For Ragan, Opportunity Means Unwillingness to Settle for Less Than Best

09-07-2006 | TruckSeries.com Report

Driving a Roush Racing truck is one of the greatest opportunities for a young driver driver hoping to make it to the top in NASCAR competition.

David Ragan, who is splitting seat time in the Roush No. 6 Scotts Ford with five-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner Mark Martin, knows that his enviable situation carries an upside and a downside.

"The pressure of being a Roush driver is just as high as it was during the 'Gong Show,'" said the 20-year-old Georgia native, who put his Ford F-150 on the pole last month at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Ragan, who started the season slowly, has recovered to post top-10 finishes in four of his most recent six appearances.

"You feel like you have to prove yourself week in and week out," he said. "Jack and his people expect the best out of you and will settle for nothing less. They go to the track full intending to win every week.

"It's a pretty spectacular operation here; they don't cut corners anywhere. It pushes you to give 110 percent every week."