CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Ragan says there is a lot on the line for himself and his race team in Saturday night’s 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“Charlotte is home for most of the NASCAR world and this race is the only chance for a lot of the shop guys and a lot of the families to come to a race,” said Ragan who qualified seventh and raced in the top-five in the 600-mile race at Charlotte in May.
“This race is a big event. The Chase is important and deservedly gets a lot of the attention but when the green flag drops Saturday night all 43 of us are going to race hard to get the trophy just like everyone has always done in NASCAR. We are racing as hard as we ever have raced.”
Ragan’s track record is good at Charlotte. He finished second in the Coke 600 in 2011 and has posted three top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track. His Michael Waltrip Racing team won this race in 2012 with Clint Bowyer.
On Wednesday, Ragan will visit the Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, S.C., to celebrate patient Hunter Black’s seventh birthday. Black, who is battling cerebral palsy, and Ragan met in 2014 during a hospital visit.
Ragan, a Shriner since 2012, has made several hospital appearances and hosted families at tracks. Black and his family will be his guest at Charlotte on Saturday.
“We are awfully blessed in this sport to get to do what we do and this is just my way of paying it back just a little,” said Ragan.
“It’s also a lot of fun. The kids are glad to see any visitor in the hospital and when they come to the track their eyes light up when they experience all the sights and sounds of NASCAR.
“Some of these kids have overcome things that I don’t like to even think about. They are tougher than any race car driver I have ever met.”
NOTES:
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· 60th ANNIVERSARY SALE-A-BRATION: Aaron’s is celebrating its 60th Anniversary! Come take advantage of the anniversary lease rate of only $60 per month on select items until Oct. 31. Visit Aarons.com for more details.
· No. 55 CREW CHIEF BRIAN PATTIE: Pattie, 40, joined MWR in 2012 when it formed the No. 15 team-leading driver Clint Bowyer to three victories and a second-place finish in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Zephyrhills, Fla., native began crew chief duties in the XFINITY Series for Joe Nemechek’s NEMCO Motorsports in 1997 before moving to a similar role at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2004. In May 2008, he moved to the Sprint Cup Series with driver Juan Montoya. The duo earned a berth in the 2009 Chase and a win at Watkins Glen in 2010. Pattie owns four Sprint Cup and 10 XFINITY Series victories as a crew chief. The father of four is an avid golfer and supporter of the Florida State Seminoles. In June 2015, MWR paired Pattie with David Ragan on its No. 55 team.
· 55 CREW:
Brian Pattie
Crew Chief
Ryan Langley
Front Tire Changer
Chris Hall
Front Tire Carrier
Shannon Myers
Rear Tire Changer
Blake Haugland
Rear Tire Carrier
Wes Evans
Jack Man
Jeff Kerr
Gas Man
Steve Channing
Car Chief
David Cropps
Interior Mechanic
Roman Pemberton
Spotter
Brandon Pope
Engineer
Tim O’Brien
Engineer
Jeremy Sharpley
Shock Specialist
Billy Curwood
Engineer
Kevin White
Front Mechanic
Joe Zanolini
Rear Mechanic
Scott Swift
Tire Specialist
Kirk Butterfield
TRD
Tim Bruce
TRD
Stump Lewis
Truck Driver
Al Nelson
2nd Truck Driver
· CAREER STATISTICS:
MWR
DAVID RAGAN
BRIAN PATTIE
· TELEVISION
Thursday, Oct. 8
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
Friday, Oct. 9
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR America Live, NBCSN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
8 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for the Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross, NBCSN
Saturday, Oct. 10
4 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS2
5 p.m., NASCAR America Saturday, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500, NBC
11 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race, NBCSN
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1
