Ragan's Nationwide wins counter Cup Series woes

David Ragan was fifth in points and Raybestos rookie of the year in the Nationwide Series in 2007 and fourth last season. But with two victories in 2009, this has been his real breakthrough season, and it couldn't have come at a better time in his career.

Ragan's win at Talladega was his first in a NASCAR national series, and he added a second in his last outing at Bristol. They've been an across-the-board boost to his spirits in a season when Ragan has been in a slump in the Cup Series.

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"Winning definitely gives me more confidence in both series," Ragan said. "Winning is great at any level of NASCAR, and the two Nationwide wins just make me more hungry to get a win at the Cup level.

"It really means a lot to me to win at Talladega and Bristol. They are two big races for us, and I'll never forget my first two wins. Hopefully, there's more to come. It was tough to finally get the first win. We've got lots of top-five finishes, but now we've proven we can do it."

Driving a partial Nationwide schedule, Ragan also carries some momentum into Saturday's Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Ragan, 23, was born and raised in Unadilla, Ga., 120 miles south of Atlanta, before moving to Charlotte as a teenager to focus on a NASCAR career.

"It's a big weekend for me," Ragan said. "We've been very fast in our Nationwide car the last few weekends, and to win at Atlanta would be huge. Our team has learned how to finish races strong and become a major factor when it matters most. I have my sights set on Victory Lane this Saturday night."

Ragan has five top-fives and 11 top-10s in 15 Nationwide starts this year. It's a far cry from his performance in Cup, where he has one top-10 finish and is 29th in points. Ragan was a Chase contender a year ago and finished 13th with six top-fives and 14 top-10s. There was every reason for him and the team to believe he could improve on those numbers in his third Cup season.

Ragan's performances in the Nationwide Series have been the bright points in the overall season.

"It has been a breath of fresh air to grab two wins this year," Ragan said. "When we go to the track now, it's an entirely different feeling."

THREE TO WATCH

Burton

Jeff Burton, No. 29: It should come as no surprise that Burton is doing double duty this weekend. He has two wins and a third in his past three Nationwide starts at the track.

Carl Edwards, No. 60: This should be interesting. Edwards broke his right foot this week playing Frisbee, but doctors have given him clearance to race (read more). He has three top-fives, including a win, in four races. Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth will be on standby if Edwards can't race. At the very least, expect Edwards to start the race so he can get credit for the points.

Brad Keselowski, No. 88: Keselowski has two starts at Atlanta. He finished sixth last year and 25th in 2007. If Edwards' injury affects his performance, Keselowski is in position to pounce. He is third in the standings, 90 points behind second-place Edwards.

TRACK CHATTER

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "I think the lap times will be really fast on new tires but will slow down a good bit on long runs. I think there is a lot to be learned in the Nationwide race Saturday night that can apply to Sunday, like where the fastest grooves are on the track and how it changes as the temperatures drop. We'll see what everybody does and what everybody chooses to run late in the race, if they're toward the bottom groove. And you'll get a good idea how much more grip you'll see on Sunday night."

Jeff Burton: "Atlanta, to me, has dual personalities. As fast as it is on Lap 3, it really gets slow on Lap 35. The speeds fall off as the track slickens up. But, we've never raced at night before at Atlanta. During the Nationwide Series night race, there are going to be times when we are going to be close to being, if not, wide open, in race trim, which is always fast."