Underdog Ragan hoping for Talladega repeat

TALLADEGA, Ala. — One of the defining stories of the 2013 season was the popular win by Front Row Motorsports and driver David Ragan in last year’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Fast forward a year later, the team returns to the 2.66-mile superspeedway today with the mentality that they can pull off the upset again, despite being classified as an “underdog.”

Knowing the importance of a win this season under NASCAR’s new championship format, Ragan, a Unadilla native, insisted that his Bob Jenkins-owned team has what it takes to make it into the playoffs, given the right circumstances.

“Absolutely,” Ragan said of the potential to win today and likely earn a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner has every reason to feel that his team can make the unthinkable occur again. He enters this weekend at Talladega with four straight top-10 finishes, all coming with Front Row Motorsports.

“In the back of our minds we do think a little bit about if we can get that win, and that’s not just at Talladega but at any track, you’re in the Chase,” Ragan said. “That’s something we don’t want to be overwhelmed with and really think about that more than we should, but it is something that we think about and I guarantee every other team that has not got a win yet this year, they think about that too. We’ve just got to execute all weekend to try to get to that point.”

Ragan’s 15th trip to Talladega will be adorned by new sponsorship for his team in KFC Go Cup, which spawned to life after his triumph last May.

SCOTT TAKES POLE: In the debut of “knockout” qualifying on a restrictor plate track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Brian Scott on Saturday earned his first career Sprint Cup Series pole in advance of today’s race at Talladega.

In his No. 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet, Scott used his alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and technical teammates A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard to knock Tony Stewart from the top spot in his third lap around the 2.66-mile superspeedway, with a fastest lap of 198.290 mph (48.293 seconds).

“It was a team effort,” said Scott, who will make his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start today. “Big thanks to Joe Falk, Circle Sport Racing; everybody at RCR/ECR Engines. It is always a team effort to get these superspeedway poles. We had a plan from the beginning to work as a team. About seven of us in a line. (Ryan) Newman was leading it; he was the point man. And I know how that feels because I was the point man in the Nationwide car yesterday. You feel like you don’t really have a shot, but you do it to be a team player. It is awesome for everybody.”

Paul Menard qualified second, and Allmendinger, Casey Mears and Dillon rounded out the top five. The top six entries were all powered by Earnhardt Childress Racing (ECR) engines, with Newman finishing sixth.

The ECR brigade met before qualifying Saturday to discuss their strategy and execution. It worked brilliantly.

“Unpredictable” was the word of choice floating around the garage area leading up to Saturday’s qualifying rounds. As soon as the green flag dropped, cars scattered, groups connected and (some) frustration ensued.

By the end of Session 1, Kyle Busch, despite some right-side fender damage, had delivered the fastest lap — ahead of Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski. Busch was allowed to change his right-front tire, but he failed to make it through Round 2.

At the conclusion of the second round, Scott, Allmendinger, Edwards, Mears and Dillon comprised the top five. While the green flag flew for the final five-minute session, the cars stood still on pit lane until 2:20 remained, when the 12 cars began their runs.

Stewart held the quickest lap, coming to one minute remaining, but the six-car train of ECR thundered to the red and black flags to shuffle the overall rundown.

Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 30th after a frustrating run.