Darlington: David Ragan preview

Ragan on racing at Darlington Raceway:

"Darlington has been a good track to the UPS team in the past. It's a fun 500-mile race that is one of the most difficult places to pass on the circuit. Darlington has two completely different turns. Turns one and two are sweeping and you have more room to race than turns three and four. In three and four you run up by the wall and it's hard to pass. It's just a great track with a lot of history and really loyal fans. In order to pull off a win you need to finish the race with the right side of your car intact and all four tires straight. No small task at a track known for everyone receiving a 'Darlington Stripe.'"

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Darlington Raceway:

"Last time we were at Darlington we got a top-five finish, so this weekend we're bringing down the same set up from last year. Hopefully we'll unload and be fast right from the start. Darlington is a tricky place to pass so we'll have to qualify well and keep the car in one piece."

FAST FACTS

* Ragan has two prior Cup Series starts at Darlington. His best finish came last year when he qualified 15th and finished fifth.

* Ragan has competed two times in the Nationwide Series at Darlington  .
His best finish came in 2007 he qualified eighth and finished 13th     .

* The Spartanburg North Center (SLIC - 2930) in the South Carolina District was selected for the May 9 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Out of 11 Balanced Scorecard categories, the center was the district's top ranked group in five sections--Exception Scan and Injuries, International Controllable, International Packages Per Hour (IPPH) and Missed On Road + Delivery Not Equal to Destination (DNED).

-credit: rfr