“We Expect to Be Fast” – RFK Racing’s Stage 60 Gushes Confidence Before Its Awaited Comeback

Published 02/14/2024, 8:13 PM EST

David Ragan has not been featured in a full-time NASCAR season since 2019, but the Daytona 500 still seems to work its charm over the driver. Marking his 17th attempt at the Great American Race, Ragan will be going back to his roots, where he started his Cup Series career at Roush Fenway Racing. Piloting the No. 60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, making it the team’s third entry at Daytona International Speedway.

However, David Ragan will have to make it through the qualifying sessions on Wednesday to get another shot at winning the prestigious event. Luckily for Ragan, he will pilot a brand new Mustang Dark Horse and will have an edge over the competitors. Despite being confident in his preparations and the support of the new car, David Ragan is aware of the mishaps that can play a huge factor while racing at Daytona.

David Ragan sets his sights on the main event on Sunday

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Ragan has a history with this particular venue. Back in 2011, his first Daytona win was snatched from him after a restart, but he was black-flagged. The reason cited by the officials was that he changed lanes, and thus his quest to win the iconic race was left stranded. Fast forward to 2024, and he again stares at the possibility of competing and possibly winning the race under the RFK banner.

Driving the No. 60 Ford Mustang, David Ragan is feeling confident about making it through the qualifying rounds. In an interview with Dustin Diablo, he said, “The whole time we were preparing what we know that we’ve got to qualify our way in. We don’t overlook that, we expect it to be fast, and we expect to qualify tonight. But we know that things happen, we know part failures, and we know mistakes are made.”

David Ragan isn't stressing much over qualifying and the Duels, as he has to qualify into the #DAYTONA500. In order to be efficient on Sunday, he believes the team has to look past Thursday. pic.twitter.com/iQPa38A1l0
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) February 14, 2024

“So we’re prepared to go race on Thursday, and that’s the first goal. In order to effectively plan for Sunday, you’ve got to look ahead to Friday and Saturday. While we have confidence in our race car and its ability to go fast, We certainly aren’t naive to know that crazy things can happen, and we’ve got to pay attention to details and do our job,” David Ragan further added.

A young David Ragan was picked up by Jack Roush back in 2007 and featured in his first Daytona 500. But ever since his debut, he has been chasing the long-elusive dream of winning at the Daytona 500.

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How laborious he is to win the Daytona 500!

Piloting a third entry for RFK Racing, David Ragan certainly has fulfilled life by coming to a full-circle moment. He was 20 years old and featured in his first-ever Daytona 500 race, which was also under the Roush Fenway Racing banner. For the time being, a P5 finish filled him with the confidence to take home the win next year. However, even at 38 and out of full-time racing, he still has not been able to win NASCAR’s crown jewel.

Speaking at Daytona 500 Media Day, David Ragan added, “I feel like it has been a flash of the eyes from when I was here 16, 17 years ago. Jack Roush took a chance on me as a kid to put in his premier car. I remember that first Daytona 500. I had no idea what I was getting involved in. Somehow we crossed the start-finish line in fifth that race. I kind of walked away from that first one. I thought, man, this is easy. I finished fifth in my first one. [I thought] I’ll probably win next year. Here I am, 16 years down the road, still trying to get that win.”

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In 2011, David Ragan did manage a win at the Coke Zero 400 event in Dayton. However, a win at the 500 would surely be a special one for him. One that will etch his name into history books alongside the greats of the sport.

Watch This Story – The Unmatched Legacy Of Dale Earnhardt At Daytona 500

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Written by:

Chintan Mahesh Devgania is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As someone who likes to dive deep into the sport, he often takes up less explored topics to eventually see them make their way into top stories. His report on Toyota’s young recruit, Jade Avedisian, sharing her thoughts on Late Model Racing, was an example of that.

Edited by:

Shivali Nathta

“We Expect to Be Fast” – RFK Racing’s Stage 60 Gushes Confidence Before Its Awaited Comeback

David Ragan sets his sights on the main event on Sunday

How laborious he is to win the Daytona 500!

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