UPS RACING

Hello from Texas!

We got out here early on Thursday since the Nationwide Series had tech at the track. We all fly together, so all of the Cup guys had the day off on in Texas to have some fun. Some of us did have to work as David had two sponsor appearances on Thursday, but it looks like some of the No. 6 team hit the golf course. I’m not sure what the rest were up to, but the weather was beautiful for the first day of the race weekend.

Last week we were in Talladega, Alabama. That was such a stressful weekend because things happen so fast there and you never know who is going to get caught up in a wreck.  We survived right up until the end when David got bumped and took a trip through the grass. We still finished okay and actually moved up a spot in the point standings. 

We also got to have a little fun in Talladega. I’m not sure if you’ve heard stories about the infield there, but it’s crazy. The wildest fans go to Talladega and camp out for the whole week! A lot of the crew guys make an annual trip to ‘cruise the infield’ to see what’s going on inside of the largest tracks on the schedule. The Zac Brown Band played a free concert to anyone with an infield pass on Saturday night before the race. Of course it had rained all day Saturday, but it stopped by late afternoon. Event though the weather cleared, it was definitely a muddy mess. The concert was really good and David even stopped by for the start of it. He left early since he had to get up and race the next day. 

Now back to Texas. We’ve got a really cool car this weekend and everyone is excited to see it on track. We’ve gotten to visit some Boys and Girls Clubs of America locations this year on behalf of UPS, and those visits are always a lot of fun. Our paint scheme this weekend is cool with a lot of the BGCA kids’ handprints on the car. I even tried to match up my hands with theirs on the car, and I actually fit a few. I’m not sure if they’ve got some growing into their hands to do or if my hands are just small!

Well, that’s about it from here for now. Hopefully we get a good run this weekend to make up for last time. David had such a good run going in the spring, but debris got caught on the grill and overheated our car…bad luck. Here’s hoping it’s all behind us!

- Nancy

David with the 3204 SLIC at Talladega Superspeedway

Each week, the UPS ‘Maximum Center’ program recognizes a UPS operating facility or Freight Service Center for success in safety and service. Chosen facilities are recognized with its Standard Location Identification Code (SLIC) or Freight Service Center three-letter code on the wing of David Ragan’s No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion.

 

The Jacksonville South Center (SLIC – 3204) in the North Florida District was selected as the UPS Maximum Center for the race this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Out of the categories used to measure success, the center was the district’s top ranked group in eight sections.

Congratulations to all of the employees at the Jacksonville South Center for a job well done.

Jacksonville South Center Maximum Center Photos

David racing through the field on Sunday

It almost looked as if the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was going to leave Talladega Superspeedway without the dreaded ‘big one’ happening, but the key word there is, almost.

David Ragan and the UPS team were able to stay out of most of the on-track incidents that happened on Sunday, and come away from the 2.5-mile Alabama track with a 17^th-place finish.

David didn’t have much to say on the radio during the race as far as how the car was handling, so pit stops for the UPS team were pretty much routine. Most stops were just for four tires and fuel, and the team only made minor adjustments to tighten the No. 6 up just a bit throughout the race.

The majority of the race saw the 43-car field racing single file, as NASCAR announced an hour before the race that bump drafting in the turns would not be tolerated. Teams also received smaller restrictor plates for the weekend to help slow down the cars and prevent them from going airborne after contact the way they did at Talladega earlier this season.

Once the laps began to wind down, David battled inside of the top 10, and made his way up to third position until there were eight laps left in the race. At that point, drivers began to change what lane they were driving in, so the draft switched and a good portion of the field flew by the lane David was racing in, pushing him down into the 20s.

With six laps to go, the race was red-flagged when Ryan Newman’s car flipped end-over-end in turn three. His car flipped onto its roof, but Newman was able to walk away from the accident without injury.

Once the race went back under yellow, the field was set for a green-white-checkered finish. But, because drivers were beginning to run out of fuel, NASCAR called off the green flag twice, forcing David into the pits to top his UPS Ford off with fuel. He made a very quick stop in the pits and was back inside of the top 20 when the race went back to green.

As the field was coming out of turn four on the final lap, multiple cars were sent spinning across the track. David was one of the cars caught up in that mess, and was sent spinning in the grass. He was able to avoid making contact with any other cars and crossed the finish line in 16^th position.

“Our UPS Ford was pretty fast, but we were just at the mercy of everyone around us,” said David after the race. “It was just kind of a terrible race today in general. There was a lot of single-file racing, and I know it’s exciting there at the end, but what happens is NASCAR slows these cars down. They’re too easy to drive and everyone just gets kind of crazy.  It’s a shame to tear up a lot of good race cars like that, but that’s restrictor plate racing. I’m glad we only have to do it three or four times a year.”

David and his teammate, Matt Kenseth, competed this weekend with the new Ford Racing FR9 engine for the first this season. Neither driver reported any issues and all seemed to go as planned with the engine’s debut.

“The new engine performed great, and we didn’t have any issues,” continued David. “We ran cool all day and had good power with great fuel mileage. It’ll be interesting to see when those guys get back to North Carolina. They’ll look at the valve train and the inside, but from where I was sitting it was pretty good.”

David and the UPS team head back to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend for the Dickies 500 on Sunday. Be sure to check back here later in the week for a special announcement about next weekend’s race.

Routine stop for the UPS crew

David on Friday during practice at Talladega

Rain came into the Talladega early on Saturday morning, and did not clear up in time for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to get through qualifying. So, because the session was cancelled, David Ragan and the UPS team will start 28^th on Sunday as the lineup for the Amp Energy 500 is based on owner’s points.

“We were really hoping to get out to qualify today and see how the new Ford engine would perform,” said David. “Yesterday we had two practice sessions and we were able to get some drafting practice in and also make our first laps on this track with the new engine. Our UPS Ford is really good on the superspeedways, so we’re looking forward to an exciting race here tomorrow.”

On Friday, David and the team had a little issue with the rear-end of the car, but the UPS crew was able to fix the issue and get David back out on the track for the final practice of the weekend. David was able to get some great laps in during last practice, ending the session in seventh position.

Coverage for Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will start at noon Eastern Time on ABC.

Sam at work during a UPS pit stop

Sam Gibson is the front tire carrier for the No. 6 UPS team. Before leaving for Talladega, Sam took some time to talk with UPS Racing about his job at Roush Fenway Racing.

How did you get into the sport?

I knew a friend working for a different team that got me a job in 2000. Five years later, I started at Roush with the No. 6 Truck. From there, I moved over to the No. 17 Nationwide team before moving up to the No. 6 Cup team.

What’s your favorite part about being on a NASCAR team?

My favorite part would probably be the traveling and getting to see different parts of the country.

What’s your normal “run of show” during the week?

During the week I work in the shop tearing down cars, building suspensions, puttin in motors, and have pit crew practice.  When I’m not working I enjoy just relaxing and hanging out and going to the movies.

What are your normal responsibilities once arriving to the track each weekend?

Once I get to the track, I prep the tires for the race, get them to the pit box, lay them all out, and clean them. After all my work is done, I help anyone else out that may need it.

What are you responsible for during the actual race?

I’m the front tire carrier

Anything significant about the upcoming weekend?

It’s a restrictor plate track where I a lot can happen fast, but David runs really well there.

If you weren’t working in racing, what do you think you would be doing?

I would probably be a chef at a restaurant or working at an auto dealership.

Where did you grow up?

Boone, NC

What’s your favorite thing to do on an off-weekend?

On off weekends, I go to the lake to go surfing.

Something interesting about yourself?

I enjoy yoga even though the guys make fun of me about it.

Favorite Movie: Any Vince Vaughn movie

Favorite TV Show: Californication

Favorite Cartoon as a Kid: Curious George

Favorite Pizza Toppings? Greek pizza

Favorite Place to Eat? Fusion Bowl

Favorite Music: Dave Matthews, Metallica, Korn, Chevelle

Sam during pre-race with the rest of the UPS team

NEW FORD RACING “FR9” ENGINE SET TO DEBUT AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

DEARBORN, Mich., October 23, 2009 – The wait for Ford Racing’s new engine is over.

After months of anticipation, Ford Racing announced today that the “FR9” engine will make its debut under the hood of Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 DeWalt Ford Fusion and David Ragan’s No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion in next week’s Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

“I’m very excited about the debut of the FR9,” said Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports.  “All of us are anxious to see it in competition for the first time.

“Those of us who have been involved in this project agree that one of the biggest hurdles we’ve faced in making this transition to the FR9 this year has been the fact the current Ford engine is still so competitive, along with the economics of obsoleting the inventory of the current engine and parts.  This has been a tough year for us and our teams on the track, especially since we had such a strong 2008, and the priority for everyone this year has been solving the on-track performance, which has slowed down the rollout of the FR9.”

Code-named “FR9,” this new piece is the first purpose-built NASCAR racing engine to ever come out of Ford Motor Company.  Its design has been spearheaded and developed by famed engine builder Doug Yates and Ford Racing engineer David Simon.

“This puts us on a level playing field with the rest of the competition and it’s something we’re excited about working on,” said Yates, who has been involved with the project since it began three years ago.  “Right out of the box the engine is really impressive power-wise.

“We feel like it’s going to give us some advantages aerodynamically where, perhaps, we can tape the cars up more and run the engines hotter.  The oiling system is designed for a racing engine and, to this day, the current engine has done a great job for many years, but we’ve got to remember when I started 20 years ago the block was already in existence.  So a lot of things have changed,” continued Yates.  “The demands have changed.  The RPM and the power levels have changed tremendously, and to have an opportunity to have something new and move forward makes this an exciting time to be part of Ford.”

While having a blank sheet of paper to build a new engine from scratch was something the team embraced, it also meant those initial decisions had to be right.

“The biggest challenge was probably deciding on the framework of the engine – making the big decisions on port arrangement and valvetrain layout,” said Simon.  “In some cases we went and got data that we needed to make decisions, but that’s the most nerve-racking part. Once you set the course for the project and what the engine is going to look like, then you have to go with it. If you get that wrong, you’re going to be behind the 8-ball for the rest of the program.”

Some of those crucial decisions included an all-new platform for “FR9” with no carry over components or dimensions from the current production-based 351 engine.  Elements such as the induction exhaust, valvetrain, cooling, lubrication and sealing systems have all been improved for greater efficiency and performance.

“The potential of this engine going forward is far above the current engine, which is towards the end of its development curve,” said Simon.  “Another improvement with FR9 is it has been designed to improve manufacturability and serviceability, offering the engine builders savings in labor and cost.”

While the restricted version of the engine will debut next week, it has yet to be determined when “FR9” will hit the track at an unrestricted venue.  One thing, however, is for certain – the “FR9” is here to stay.

“It’s a reflection of the great effort by the Ford engineers, by Doug Yates and his people, by my guys, and a vendor or two that we consulted with.  Together they have brought cutting-edge technologies and cutting-edge thinking for casting layouts and torque loading, and for the way the stress and the fatigue will be carried throughout the structure,” said Jack Roush.  “We expect the castings to be more durable.  We expect the valve seat life and the piston life to be improved and we expect a better result from the drivetrain.  We look for decades of usefulness with the FR9.  I feel sure it will contribute greatly to our teams and to Ford’s future success in the sport.”

*Courtesy of Ford Racing

Nancy is the Account Manager for the No. 6 UPS Racing team at Roush Fenway Racing.

It’s time to hear from me again! There’s nothing too much out of the ordinary going on here in North Carolina. Talladega was a pretty good weekend for us, I knew he’d run well and he did. David’s kicking himself a little now, because if he had stuck with the bottom line at the end he probably would have finished higher than 12^th, but 12^th isn’t too bad at a place where crazy wrecks can occur. At least he got his first Nationwide win out of the way, now we just need a Cup one.

David with Pedro

Richmond came down to tire wear versus track position, and in the end tire wear won out and David wasn’t able to maintain track position. We’ll rebound back this weekend in Darlington. I talked to Jimmy (his crew chief) the other day and we’re bringing the same set up we finished fifth with last year. Hopefully we pull off a repeat….or better.

Off track things have been busy the last few weeks. David participated in a charity golf tournament the Monday after Talladega and then the next day had to do an R&D test in Rockingham.

We flew into Richmond on the Nationwide plane (they had tech at the track and went in before the Cup plane) to go to UPS Freight. We had the silver UPS Freight car under the lights at Richmond and went to visit the employees and sign some autographs on Thursday afternoon. Thursday evening David participated in an autograph session at the track on behalf of his sponsor Kraft Foods. It was a busy day!

This past week has been a little quieter for me since David took a few days out of town, but he’s back now and this morning we head down to Darlington to visit the QVC distribution center. Things are about to get crazy around here with the races being in Charlotte. There’s just a lot going on and a lot of people come into town for the race. Hopefully David races his way into the All-Star race, but if not keep voting and try to help him out!

David's pet goats

Goat update: They are still scared of me and don’t want their photo taken. Luckily it’s not just me; they like to run from everyone. David chased them out of the trees so I could get some photos to share with you guys.

 

 

David at UPS Freight

Hey race fans,

Well we had a good run last weekend in Talladega and we’re really excited to race in Richmond this weekend. Richmond is one of my favorite tracks. We got one of my first top 10s here in my rookie season and I’ve had some good finishes in the Nationwide car there too.

Richmond is a fun race for not just the drivers but also the fans to be able to kind of sit right on top of the action and really get to see a great race. And Saturday night races are a lot of fun for all of us and something we get a kick out of to race under the lights.

We’re running the UPS Freight colors on our car this weekend, and when we found out over a month ago that we were going to have a special paint scheme on the car, that certainly got everyone excited in our shop. To have UPS Freight silver colors on our Ford for the weekend is truly special. It’s awesome to represent all the employees across the U.S. that make UPS and UPS Freight what it is. We’re certainly excited to sport those colors this weekend. It means a lot to us.

We haven’t exactly had the season to date that we’ve wanted, but we’ve had a couple of engine failures and some bad luck so we’ve dug ourselves a hole. We made up a few points last weekend with a good run and stayed in the top 10 most of the race but didn’t get the finish we wanted.

Coming to Richmond, we’re really positive and there’s absolutely no reason that we can’t qualify in the top 10 and get the win with the UPS Freight car this weekend.

We’ll see you at the track.

-David

Birmingham Central Center, Alabama District

David with Birmingham Central Center

Each week, the UPS ‘Maximum Center’ program recognizes a UPS operating facility or Freight Service Center for success in safety and service. Chosen facilities are recognized with its Standard Location Identification Code (SLIC) or Freight Service Center three-letter code on the wing of David Ragan’s No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion. 

This past weekend in Talladega, the Birmingham Central Center was featured on David’s car. This Center was chosen because of its high scores for the month of March on the Alabama District Center Balanced Scorecard. Additionally, the Birmingham Central Center has ranked number one on the scorecard each month this year.  

The center team kicked off 2009 with a renewed commitment to safety and service; truly placing safety as a personal value and settling for nothing less than perfect service.

Continuous focus on safety and service resulted in significant jumps in the center’s scores and communication between the dispatch team, drivers, and pre-loaders have quickly resulted in an effective and balanced dispatch. 

Birmingham Central Center Photos