driver, will be sponsored by another equipment company, this one in the mining world. United Mining Equipment will sponsor Yeley for three races, serving as primary sponsor on the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 Chevrolet.

United Mining Equipment, based in Butler, PA, had their first taste of NASCAR racing at Homestead last year and decided they were hooked. They have signed on for both the Bristol and Kentucky races in 2013.

“United Mining Equipment tested TBR and NASCAR out at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and really liked what they saw,” Tommy Baldwin, Jr., team owner, said. “By expanding their program this year emphasizes that our program and NASCAR can work for any business category.”

Of course, NASCAR sponsors can also be as diverse as playing safely around rail road tracks to getting lucky in lottery land.

On the railroad safety side, CSX Transportation has announced a new partnership with Front Row Motorsports and driver David Ragan to remind fast to “Play It Safe” around rail road tracks. The company will be the primary sponsor on Ragan’s No. 34 race car throughout the 2013 season.

“It’s important for all of us to be safe around railroad crossings and tracks,” Ragan said. “Far too many incidents occur each year simply because people don’t recognize the danger associated with taking unnecessary chances around railroads.”

“I’m glad CSX is bringing the issue to the forefront of the NASCAR fan base and I’m honored to champion their message.”

For some race fans, while safety is critical, they would also like to be just plain lucky. That’s why the Florida Lottery has decided on sponsoring Tommy Baldwin Racing for the three races that will take place in the Florida area.

“We at TBR are so happy to have the Florida Lottery back for the Daytona 500, the summer Daytona race and the season finale at Homestead-Miami speedway,” Baldwin, Jr. said. “It’s a great program for us as we help spread the word about the Lottery and their program.”

And finally, there are even sponsors who just want to be involved for the good of the order. One such sponsor ‘want to be’, PETA, is looking to get on the hood of a race car and they have a particular one in mind.

PETA has their sights set on NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who has some available space on his hood. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has postulated that since Junior cares about four-legged critters and since he has some blank parts on his car that this could potentially be a match made in charity sponsor heaven.

“PETA knows that Dale cares about animals and we’d love to have his help in fighting the animal overpopulation crisis in North Carolina and across the US,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said. “A spay and neuter message on the No. 88 could inspire millions of NASCAR fans to take the simple but lifesaving steps of ‘fixing’ their dogs and cats.”

Yes, indeed, from PETA to the Florida Lottery, NASCAR most surely does have the most interesting sponsors in the world of professional sports. And that is what makes the cars on the track go round and round.

February 2, 2013
David Ragan and Michael Annett Head Home for Pre-Daytona Competition

What do Cup and Nationwide drivers David Ragan and Michael Annett have in common as they prepare to start the NASCAR racing season at Daytona next month?

Both Ragan and Annett will head straight their local short tracks for some preparatory competition prior to the start of their top tier series competition. And both of them are competing at tracks not only close to their hearts but close to home as well.

Ragan will hit his local short track this weekend in the season opener of the CRA (Champion Racing Association) Super Series. The newly-married Sprint Cup driver will star at SpeedFest 2013 this weekend at Watermelon Capital Speedway just a hop, skip and a jump from his hometown of Unadilla, Georgia.

Ragan competed last year in this same event pre-Daytona, finishing third after starting on the pole. He is hoping to top finish that this year, racing in his own No. 77 David Ragan Inc. Ford.

“It’s always a lot of fun to go run a race in January when we have some free time,” Ragan said. “This race always draws a lot of guys from all over, especially up north where it’s still too cold and snowy to go racing.”

“We just have a lot of fun,” Ragan continued. “And running a race that close to home, I get a lot of friends and family in the stands cheering me on.”

While Ragan’s primary job is behind the wheel of the No. 34 Ford Fusion Motorsports, he also loves returning to his short track roots, racing a handful of late-model competitions with his own two car team based in his new home in Concord, North Carolina.

“It’s a chance for me to go race four or five times a year at the short tracks and just have some fun,” Ragan said. “My late model program is two cars.”

“I’ve got one full-time employee who works on them,” Ragan continued. “Other than that, it’s me and my cousin and some volunteer help.”

“Some of the guys from Front Row Motorsports go with us on the weekends to help.”

While Ragan thoroughly enjoys the local competition, he also acknowledges that even when he is having fun, he still wants to claim that checkered flag.

“Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s just for fun,” Ragan said. “I’m a competitor and I admit I can get caught up in the moment of trying to be competitive.”

“I want to spend more money than we should on the cars to make improvements here and there,” Ragan continued. “Then I remember to dial it down a bit and remember why I do it.”

In addition to enjoy the big Cup tracks, Ragan is also very fond of his home track, Watermelon Capital Speedway.

“Watermelon Capital Speedway is a very fun race track,” Ragan said. “It’s D-shaped, where the back straightaway curves a little.”

“It’s not your typical short track,” Ragan continued. “It’s challenging.”

“Last year we sat on the pole and finished third,” Ragan said. “Two years ago we finished fifth or sixth, so we usually run pretty well and have had some changes to win.”

“This weekend, our goal is to go down there, lead the most laps and win the race.”

Fellow Nationwide competitor Michael Annett is right there with Ragan as far as wanting to win in his local short track event. He will compete at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Battle at the Barn, an indoor carting event this weekend that also includes another fellow racer Kenny Wallace.

Annett, Nationwide driver for Richard Petty Motorsports, will compete locally in the 360 and 390 clone classes, as well as the 20-lap feature. This is the fifth year for the Battle at the Barn, which attracts the Midwest’s best kart racers.

“This is a really cool event happening right in my back yard,” Annett said. “I’m happy Toby Kruse (the event’s promoter) invited me.”

“I have a deep appreciation for these racers working hard to fulfill their dreams,” Annett continued. “They’re good racers too.”

“I’m looking forward to competing with them and interacting with all the fans that come out.”

Annett, who will be warming up to take his seat in his Richard Petty Motorsports Nationwide car, will participate in an autograph session in the Jacobson building prior to his local short track race.

January 23, 2013
2013 Sprint Cup Team Preview: Front Row Motorsports

Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE

Another day closer to Daytona and another Sprint Cup Series team to preview for 2013. Up on the docket today is the three car operation of Front Row Motorsports which will be fielding cars for drivers David Ragan, David Gilliland, and Josh Wise in 2013. All three drivers ran for the team in 2012

David Ragan

Ragan will return in 2013 for Front Row Motorsports, piloting the #34 Ford Fusion once again. Crew Chief Jay Guy will also return in 2013 to lead the team. Sponsorships for the #34 team have yet to be finalized, but Front Row did announce in December that McCall Farms and Peanut Patch will sponsor Ragan for 4 races in 2013. The 4 races will be Darlington in May, Bristol in August, Atlanta in September, and Charlotte in October. Ragan had this to say regarding the 2013 season: “There’s always a learning curve whenever something new is thrown into the mix, whether it’s a new driver, new crew chief, new car or new team members. We have a new Ford Fusion for 2013, which I’m really excited about, so it will be really important and really helpful that all the other variables aren’t changing. My crew chief, Jay Guy, and I built a great working relationship last year and that will help us be better this coming year.”

David Gilliland

As the most senior member of the Front Row Motorsports organization, Gilliland returns for his fourth year driving for the team. Once again, he will be driving the #38 Ford Fusion with Derrick Finley also returning as crew chief for the team. As with Ragan, sponsorships for Gilliland’s Fusions have not been finalized, but announcements are expected soon. Gilliland expressed excitement for the upcoming 2013 campaign, stating: “I’m excited to start my fourth year with Front Row Motorsports. We’ve gotten better each and every season and I’m eager to get the season going with Derrick (Finley) again. Bob Jenkins has put a lot into this team since he started with a part-time team back in ’05. He’s growing it the way he should and the results are showing.”

Josh Wise

Wise will once again run a part time campaign in the #26 Ford Fusion for Front Row Motorsports in 2013 with sponsorship from MDS Transport, but is expected to run more races in 2013 than he did in 2012.

Look for Ragan and Gilliland to try to improve on their 2012 seasons in 2013 and look for both drivers to run well at the restrictor plate tracks, which gave Ragan and Gilliland their best finishes

January 10, 2013
David Ragan’s 2013 Will Be The Year of Motivation

Photo Credit: Gary Buchanan

While 2012 has been a year of change for NASCAR driver David Ragan, including getting married in the off-season, 2013 will be the year of motivation for the 27 year old behind the wheel of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Fusion.

“We’ve had a lot going on and it has been busy,” Ragan said. “We got married, Jacquelyn (Butler) and I, on December 15^th.”

“We got to go to St. Lucia on our honeymoon for a few days and enjoyed that,” Ragan continued. “And then we spent Christmas and New Year’s with our family back home.”

“Being able to celebrate our marriage with our close friends and family is what I will remember most from the wedding,” Ragan said. “With the racing schedule we have, we are on the road and don’t get to see our family much.”

“So, getting to see my family and Jacquelyn’s family all in one place was probably the biggest thing that was enjoyable.”

“So, we’ve had a good off-season and it’s gone by extremely fast,” Ragan said. “But we’re happy the New Year is here.”

In 2013, the year will be all about motivation, as well as preparation for Ragan and his team, who have been working on their new race cars literally non-stop.

“Clearly the guys at the race shop have been working extremely hard getting these race cars, the 2013 Fusions, ready to go,” Ragan said. “I think most people don’t realize the amount of work and long hours that the guys at the shop are putting in over the off season.”

“We can take a few weeks off but the guys who work at the fab shop and our body hanging department, I think they got Christmas day and New Year’s Day and other than that, they have been working every day and even on Saturdays,” Ragan continued. “There are a lot of hours going into these new cars.”

“We’ve had good meetings to improve our race cars and this is giving a small team an opportunity to build new race cars and freshen our equipment,” Ragan said. “In the past, we haven’t done that so we feel like we’ll be more competitive going into 2013.”

Ragan is also trying to ensure that he himself is a motivator, particularly in the New Year. And he wants to not only motivate himself but also every single member of the race team and in the race shop.

“I think the biggest thing that drivers like myself and teammates David Gilliland and Josh Wise can do is be with the team and be motivators and cheerleaders and just try to be supportive,” Ragan said. “We try to come up with new ideas to with the parts and pieces on the race car so we can make our cars better.”

“During the racing season, you have every weekend to be at another race which keeps everybody motivated,” Ragan continued. “But during the off season, you have to set goals and have something to look forward to or you can kind of get lost in that period of time.”

“I haven’t taken my tool box up yet, but I do go to the shop, show interest and keep any eye on how things are progressing.”

Ragan is also motivated to not only test the new car on the track but to also get a first hand read on how the fans will react to the new car.

“I haven’t tested the current model yet,” Ragan said. “We’re looking forward to having a car at Daytona and at Charlotte in a couple of weeks.”

“As we build these cars, we just have to take our time and do it right,” Ragan continued. “We’re building these cars to the best of our abilities and will make sure they are fast.”

“I think we will be fast with a little bit more downforce and overall a little lighter,” Ragan said. “So, that equals more speed and I think the cars will be a lot of fun.”

“And the cars look great,” Ragan continued. “They look like a race car and they look cool so that is excellent.”

Ragan acknowledged that he also hopes the new race cars will be motivating when it comes to selling them at the dealership. And he also feels strongly that the new car is just plain important to the sport.

“I think it’s important for the fans to have a sense of relationship with the cars we are racing on the track and those they can buy at the local Ford dealership,” Ragan said. “This is the National Association of Stock Car Racing.”

“We’re not racing an Indy or open wheel car,” Ragan continued. “Our cars are steel. They have a stock appearing look to them.”

“That’s something that goes back to the roots of when NASCAR was conceived,” Ragan said. “So, I think the die-hard, core fans are going to appreciate that and the new fans coming to the sport will appreciate that as well.”

“The fans are excited and the manufacturers are excited,” Ragan continued. “And me, having our Ford dealership down in Georgia, it’s cool.”

“You can see the Ford Fusion sitting on the lot and it looks a lot like the race car we’re going to be racing, so, that’s pretty neat.”

Ragan admitted to being most motivated to address three of his biggest challenges in 2013. And if those three challenges are addressed, Ragan admits that then his motivation will be all about getting to Victory Lane.

“I think three things we need to do a better job to make the next step is to cut our DNFs back, to zero or one, we need to qualify better and we need to be better on pit road,” Ragan said. “If we can eliminate some DNFs, qualify better and the pit crew steps up a bit, there are those three or four positions that we need to be ahead.”

“We realize we are still a growing team and a building team,” Ragan continued. “But it would be great to get Front Row Motorsports their first win and I think we can do it at a couple of races throughout the season.”

“If we can put ourselves for consistent runs and have a chance to win some races, then that would be a successful season.”

Ragan is also motivated by his two teammates, full-time driver David Gilliland and part-timer Josh Wise. And he is most motivated by his sponsors, both new and repeaters such as McCall Farms Peanut Patch.

“We’ve all got a great relationship,” Ragan said of his teammates. “I’ve known David Gilliland through being a part of the Ford Racing family years ago when he was at Yates and I was a newcomer.”

“I knew who Josh was and watched him run some open wheel and Nationwide races and got to talking to him,” Ragan continued. “And I realized that he lived five houses down from where I lived and our back yards adjoined each other.”

“We’re all trying to grow our organization slowly and deliberately each year,” Ragan said. “We want to be smart how we do things.”

“Our owner has a great game plan and we all contribute to that effort.”

“The Peanut Patch and McCall Farms were a great partner last year and saw some good return,” Ragan said. “So, they will be on the car in 2013 for three or four races.”

“We hope that some others will join in as well to announce in the next few days,” Ragan continued. “I think we really want that one full-time sponsor to take the heart of the schedule but we are fortunate that our owner can subsidize some of our races through the Taco Bell and Long John Silver brands.”

“So, we have some good partners and we hope to continue to grow that and to attract a few more,” Ragan said. “That would certainly help us get to the next level, the top ten or fifteen, on a regular basis.”

But most of all, Ragan is motivated by working hard, having fun and the story that he hopes to one day be able to tell.

“Just a few years ago, there was not even a Front Row Motorsports team in Sprint Cup,” Ragan said. “So, in that short time, they’ve done a lot.”

“We’ve had a lot of fun being a part of it,” Ragan continued. “I feel like I have a lot more time to help these guys get to the next level.”

“That would be a great story to sit back one day and talk about how we achieved our goals and had a lot of fun at the same time.”

“But I’d say 2013 will be the year of not giving up and working hard,” Ragan said. “We have a lot of motivation to get on the track and have some fun.”

January 7, 2013
Front Row Motorsports Says Bah Humbug to Sponsorship Struggles

[media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]While many top-tier NASCAR teams are facing the loss of major sponsorship dollars, Front Row Motorsports has managed to not only weather the storm but to attract even new sponsors to their program.

In fact, FRM has been so successful at attracting new sponsors to their company that they were named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States, ranking 800 on the list. They were also the first NASCAR Cup team ever to make that prestigious list.

“All of the headlines now seem to be focused on sponsorship woes,” Mike Laheta, Director of Marketing and Business Affairs for Front Row Motorsports, said. “We are finding sponsorship dollars in a time when a lot of the garage area is struggling.”

“I think it’s a nice opportunity for our race team to be recognized,” Laheta continued. “The Inc. 5000 recognition is a great way to be able to get on a ‘good’ list that gives you credibility in the marketplace.”

“Being named to the Inc. 5000 is certainly a victory for us off the track and shows that we are capable of winning in corporate America,” Jerry Freeze, General Manager of FRM, said. “It’s a nice way to be recognized for our hard work and resiliency.”

Front Row Motorsports, fielding the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland, has garnered twelve new primary sponsors this season alone, including the likes of Glory Foods, ModSpace, Maximum Human Performance, Scorpion Coatings, Barrett-Jackson, House-Autry Mills, Big Machine Label Group, Classic Media (Where’s Waldo), Green1 Performance, Peanut Patch, 1-800LoanMart and US Shredder and Castings Group.

“We’ve not only added the twelve new partners this season but we are now working on next year’s renewals, with expectations of turning them into even bigger programs,” Laheta said. “We’ve not only weathered the storm, but prospered through that rough time.”

“And we’re really starting to see some growth now.”

To what does Laheta contribute the success of Front Row Motorsports, both in the sponsor marketplace, as well as in their recent honor?

“We’re old school,” Laheta said. “We get on the phone, cold call and send out emails, sometimes hundreds a day.”

“We just try to get meetings with people,” Laheta continued. “Our biggest goal is to get someone to hear us out and from there, all we ask is that they try a race with us and let us prove that NASCAR is all it is cracked up to be.”

While Laheta has worked on creative promotions, such as ‘Race Cars and County Stars’, he also advises that race teams do not have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to sponsorship opportunities.

“We’re selling them on the sport and our full turn-key activation program,” Laheta said. “We can build a program from the ground up and are nimble and efficient.”

“We’ll listen and we’ll talk to anyone,” Laheta continued. “We believe that NASCAR can work for anyone, if you put the right program in place.”

Laheta did acknowledge two keys to their sponsorship success, including access on the track and business off the track. But he also credits the hard work and commitment of his team drivers to the growing success of their sponsor program.

“When we bring prospects or even new sponsors to the track, we give them the entire access, not just the track and driver access, but we take them around the sponsor areas and show how they can activate their own sponsorship roles,” Laheta said. “It all depends on what a sponsor is looking for.”

“We are honest and upfront with our sponsors and share where we are in the points,” Laheta continued. “We have great drivers but we position ourselves as a top-20 team.”

“Companies get involved in the sport in many different ways and sometimes it is more about the business relationships than in being in Victory Lane.”

“Our drivers go out of their way to do an appearance, do a golf tournament, and to sell the sport,” Laheta said. “For example, we asked David Ragan to attend a sales meeting, a two and half hour driver for a half hour appearance, and he did it and stuck around three times longer than anyone ever expected.”

“We have really passionate drivers who want to succeed on the track and also work with our partners off the track as well.”

In spite of the economic challenges all around that are facing the sport of NASCAR, Laheta sees the glass as definitely half full when it comes to seeking sponsorship for Front Row Motorsports. And he is definitely enjoying the challenge.

“For me, this is fun,” Laheta said. “I’m a young guy and I’m an entrepreneurial person.”

“Here at Front Row, I see the opportunity to really build a sponsorship base,” Laheta continued. “The company is growing, we are doing better on the race track and we are showing that we are getting where we want to be from a performance and business stand point.”

“To be a part of that is an exciting opportunity is great for a person like me.”

And at the end of the day, Laheta firmly believes, as evidenced by his company’s most recent honor, that sponsorship is attainable even in tough economic times.

“You can build a program with the right message that can show a return,” Laheta said. “Any company out there is willing to spend money if they are going to make money.”

“The challenge is being able to show that return,” Laheta continued. “When the economy was booming, everyone wanted to be a part of NASCAR. But some didn’t have goals or objectives.”

“But when the economy went bad, some questioned those expenditures and cuts were made,” Laheta continued. “It really makes all of us just work harder to prove that NASCAR is worthwhile for sponsors and is working as a sport.”

“We are selling sponsorship and raising corporate dollars in a time when very few teams are,” Robin Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer for Front Row Motorsports said. “It’s not a negative that companies are placing more scrutiny on their budgets.”

“It just forces us to be smarter with how we go about building and executing our programs.”

September 3, 2012
David Ragan Talks Talladega, Darlington and Just Plain Going Nuts

[media-credit name=”www.davidragan.com” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]David Ragan, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, has had so much going on, from an intense run at Talladega to his upcoming race at historic Darlington, that no one would be surprised if the young driver was also going just plain nuts.

After a scorching weekend at ‘Dega, where drivers not only battled heat in the race car to heat in their engines, Ragan managed to escape relatively unscathed to score his first top ten of the 2012 season.

“That was a track that we had circled at the beginning of the season and a track that I’ve performed well as has Front Row Motorsports,” Ragan said. “At restrictor plate racing, when you run in a pack and when you can draft with other cars, it puts everyone on more of an equal playing field.”

“I felt like if we went down and didn’t make any mistakes, we would have a chance for a top-10 and that’s exactly what we did,” Ragan continued. “It was good to get a top-10 finish and hopefully we can improve on that for the rest of the year.”

Ragan certainly seems to have a knack for the superspeedways, a talent that has enabled him to keep his cool in spite of the craziness that often ensues at restrictor plate tracks.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to drive some good race cars over the years, with Ford engines and Roush prepared cars,” Ragan said. “You have to be patient and not push the issue.”

“You have to make the best decisions possible and we’ve always been able to come out of the superspeedways clean.”

Ragan recognized that some drivers were driven a bit batty by not only being back in the pack but also by trying to manage their temperature and pressure gauges.

“I think there were some issues with overheating and you just had to manage them,” Ragan said. “We were all fighting the same issues, all 43 cars.”

“It is annoying and it is frustrating,” Ragan continued. “But it’s just another element that makes NASCAR racing what it is.”

“I’m partial to the pack racing,” Ragan said. “I think it’s more fun for the fans.”

“I have an open attitude either way but I am partial to the pack racing because I’m a fan and that’s what I’d like to see.”

With the pack in back of him, Ragan is ready to tackle the track dubbed ‘Too Tough to Tame’ this weekend.

“I think we need to finish on the lead lap,” Ragan said of his Darlington plans. “We need to race the race track and run our own race. I think a top-15 to a top-20 would be a solid day for us.”

Ragan also fully plans to let himself go just a little nuts at Darlington for the race weekend. He will have Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts as the primary sponsor on his car for the historic Bojangles Southern 500.

“McCall Farms, with their division the Peanut Patch, is going to take a dip into the NASCAR world and be the primary sponsor on the No. 43 car,” Ragan said. “I grew up in Georgia where there were a lot of peanuts planted near the cotton. So, I’m a big boiled peanut fan.”

“They’re located right down the road from the race track,” Ragan continued. “They have a lot their employees that are going to be coming to the track.”

In addition to the peanuts, a definite concern at the race track for those who are superstitious, Ragan will also be driving a green race car, a color that again is one that is shunned by most. But neither seems to both the young driver in the least.

“I’m not a big superstitious guy but maybe if they see us in their rear view mirror in the peanut car, they’ll get out of our way,” Ragan said.

For any fans that want to join Ragan in going nuts this weekend, the Peanut Patch is running a special promotion on Front Row Motorsports Facebook page. All fans have to do is upload a video stating whey they want to “Go Nuts for David Ragan.”

“I haven’t seen any of the videos but I’ll have to check it out for sure,” Ragan said. “I don’t know who has the final say but I’m sure I can check it out and then hopefully influence whoever that’s going to be.”

Ragan is also balancing his nutty schedule on the track with his many off-track activities. The young driver is involved in everything from volunteer work with the Shriners to some old fashioned asphalt racing.

“I just completed one of the final steps in Free Masonry to become a Shriner,” Ragan said. “So, hopefully by summer we will be an official Shriner and a member of the Oasis Temple here in Charlotte.”

“We’ll also be at the Summer Shoot Out at the Shrine 100 in August.”

“We’re in the process of putting together another asphalt late model to do some racing around the southeast later in the year,” Ragan said. “I’ll drive and we run a young kid from Texas Andy Hogan and his next race is in Huntsville, Alabama next weekend.”

Ragan freely admits that his season has been a bit crazy to date. But in order to combat that, Ragan said strongly that consistency is the key.

“The season’s been OK,” Ragan said. “I’d give us a B minus.”

“We need to be more consistent,” Ragan continued. “We’ve been able to achieve some of our top 20 goals but we can certainly be more consistent.”

“And as long as we can keep getting better, that’s a good thing.”

Ragan fully intends to capitalize on his seventh place finish at Talladega with another good run at the ‘Lady in Black.’ And if he wins, Ragan predicts all kind of going nuts.

“We were all happy to get that good run at Talladega,” Ragan said. “But we need to continue to expect to get those good finishes.”

“You’ll see us get real crazy if we’re able to catch the checkered flag for one of these races.”

May 9, 2012
Aaron’s 499 Review: Talladega Puts On a Show

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photography, Inc.” align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]When NASCAR comes to Talladega it’s almost like playing the lottery; you never know who is going to win, but it’s still fun to gamble. Jeff Gordon started on the pole with last year’s champion Tony Stewart on the outside pole. The race was delayed for about 30 minutes due to rain that flooded the track overnight, but once the race got started it was an entertaining show.

Overheating started out early on Lap 16 when Regan Smith blew an engine to bring out the caution flag. Tony Stewart, who was leading when the caution came out, got off pit road second to Matt Kenseth. Kenseth was able to hold the lead until Lap 26 when Michael Waltrip took his No. 55 Toyota to the lead.

The overheating woes continued on Lap 44 when Ryan Newman took his car to the garage when water began to pour out of his windshield. The top three drivers under this caution were Waltrip, Kenseth, and Stewart. At Talladega a driver can go from the rear of the field to the front instantly with the help of the two car tandem and that’s exactly what Jimmie Johnson did on Lap 46 with the help of his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch.

Kenseth took the lead in his Best Buy Ford on Lap 53 with Jeff Gordon in tow. Around this time is when Johnson reported to the team that his engine was blowing up due to overheating. After green-flag pit stops on Lap 58 Earnhardt took over the lead from Kenseth for about 20 laps, until Earnhardt lost the draft and dropped back to 15th position. Approximately 50 laps into the race Kasey Kahne was forced to make a spotter change. His interim spotter Kevin Hamlin was suffering from laryngitis at the time and eventually lost his voice. The No. 5 team replaced Hamlin with Joe Nemecheck’s spotter to finish the race.

From 80 laps to go on, the leader of the race changed almost every ten laps. The drivers exchanging the lead were Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kenseth, Casey Mears, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch. Busch caught a big break on Lap 141 when his car ran out of fuel just as caution flew on the race track. In Turns 3 and 4 the big one struck involving Landon Cassill, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Juan Montoya, Terry Labonte, Aric Almirola, and Dave Blaney. Under this caution Kenseth and Ambrose were penalized for pitting too soon. Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte also pitted too soon after running out of fuel.

Paul Menard led the restart with Keselowski on his outside. Keselowski took the lead with 39 to go. Mears spun his race car in Turn 3 to bring out a caution with 15 laps to go. During this caution Stewart brought his car down pit road for overheating issues. The cautions continued when former teammates Keselowski and Kurt Busch got together, sending Busch spinning through the infield.

As the field attempted to restart, another caution flew once again. Hamlin jumped out of line to try and make it three wide down the middle. Allmendinger blocked Hamlin and started another big wreck. Menard, Kevin Harvick, and Waltrip were also involved. Just before the restart Hamlin blew a tire causing the caution to be extended for debris on the track.

The race was settled by a green-white-checkered finish between Kenseth, Keselowski, and Kyle Busch. Keselowski pulled ahead by three car-lengths over the field to win his second race at Talladega.

[media-credit name=”articles.boston.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Kurt Busch, or Should I Say “Ricky Bobby”?

Kurt Busch’s paint scheme for Talladega looked very familiar to race fans, and even non-race fans. Busch ran the colors of “ME” from the popular movie “Talladega Nights”. Not only did he run Ricky Bobby’s paint scheme, his entire team took this role to a whole different level. The team referred to Busch as “Ricky” over the radio and quoted the movie throughout the entire race. The team even carried a stuffed animal cougar named “Karen” in the racecar with them.

Busch’s race was going very well until Lap 181 when Keselowski and Busch got together, sending Busch sliding across the start-finish line. With limited damage to his race car, it looked as if Busch would be able to get back on track and continue racing. However, when Busch drove his car down pit road backwards in attempt to get to his pit stall, he was forced to pit again. This is when the fun and games ended between the team and driver, and the No. 51 car finished in 20th place, one lap down.

Fresh Faces Finish in the Top-20

After losing his Cup ride at Roush Racing last season, it was nice to see David Ragan finish in 7th position. Ragan ran a clean race and was able to stay out of trouble to keep his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the Top-10. Trevor Bayne is running a part-time NASCAR schedule this season due to lack of sponsorship with Wood Brother’s Racing. Bayne is known for being a good plate-track racer and he finished in 8th position in the Aaron’s 499. Aric Almirola is another driver who we don’t normally see at the top of the field, but was able to finish in 12th position. David Gilliland, who is Ragan’s teammate at Front Row Motorsports, finished in 13th position. Travis Kvapil, who is running a par-time schedule, finished in 16th position.

May 8, 2012
Kvapil’s future is still in doubt

Getting a job in the Sprint Cup Series is tough as it is. The economy doesn’t help either.

Travis Kvapil is a former Camping World Truck Series champion. One would believe teams would be throwing themselves at him after his departure from Penske Racing several years back at the completion of the 2005 season.

For the past few seasons, Kvapil drove for the underfunded Front Row Motorsports team. FRM is owned by Bob Jenkins, who owns a series of restaurants such as Taco Bell, Long John Silver, and other multi-million dollar businesses.

At the end of 2011, rumors swirled around the garage about David Ragan signing with FRM once he was released from his former team Roush Racing. Eventually, Ragan signed with FRM. The team also resigned David Gilliland and Josh Wise in the team’s second and third cars, leaving Kvapil without a job heading into 2012.

“That was tough, last year we didn’t have the results we hoped and by the end of the season we put some good runs together. But speaking for them, they were looking at different sponsorship opportunities and eventually landed with David Ragan and they had more sponsorship for things like that and it was a decision they made and they had to look at all opportunities and they’re definitely looking better,” said Kvapil on what made him leave FRM.

Lucky for Kvapil, a new team was forming out of the defunct Red Bull Racing shop.

Kvapil reached out to one of the new owners, sparking talks across the board as both sides were interested in working with one another.

“It all happened pretty quick, but it was a bit of a process for them,” said Kvapil. “It took longer than they expected to get everything together and we didn’t get everything going and the green light until February first, but we have great equipment and some really good people with guys that work really hard.”

It was announced that Kvapil will drive the car after the Daytona 500 where David Reutimann drove the No. 93 Toyota Camry to a 26th place finish in the team’s debut. But, it remains unclear if he will step behind the wheel for every race, or he will be replaced by Reutimann in the select races where he does not drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

“It’s not a done deal from what I’ve been told. They’ve talked to me about David Reutimann running for the team, but I think that’s still to be determined as time gets closer to those races. Hopefully, I can go out there and run competitively and have a chance of staying in the car,” said Kvapil.

But, if Kvapil is replaced by Reutimann, it could mean the partnership may last only one year, if that.

“They’ve been straight up with me from day one. They might do something with David in those races, they might not, they didn’t promise me anything that they can’t do. I knew the deal going into it so either its 26 races or the rest of the races,” Kvapil said. I’m thankful for the opportunity. They didn’t promise me more than 26 races, but there’s a possibility of running 35.”

The last time Kvapil qualified for all 36 races was back in 2008, the year he drove for Yates Racing, finishing 23rd in the standings. After the first six races in 2009, Kvapil was released from Yates as the team eventually shut down, due to sponsorship woes.

This time around, Kvapil’s situation is different, much different.

With a possibility of being replaced in several races, Kvapil has to focus on himself more than ever.

“I think it’s harder for the team to work with multiple drivers as the relationship between the driver and the team takes some time to build and you’re changing drivers then you kind of mess up the chemistry,” said Kvapil on whether or not it’s a good idea for BK Racing to split the No. 93 Burger King Toyota throughout the 2012 season.

Expectations for the new team are rather high, well at least according to Kvapil. He believes the team is capable on finishing in the top 25 on a weekly basis and eventually, making it to the top 20.

Fortunately enough, Kvapil took a car which qualified 41st and turned a bad run into an exceptional one as he drove up to 19th place by the time the checkered flag flew this past Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway. The team proved they’re at the track to run competitive and not just ‘start and park’ like many expected.

Kvapil will head into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with a renewed outlook on what it takes to run upfront. He and teammate Landon Cassill are ‘dark horses,’ but the two have much to prove.

For the entire BK Racing organization, the plan is to run the entire season with Cassill in the No. 83 with Kvapil and possibly Reutimann in the No. 93 with cars from the former Red Bull Racing team. How will they fare remains to be seen. They are off to a strong start, continuing this will easily look themselves in the top 35 in owner points by Bristol.

As a pure racer, Kvapil is determined to revamp his career once again. He is off to a strong start in 2012. His season may progress in a positive or negative way. But, it’s the chance he needed to prove he didn’t forget how to drive considering he outran both FRM drivers, Ragan and Gilliland on Sunday at Phoenix.

March 8, 2012
David Ragan’s Season of Change On and Off the Track

[media-credit id=40 align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]When the checkered flag dropped at Homestead officially closing the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the season of change for David Ragan began on, as well as off, the track.

The biggest change for Ragan was learning that his sponsor was leaving, jeopardizing his continuing relationship with Roush Fenway Racing.

And although Ragan was mentioned as the prime candidate for several open seats during ‘silly season’, his future in the sport was not secured until this week when it was announced he would pilot the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.

“My heart was at Roush Fenway Racing all year, hoping to continue,” Ragan said. “But we just couldn’t make that happen.”

“When we got back from Homestead, a lot of the guys were taking other opportunities and they laid off some employees,” Ragan continued. “So, I could see the writing on the wall that it just wasn’t going to happen.”

“The Front Row guys have always had a relationship with the Ford Racing team so with me being in the Ford camp, I knew some of them,” Ragan said. “I understood their goals and as a young team, I could see a lot of potential.”

“I had a few other opportunities on the table but those opportunities did not materialize,” Ragan continued. “So, I just stayed in touch with them.”

“In order to stay in the Sprint Cup Series and in order to stay in a Ford, it was important to sign with them for the year.”

While Ragan’s world changed dramatically, the young Cup driver acknowledged that the world, including the NASCAR community, has also dramatically changed. This is particularly true as it applies to NASCAR corporate sponsorship.

“In this day and age in the NASCAR world, you have to have some connections in the corporate community to help bring some revenue to the team,” Ragan said. “I worked as much on that side of the coin as with the teams and owners.”

“I’ve brought a lot of contacts to the team that I’ve made in the sport,” Ragan continued. “It’s something that collectively we’re going to work on.”

Ragan also anticipates another change, that of moving from one of the sport’s bigger teams to a smaller team primarily funded by the team owner. Yet he acknowledges that moving from a large to a more intimate team also has its advantages.

“Front Row has primarily been funded from the car owner, Bob Jenkin’s, side to keep it going,” Ragan said. “So, that’s going to be a big change.”

“But you’ve got a group of guys working together to run the two cars and that’s going to be better because you feel more of a personal relationship with the team,” Ragan continued. “I think there’s a lot of room to grow the Front Row team.”

“The landscape is certainly changing and the gaps between the haves and the have nots is closing up a little tighter each day.”

Another major change on the track for Ragan will be dealing with the new fuel injection in the race cars. Although he did not participate in the recent Daytona testing, Ragan feels confident that he will be able to easily cope with these changes.

“From a driver’s standpoint, there’s really not much difference,” Ragan said. “The cars drive and respond in pretty much the same way.”

“I’ve driven quite a bit of the fuel injection stuff over the past year doing testing for the Roush Yates engine department,” Ragan continued. “That’s something that will help the Front Row Motorsports team and we will utilize our Ford partnership.”

Ragan is also focused on coping with another major change on the track, that of getting to know a whole new team, owner and crew chief. And he also is in the getting acquainted stage with new teammate David Gilliland.

“I’m spending as much time as possible at the race shop, meeting the guys and learning their system,” Ragan said. “We’re starting to talk schedule and traveling and then we’ll get down to business, with set ups and cars.”

“My teammate David Gilliland ran third in the Daytona 500 and me winning the race in July, I feel like we should have a good pairing for the race,” Ragan continued. “David is a good speedway racer so it should be fun to plan out our strategy.”

“I think things are going well and it will help us that we’re in the Bud Shoot Out,” Ragan said. “That will help break the ice for the Daytona 500.”

Ragan is, however, expecting one major change, particularly at Daytona. He is predicting that tandem racing for the entire race may be a thing of the past and the pack may indeed be back.

“I expect a combination of both tandem and pack racing,” Ragan said. “The engine has been restricted so much that you just can’t have the tandem racing all race long.”

“I think you’ll see spurts of it all race long but the meat of it will most likely be pack racing with guys conserving cars to be there at the end.”

With the many changes on the track for David Ragan, he added one more change to his repertoire. This change, however, applied more to his off track activities than his racing career.

Ragan proposed to his long-time girlfriend Jacquelyn Ann Butler. They are planning for their wedding in December of this year.

“I wasn’t quite brave enough to ask her at a sporting event on the jumbotron before 50,000 people,” Ragan said. “Her and I went off for a little weekend and I was fairly traditional.”

“I got down on one knee and the good news is that she said yes,” Ragan continued. “I wasn’t going to get up until she did say yes. That was good and I was glad to have her not expecting it.”

One thing that has not changed in Ragan’s life is his devotion to his work as a Shriner. The other is his love for racing super late models.

“I’m still doing a lot of work with Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, getting our dates planned out for the Shrine Bowl at Carolina Speedway,” Ragan said. “And I’m going to race my super late model car a few times in January and run the first CRA race of the season in Georgia at Speedfest.”

“So, I’m looking forward to getting back on the track with that and then Daytona will be here before you know it.”

So, what has Ragan learned through the many changes in his life on and off the track?

“It makes you appreciate your program and your job when you have a full-time sponsor when you know your plans going into the off season and during the holidays,” Ragan said. “But this sport is so tough and there’s a lot of great drivers and teams and things are changing. The world we live in is changing and the sport is too.”

“We just look forward to a great opportunity at Front Row,” Ragan continued. “They have a great deal of potential and we look forward to taking the team to the next level.”

January 18, 2012
David Ragan to drive for Front Row Motorsports

[media-credit name=”Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images North America” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]David Ragan is no longer standing in NASCAR’s unemployment line.

It has been reported by The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter that Ragan has signed on to drive for Front Row Motorsports full time in 2012. Front Row Motorsports is owned by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins (not the ESPN commentator), who took full ownership of the team from Jimmy Means in 2005. The team had just two top-10 finishes by David Gilliland last season. One being a third place finish in the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. Also driving full time for the team last season was Travis Kvapil who didn’t fair as well. His highest finish during the 2011 season was a 16th place finish at Martinsville in October.

The Unadilla, GA native moves on from Roush Fenway Racing’s 6 car with one Sprint Cup Series win coming at Daytona last July. Ragan lost his ride with the team due to the cut back of primary sponsor UPS and was released to find another full time ride in the series.

Among the remaining unemployed Sprint Cup drivers are Brian Vickers, Landon Cassill and J.J. Yeley. It is unclear whether or not David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil will keep their rides with Front Row Motorsports this season.

Sources have said to expect an official announcement of the new deal early this week.

January 15, 2012