David Ragan drove in his second Nextel Cup race in the fall at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and it was memorable.

OK, maybe, nightmarish is a better description.

Ragan was involved in three accidents, finished 25th and was described by Tony Stewart as a "dart without feathers." Then NASCAR wouldn't allow Ragan to drive the next week at Atlanta.

But things are different this season.

Ragan, 21, is tied for first with Juan Pablo Montoya in the Rookie of the Year standings and is 22nd in the Nextel Cup points race.

The son of former Cup driver Ken Ragan, he claims he wasn't miffed by Stewart's comments in October.

"My dad called me and I said, 'Man, that's pretty cool. At least Tony Stewart knows who David Ragan is,' " Ragan said Tuesday during a teleconference with national media. "Tony and I have talked a lot since then. He says a lot of things, and he's liable to say some more bad things about me down the road. He's one of the greatest racers that NASCAR has had, and I certainly have a lot of respect for him, but it didn't bother me at all."

Although he couldn't drive at Atlanta, Ragan did take a ride with Stewart. Ragan made the winning auction bid ($5,750) for a prerace ride with Stewart.

"It just worked out perfect where I bid on this ride and won it. I got to ride with Tony in the back of the truck for the parade lap at Atlanta . . . ," Ragan said. "Tony does great things for different charities and different groups with young kids, so it was a win-win situation. But I did tell Tony that he should match whatever I spent, and I think he did."

Ragan is hoping not to match his previous effort when he returns to Martinsville this weekend. This time, though, he will be the full-time driver of Roush Fenway's No. 6 Ford as the replacement driver for popular Mark Martin.

As if battling the popular Montoya for the top-rookie award isn't tough enough, Ragan also must follow Martin.

"Jeff Gordon could get in the No. 6 Ford Fusion and it would be tough (for him) to fill Mark Martin's shoes," Ragan said. "Mark is a guy that's kind of irreplaceable.

"I don't mind being the guy that, six, 10, 15 races into the year and everyone has been talking about Montoya or has been talking about Mark, but when you look up in the standings, hopefully, you'll see the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion there in the top 15 or top 20 and tied with Montoya for Rookie of the Year lead and say, 'Man, we haven't even talked about him all year.' That's just the way we want it to play into our hands."

Pit stops

• In 28 races at Martinsville Speedway, Gordon has recorded seven wins and 16 top-five finishes to lead all active drivers. He has an average finish of 7.536 in finishing all 28 races at the Virginia track. Richard Petty compiled the most Martinsville wins (15), followed by Darrell Waltrip (11) and Gordon.

• Martinsville is the oldest and smallest (.526-mile) track on the Nextel Cup circuit. The track opened Sept. 7, 1947, and though it had only 750 seats, the first race drew 6,103 fans. Red Byron won the first NASCAR event at the dirt track, taking the Strictly Stock race on Sept. 25, 1949.

• Brian Vickers is expected to drive Sunday at Martinsville even though he is nursing first- and second-degree burns suffered at Bristol, Tenn., when heat and fumes from a separated tailpipe entered his cockpit. Vickers finished the race, then requested medical attention.

• Racing at Martinsville can be hard on a car's brakes because of the long straightaways and tight corners. "The Car of Tomorrow is different, but braking at Martinsville will never be," Kyle Petty said of Sunday's second COT race. "You've got less downforce with these cars. It will be a bit harder on the brakes and working the cooling out onto the brakes."

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gained 24 spots in the points standings in the past three races. He is 17th and will be racing on a Martinsville track where he has recorded six top-five finishes. "All I expect from my guys is that we're in the ballpark when we unload that car," Earnhardt said. "Get me in the ballpark and I'll drive that thing as hard as I can."Inside line: Paul Menard

After finishing sixth in the Busch standings last year, Paul Menard drove in seven Nextel Cup races and his best finish was seventh at Atlanta. He recently answered questions from Rocky Mountain News NASCAR reporter Jim Benton.

• If racing hadn't worked out: First, I'd be working toward getting to Cup, probably working in the Busch Series until I got a chance to go Cup racing. If racing was out of the question, I'd be working for my family's company in some capacity.

• Greatest influence: My father. He built Menards (construction retailer) from the ground up. He got his start building pole barns and has always had a tremendous work ethic.

• Person in history you'd most like to meet: Keith Moon, the drummer from the Who. He died in 1978.

• Changes you'd make in Nextel Cup: More races and less of an offseason. I would also take Cup races to Mexico and Canada.

• Favorite music: Hard rock.

• Most famous person you've met: Donald Trump.

• Childhood hero: Mark Martin.

• Last book you read: Idiot's Guide to NASCAR Racing . . . just kidding.

• Biggest vice: It would be not getting up in the morning. I love to sleep. I hate going to sleep at night, but once I'm there, I hate waking up in the morning.

• Beach or mountains: Both, depending on the time of year and the weather.

bentonj@RockyMountainNews.com

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