David Ragan No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dover Preview

NASCAR drivers are often asked which of the 23 Sprint Cup tracks is their favorite.

Fans expect the answer is either one of the short tracks like Martinsville and Bristol or the high speed tracks like Texas and Charlotte. Maybe, a restrictor-plate track like Daytona and Talladega tops the list.

To the surprise of many, the one track that often tops the drivers’ list of favorite places to race is the concrete high banks of Dover International Speedway where the Sprint Cup Series races on Sunday.

Count No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver David Ragan as one of the drivers who enjoys racing at the 46-year-old Delaware facility that’s also home to a casino and a horse track. Not only does Ragan like the challenge of Dover’s 23-degrees of banking where speeds reach 160 mph in qualifying, but he hopes he has a jump on the competition since his Michael Waltrip Racing team tested there on May 13.

RAGAN ON DOVER: “Dover is such a fun race track. The track changes throughout the day and you have to work to keep up with the changes. It’s certainly a challenge but it rewards the driver and team with the right setup. You can get out there and race and put on a good show for the fans. You have to race hard all the time at Dover or you fall down a lap. It’s just a racer’s track. I think if you ask all the drivers they’ll tell you they love Dover.”

TESTING AT DOVER: “It was a great chance for me, (crew chief) Billy (Scott) and our Aaron’s Dream Machine team to work on some things. The Michael Waltrip Racing group is really working hard on their cars trying to find that sweet spot with this new aerodynamic and engine package. We just have to find a way to produce more speed. I think we got some good information from the tire test. We are adjusting on our race car and I expect we’ll be pretty good when we unload on Friday. We are making progress. We qualified seventh at Charlotte and thought we had a really good car through practice and the first part of the 600. We lost our way in the middle of the race and got the handling back at the end. We’re getting there. As the crew and I get more familiar, the success will come. These guys have been great to work with and we have some really talented people at MWR.”

MWR PR