Non-Chaser of Note: David Ragan

Roush Fenway driver David Ragan talks things over
with team owner Jack Roush.

When it comes to Roush Fenway drivers, David Ragan often seems to be on the outside looking in.

Ragan is the only RFR driver not in the Chase. And he's also younger and less experienced than his teammates Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth.

But Saturday night at Charlotte, Ragan managed to hang with the rest of Roush.  And he maneuvered his No. 6 UPS Ford from a 26th starting spot to a 10th place finish - and one of his best results of the season.

Ragan's run at Charlotte Motor Speedway tied his career best finish at the track. And it also marked his first top ten since the April race at Talladega.

If Ragan can manage another such race before the season comes to a close, he'll have improved on his 2009 performance.  And, more importantly, he'll give his team some needed momentum for 2011.

Behind the Scenes of Coke's Newest NASCAR Commercial

Race fans will see a whole new side of their favorite drivers as some of the sport’s biggest stars show off their singing abilities in Coca-Cola’s latest television commercial set to debut during the DAYTONA 500 (Sunday, Feb. 14, 1 p.m. on FOX).

The new spot, entitled “Harmony,” offers a NASCAR® twist on one of the most popular commercials ever – Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop,” which first aired in 1971 – as several drivers belt out the famous song, “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” while battling one another on the racetrack. In the ad, Coca-Cola Racing Family members Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart show how even the most competitive rivals can Open Happiness with Coca-Cola.

David Ragan Makes A Special Delivery

For three Daytona Beach-area race fans, a surprise knock on the door from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan and Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig put their coveted tickets for the 52nd annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 14 in their hands.

In a UPS package car, Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, visited the houses of longtime Daytona ticket holders Mike Bruno Jr., Ben Allen and Jim Barron on Tuesday with their tickets to “The Great American Race.”

In addition, both Ragan and Braig delivered goodie bags to all three ticket holders.

The special Daytona 500 ticket event with Ragan celebrates the delivery of 52nd annual Daytona 500 tickets around the world.

“It’s cool to see the fans that have been supporting NASCAR and the Daytona 500 for a number of years get excited,” Ragan said. “It’s November and they are getting excited about a race that’s in February. That shows what a big deal the Daytona 500 is. For UPS to partner and get the tickets to their rightful owners here in November, (the fans) should have something good to think about for a couple of months leading up to the 500.”

Ragan, who rode with UPS package car driver Robert Clopton, had never delivered tickets to race fans’ houses. He said the event was an eye opener.

“This is something that we will think about as we’re driving around the race track on that pace lap,” Ragan said. “You see 150,000 people up there and you wonder how each one of them got their tickets. It’s a good thing that they are pumping this race up this early. A lot of people are talking about the (Daytona) 500. It’s our biggest race of the year. It’s the first one. It’s a tone setter for the rest of the season.”

For Bruno, a Ragan fan, the delivery of his Sprint Tower seats for the Daytona 500 will be something that he always will remember.

“This is unbelievable. This sport is definitely fan friendly,” said a stunned Bruno. “We definitely look forward to it every year. My father-in-law and I have been going since Sterling Marlin won his second (Daytona) 500. It’s the highlight of the year for us – February and July.”

Check out the video here: David’s Blog: Special Delivery in Daytona UPS Racing

Fontana: Different Track, Same Story

Sound familiar?

Jimmie Johnson pulls out a win. Dale Junior's promising run ends in catastrophe. And Juan Pablo Montoya scores a top five finish.

Yup, California may have been a different track. But Sunday's race was the same old story.

Of course, there were a few small Sunday surprises - like the strong finishes of Casey Mears, David Ragan and Sam Hornish Jr. But all in all, Fontana just didn't have any shock value. (Unless you're Richard Petty and all four of your cars ended the day in a crunched up mess)

In my book, the most entertaining moments of the day were Jesse McCartney's embarrassing flub-up of The Star Spangled Banner and watching the ailing Kyle Busch get pulled from his race car.

Maybe my expectations for Sunday were too high from the get-go. After watching Saturday's Nationwide race, I was all hyped up for some head-to-head racing at every turn, a few dramatic cautions and possibly post-race fisticuffs. But instead there was just phantom debris, a mildly belligerent Kasey Kahne, and Jimmie Johnson back in the Chase lead.

Ho-hum. Let's hope the Sprint Cup race in Charlotte packs more of a punch!

Wanna Star in the Next Coca-Cola Commercial?

Coca-Cola is known for some of the world’s most iconic advertising and is turning to Facebook to find the stars of its next big commercial. The Company is taking an unconventional approach to casting the new high-profile spot, offering racing fans and people from around the world the opportunity to audition by submitting short videos through an application available only on Facebook through October 15.

The new commercial, called “Sounds of Coca-Cola,” will feature real people demonstrating their own renditions of the distinct sounds that occur every time they enjoy a Coca-Cola. Drivers Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Michael Waltrip, David Ragan and Kyle Petty appear in the video to show off their sounds of Coca-Cola and encourage fans to participate.

Check out the video!

Rockin' the All-Star Vote -- A Little Help for Race Fans

Political party affiliations be damned. This week, NASCAR fans have a much more complicated vote to cast--namely, to decide which Sprint Cup driver is All-Star worthy.

We only have until Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to cast our vote for who's in. So to help the indecisive among us, I've put together a short little voting guide for the 10 drivers who are currently leading the fan vote. And if this isn't enough, check out a search engine like Ask.com and type in the names of your pick. We fans need all the help we can get!

AJ Allmendinger: He's the king of shameless self-promotion and he unabashedly begs for votes every time a TV camera crosses his path. He's got one top five and two top 10 finishes this season. Plus, he races for The King Richard Petty, so what more needs to be said?

Bill Elliott: Awesome Bill from Dawsonville has long been a NASCAR all-star. With 44 career Cup wins, this old-school vet may be a bit long in the tooth...but he can still lay down a fast lap. Because of his past career successes, Elliott gets my vote, hands down.

Joey Logano: Boy Wonder has two top 10 finishes this season. But winning Rookie of the Year should be enough accolades for this kid. Making him an all-star so early on is definitely putting the cart before the horse.

Jamie McMurray: He's a guy that race day pundits usually pick as a sleeper to contend for the win. But so far in '09 he hasn't been able to pull it off. In fact, McMurray hasn't won a Cup race since 2007. But things could be worse--at least the #26 team has three top 10s to their credit this season.

Juan Pablo Montoya: He takes no guff and he cuts no slack. Plus, the off chance that Montoya might start a fist fight on the track is reason enough to cast your vote for the #42. If you need numbers, he's got three top 10 finishes this year.

David Ragan: Ragan scored his first Nationwide win this season, but he has yet to take the checkered flag in Sprint Cup (his best finish thus far is a top 10). Still, there's something about Ragan that's intensely likeable. Maybe it's his Unadilla accent.

David Reutimann: A pleasant surprise in the early going and a huge boon to MWR. As they say, Reutimann is The Franchise. With four top 10 finishes and one top five, surely Reutimann will pull out a win before Homestead.

Eliott Sadler: I love ol' Elliott, but I just can't get past his near crying jag when he realized he was going to lose this year's Daytona 500. It was almost as uncomfortable as watching Gilles tear up on Dancing With the Stars. But then again, he does have a top five and a top 10 finish.

Martin Truex Jr.: Any driver that can last an entire race whilst suffering from a kidney stone deserves your admiration and arguably your vote. Plus, he's finished in the top 10 three times this year. Martin's a man among boys.

Michael Waltrip: Where do I begin? He wrecks almost every time he touches the track (and usually more than once per race). But then again, he sure is funny. If it's entertainment you seek, then by all means vote Waltrip. Besides, he has managed to eke out one top 10 finish.