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Press Release

For Immediate Release

Front Row Motorsports Subway Fresh Fit 500 Report

Phoenix International Raceway, 1-mile oval, Avondale, Arizona

Ragan headshot
David Ragan

David Ragan, No. 34 Barrett-Jackson Ford

Starting Position: 34

Finishing Position: 25

 

David Ragan and the No. 34 Barrett-Jackson Ford team earned a hard-fought 25th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday, turning in a solid rebound performance after a disappointing outcome in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Ragan started 34th on the one-mile oval and, like many other drivers, reported his Ford Fusion was tight through the corners in the opening laps.  Crew chief Jay Guy and the MHP Pit Crew made various chassis adjustments on the car during the first several pit stops, and Ragan was running more competitive lap times by the midpoint of the race. By Lap 172, he was in 30th and continuing to gain ground.

The 312-mile race included seven caution periods with multiple accidents, but Ragan avoided trouble throughout the afternoon. The final 52 laps of the race ran caution-free, with Ragan steadily picking off positions to finish the day in 25th.

 

Comments from Barrett-Jackson team driver David Ragan after the Phoenix race:

"Getting a top-25 at Phoenix, where we knew we wouldn't be super strong, is pretty good.  It's a good start to build back up from last week at Daytona.  I think we can do better, though.  I think the car had more speed in it.  But we'll take it back and work on it based on what we've learned."

Gilliland headshot
David Gilliland

David Gilliland, No. 38 Santorum for President Ford

Starting Position: 36

Finishing Position: 28


David Gilliland finished 28th in Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500, capping off a weekend of rough-and-tumble racing for the No. 38 Santorum for President Ford team.

Gilliland started the race in 36th after a crash in final practice forced him into a back-up car for qualifying. Like his teammate, he reported his Ford Fusion was handling on the "tight" side as the race began, yet he managed to climb up to 27th by Lap 20.  Crew chief Pat Tryson and crew worked on the handling through their first three pit stops, and Gilliland reported the car was driving better.

But the positive momentum ended on Lap 119 when the No. 33 of Brendan Gaughn got loose and shoved Gilliland up into the wall.  The contact scraped up the right side of the Santorum for President Ford and knocked out the toe. Fortunately, Gilliland was able to stay out on track until the next yellow flag, when he brought the car down pit road for the MHP Pit Crew to assess any damage and make quick repairs.

The team continued to work on the car through the remainder of the race, with Gilliland lingering around the top-30 mark on the leaderboard.  The final, lengthy green-flag run gave him the opportunity to climb two more positions to cross the line in 28th. 


Comments from Santorum for President team driver David Gilliland after the Phoenix race:


"It wasn't our best weekend.  We had the wreck in practice and had to go to a back-up, and our first laps in the back-up car were our qualifying laps.  But even so, Pat Tryson and the guys -- well, actually every employee from Front Row Motorsports who was here in Phoenix --  did a great job to get that car ready. And then we had the '33' get loose during the race and put us in the wall again.  But despite the damage, we battled back, had great pit stops on pit road, and came home with the best finish we could.  I'm proud of this team's effort this weekend." 

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with ModSpace, Maximum Human Performance, Scorpion Coatings, Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland.  For sponsorship inquiries contact Robin Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer, at (704) 904-4347.

 

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Contact:

Shari Spiewak
Breaking Limits
403 Gilead Road, Suite A
Huntersville, NC  28078
Office: 704-766-9063
Cell:  704-200-1779
[email protected]