Ragan not worried about replacing Martin in series

David Ragan certainly didn't take the easy route to his Nextel Cup career.

It started in September 2006 at Dover, where he qualified for his first Cup event, only to crash out 43 laps in and finish 42nd. Then a month later, there was another learning experience at Martinsville where Ragan finished on the lead lap but took some harsh criticism from Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart, who compared the then-21-year-old to a dart without feathers.

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David Ragan

Career Stats

	Cup	Busch	Truck
Races	7	13	29
Wins	0	0	0
T5	1	0	1
T10	1	0	8
Avg. St.	38.0	25.6	18.8
Avg. Fin.	26.3	28.1	20.1

"When I first heard that, I think my dad called me. I said, 'Man that's pretty cool, at least Tony Stewart knows who David Ragan is,'" Ragan said with a laugh. "Six months ago I was a kid wanting his autograph; now he knows who I am."

The rest of the NASCAR world knows who Ragan is as well.

The driver was handed the keys to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion, where he finds himself replacing one of the most successful drivers in Nextel Cup history in Mark Martin. As if that wasn't enough, as a rookie he is compared to other rookies this season, a short list that contains an Indianapolis 500 winner in Juan Montoya. Wherever Ragan turns, he's being compared to champions, something the driver doesn't mind one bit.

"I think it has been tough," he said. "Jeff Gordon could get in the No. 6 and it would be tough to fill Mark Martin's shoes. Mark is a guy that's kind of irreplaceable.

"But that fits our style just fine. I don't mind being the guy, six, 10, 15 races into the year, everyone's been talking about Montoya, been talking about Mark, you look up in the standings, hopefully you'll see the No. 6 there in the top 15 or top 20."

The 2007 season started out with a bang for Ragan. He finished fifth in the Daytona 500, and followed that up with a 16th-place finish at California Speedway. He's hit a bit of wall recently though, with a 37th at Las Vegas, a 33rd at Atlanta and a 25th last weekend at Bristol, which saw the driver spin numerous times during the 500-lap race.

Through all of it, Ragan says he's getting the hang of Nextel Cup racing, and credits crew chief Jimmy Fennig with that. (Continued)