The chance for underdog teams to get that break out win allowing them to continue to race without dying for sponsorship is this weekend in Talladega. We’ve discussed the possibilities of underdog team’s winning before but in my personal opinion one team sticks out over the rest and that’s Front Row Motorsports.
This weekend Front Row will field three of their Fords, driven by David Ragan, David Gilliland and Josh Wise. Last April in Talladega another fairy tale story happened that allowed David Ragan and David Gilliland to finish 1-2 in the Aarons 499 for Front Row. This weekend they are hoping for the same exact outcome.
“If we can stay in that lead pack all day, if I don’t make any mistakes and if we have a little bit of luck, we can make the right moves again and hopefully shoot for another win” said David Ragan “It’s going to be a big race for the whole Front Row Motorsports organization going back to Talladega for a second time this year”
Although Ragan is the only driver to deliver a win to the Furniture Row Racing squad their other driver David Gilliland played a big factor in helping him do that.
“Our 1-2 finish in May was huge. I don’t think you could have a bigger day at the racetrack as an organization” said Gilliland “I’m just really proud to have been a part of it. It was a special day and hopefully we can go back and do it again.”
I can guarantee that Gilliland might not have exposed it there in that comment but if him and Ragan are running 1-2 again he hopes his teammate will return the favor. Another surprising fact to Gilliland’s name is that he hasn’t scored that elusive first NSCS win. The driver of the No. 38 has seen two top five’s at Talladega including one other top ten finish.
But this means nothing right? After all it is called a “wild card race” for a reason. In my mind though I think if history repeats itself a Front Row Motorsports driver will be standing in victory lane come Sunday.
Don’t think I’m crazy though, I say that because Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 and came back in July to win the Coca-Cola 400 at the same speedway, Daytona is also considered a “wildcard race”. If Jimmie was able to repeat himself at a super-speedway this year then Front Row Racing can do the same.
Now I’m jumping back to reality, and I will do so by using Gilliland’s final comment:
“Like they always say at superspeedways, anything can happen. I’ve been wrecked out of the race in the opening laps and I’ve come close to winning a few times. So you’ve just got to go in with a smart strategy and be prepared to adjust, depending on where you are and where the cautions fall. You’ve just got to be in position. We were back in ninth or 10th for the green-white-checkered last time at Talladega and our Roush Yates horsepower got us up to the front in those final two laps. That’s what it’s all about — just lurking around the doorway for when it finally opens and then barging through.”
