Interstate Batteries Racing: David Ragan XFINITY Series at Daytona Advance

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In: Xfinity Series News

Daytona Beach, Florida. While many will be traveling to this popular destination for their annual summer vacation this weekend, NASCAR drivers and teams will have a different mindset.

Daytona Beach is the site of NASCAR’s most famous track – Daytona International Speedway. At Daytona, the racing is not only intense, it’s unpredictable. But winning at Daytona comes with plenty of satisfaction for drivers who’ve added their names to the list of those who have hoisted a trophy at the facility known as the “World Center of Racing”.

David Ragan, driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in Saturday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race, is one of those drivers on the list. It was this very weekend in 2011 when Ragan conquered the 2.5-mile tri-oval, marking his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. The Unadilla, Georgia native outraced then-teammate Matt Kenseth in a thrilling green-white-checkered finish.

Ragan will be pulling double duty at Daytona this weekend, competing in the XFINITY Series for JGR in addition to his Sprint Cup ride in the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. He’ll have JGR founding sponsor Interstate Batteries on his No. 20 Toyota Camry – a sponsor he’s familiar with from his time in the No. 18 Sprint Cup Camry earlier this year while he substituted for the injured Kyle Busch.

Ragan has a total of 105 starts in his nine-year XFINITY career highlighted by two wins, two poles, 17 top-fives and 48 top-10s. One of those two wins came at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway – another restrictor-plate track on the NASCAR circuit known for ultra-high-speed drafting much like Daytona.

Though Ragan has not yet seen quite the success in the XFINITY Series at Daytona like he has in his Sprint Cup career, he has earned four top-10s in his eight XFINITY starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. This weekend will be Ragan’s first XFINITY appearance this season, and he’ll be in good hands with the No. 20 Toyota team for JGR.

With first-year crew chief Mike Wheeler calling the shots atop the pit box, JGR’s No. 20 Toyota team has earned two wins already this season with drivers Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin. Ragan hopes the team’s momentum, combined with his success at restrictor-plate tracks, will produce not only a solid finish this weekend at Daytona, but perhaps a return trip for Ragan to victory lane.

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