David Ragan doesn’t know how long he’ll get to drive the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota, but he’ll relish every opportunity he can to compete for one of NASCAR’s elite teams. Front Row has loaned Ragan to JGR as the replacement for the injured Kyle Busch, who has had surgery on a compound fracture in his right leg and on a broken left foot suffered in a crash Saturday during the Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. JGR officials have not said how long Busch will be out. While no more surgeries are scheduled, Busch must be able to work pedals with both his feet because he likes to brake with his left foot. He remained hospitalized in a Charlotte area hospital Thursday. Ragan will drive the car for the next “several weeks,” and JGR officials will re-evaluate the program at some point to see if they want to give development driver Erik Jones a shot. “As far as the length of time Kyle will be out, I don’t think anyone really knows that yet,” Ragan said Thursday after a test day at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “I know for the next several weeks, I’ll be in the 18 car. I don’t know that we have really a hard time frame on it just yet. There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces and certainly it all goes back to how quickly Kyle can heal up and get back driving for them.” If Ragan can win a race, he would be eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup as long as he finishes the regular season in the top 30 in the standings. Ragan is expected to have returned to Front Row well before the Chase starts in September, creating a possible windfall for Front Row Motorsports to have a driver in the Chase.(ESPN)
AND Supposedly the plan is for Ragan to drive the car for nine races before Camping World Truck Series driver Erik Jones would take the wheel of the #18 in the May 9 race at Kansas Speedway. Ragan then would return to the #34.(NBC Sports)(2-27-2015)
