David Ragan Confident in RFK's Speed Heading Into Daytona 500 Qualifying

David Ragan is back at Daytona International Speedway driving a Ford for a team that bears the name of Jack Roush. It truly feels like all is right in the world.

“I feel like it has been a flash of the eyes from when I was here 16, 17 years ago, you know, as a 20-year-old," the now 38-year old driver said at Daytona 500 Media Day. "Jack Roush took a chance on me as a kid to put in his premier car. I remember that first Daytona 500. I had no idea what I was getting involved in. Somehow we crossed the start-finish line in fifth that race. I kind of walked away from that first one. I thought, man, this is easy. I finished fifth in my first one. [I thought] I'll probably win next year. Here I am 16 years down the road still trying to get that win."

While he's still looking for that first Daytona 500 win, Ragan didn't mince words. He is excited to drive a car that has a Roush Yates engine in it, and he is elated to be partnered with a team on a massive upswing, evidenced by Chris Buescher winning three races and both of the organization's full-time entries making the Playoffs last season.

During his Media Day session, Ragan detailed that his talks with RFK Racing to join the organization as a part-time driver in the No. 60 entry began toward the end of the 2023 season as BuildSubmarines.com expressed and interest in having a presence in the Great American Race. Ragan couldn't pass up another opportunity to win NASCAR's biggest race.

“This is just a special race," Ragan emphasized.

Ragan continued by saying many races are special, but there is only one Daytona 500.

"I would love to go run some short tracks. I love short track racing. Atlanta Motor Speedway is my hometown track, but the Daytona 500 is a race that it's special to be here in February," Ragan said. "Even if I wasn't racing, I think it's just second nature to come to Daytona in February to be here for Speed Weeks."

While so much about Ragan's 2024 Daytona 500 bid in RFK Racing's Stage 60 entry feels right, the driver and team will need to execute in qualifying on Wednesday night. If they don't, their hopes for making the Daytona 500 field will rest on Thursday's unpredictable Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races.

While Ragan admits there are nerves heading into qualifying, he feels if he and his team dot all of the i's and cross all of the t's, they should be set to compete in The Great American Race.

"Yeah, there's always some nerves," Ragan stated. "We just want to execute. We feel like we've got enough speed with our Dark Horse Ford Mustang that we'll be in really good shape to be one of those top couple of cars that are locked in on speed."

While he's confident, Ragan certainly doesn't ignore the intangibles that crop up in motorsports quite often. Ragan knows if anything pops up during his qualifying run, the margin will be razor-thin between being one of the two Open cars that lock in on Wednesday or being one of the four that will battle for the remaining two positions in the Duels on Thursday.

"But you just never know when you might have something go wrong, and the wind is always a big factor here at Daytona," Ragan stated. "Certainly in the evenings. You catch a different wind gust going down the back straightaway, and that's a tenth or a tenth and a half. That could be the difference in qualifying fifth or 12th. It's the little things. I have to hit my shifts. I have got to do the things that I need to do leaving pit road. Our guys have to make sure we get through tech and we don't have any issues. Yeah, there are some details we have to manage, but we feel pretty good about it."

If Ragan and the No. 60 team fail to lock their place in the Daytona 500 field in Wednesday night's qualifying session, the Georgia native would prefer to be in the first of two Duel qualifying races.

“The trends make you believe that you generally have one duel that kind of goes green flag and everything's smooth, and then you have another one that they generally start pushing a little bit more and have a couple of cautions," Ragan explained.

"Generally you see that first one roll off a little smoother. I don't know if it's the later in the night or if the drivers get a little more confident and some mistakes are made that second one," Ragan questioned. "So I hope I'm in the first duel.”

If Ragan and the No. 60 team can check the box of making the Daytona 500 field, the driver will then set his sights on avenging his bitter defeat in the 2011 Daytona 500. In that race, Ragan held the lead on a late restart but was black-flagged for changing lanes before the restart, which ended his quest to win that race.

Photo Credit: Craig White, TobyChristie.com