David Ragan (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)

Roush Racing announced today that it will field a third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 17 for driver David Ragan. A Georgia native, Ragan will drive the No. 50 Ford F-150 in the John Deere 200 on Friday night, March 17.

"Fielding a third truck in Atlanta will enable David to run in front of his hometown crowd, friends and family," said team owner Jack Roush. "It will also gain him some additional seat time in preparation for his stint driving the No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150. We're looking forward to getting David a jump-start on his 2006 schedule."

The race in Atlanta will mark the first time that Roush has fielded three truck teams in a race since the season-ending Ford 200 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2005, when Todd Kluever, Ricky Craven and Mark Martin ran the event.

After winning the first two events of 2006, Martin currently leads the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points. Rookie Erik Darnell has been the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender in both events, and currently sits eighth in the standings.

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 13 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, and Erik Darnell.