An in-depth look at David Ragan and how he might work on your fantasy NASCAR team for 2008.

“We had a rookie out there that was kind of a dart with no feathers out there.” That was Tony Stewart’s assessment of David Ragan’s first Cup race in 2006. After a full 2007 season under his belt, Ragan is quickly gaining respect at NASCAR’s top level. That ascent will continue in 2008 as he looks to take advantage of Roush Racing’s top notch equipment.

Considering the circumstances, Ragan was bound to struggle in 2007. He had two prior Cup races, one being featherless dart debacle at Martinsville. He inherited the famous #6 car from the very legend that made the car famous, Mark Martin. He was also driving for one of the top teams in NASCAR, Roush Racing, that had won 33 races and 2 championships from 2003-2006. Few drivers would instantly flourish in that setup.

Despite the long odds, Ragan showed why Jack Roush picked him for the #6 car. A top five in the Daytona 500, a great 3rd place showing at Richmond and a 23rd place finish in the points. Ragan also finished 5th in the Busch series on his way to Rookie of the Year.

Ragan’s biggest downfall in 2007 was wrecks. His 22 crashes were most in Cup in 2007. For reference, the median number among drivers was 12. He only had 4 DNF’s, but the crashes played a major part in his 13 sub-30 finishes.

2008 presents lots of reason for optimism for Ragan. The high crash number is bound to come down with more seat time. More experience also means he’ll be in better position to take advantage of Roush’s equipment. Last year was a subpar year by Roush’s normal standards, but this year should see improvement. The company has always had strong speedway cars and with the full transition to the CoT, their expertise will come to the forefront more than last year. For Ragan, that could mean large improvement. Last year he only led 2 laps and had a mere 16 lead lap finishes (interestingly more than fellow rookie Juan Pablo Montoya). Both of those numbers should spike. The intermediate program is often the toughest type of track for a rookie anyway, so better cars and more experience in year two is a good combination.

In his short time, Ragan has already proven a quality restrictor plate race. Beyond his 5th and 12th places runs at Daytona, he also had a 17th at Talladega, plus a 4th place in the Talladega Busch race. While some people will say plate racing is a lot of luck, it is a pretty unique discipline that requires patience, finesse and the intelligence and vision to avoid developing wrecks. Besides, what race doesn’t involve some level of luck? It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Ragan run well right out of the gate at Daytona. Other places that he could stand out at include Texas, Charlotte and Fontana.

When it comes to analyzing David Ragan, the biggest thing to remember is that he’s 22. He had two top fives in 2007, and doubling that tally is realistic. The competition will increase the higher he climbs on the track, so wins and challenging for a Chase spot is a little premature. More reasonable goals would be 4 top 5’s, 6-7 top 10’s and improving on his 15 top 20’s. A top 20 final point standing is definitely within reach. The progress will come in 2008, but Ragan has already proven that he is more than a dart with no feathers.

See our complete David Ragan NASCAR Statistics.