Crew Chief Blickensderfer, Roush Yates Engines Pick Up Three Post-Race Awards

Teamwork and patience were the key ingredients for the Roush Fenway Racing team which saw David Ragan put his No. 6 UPS Ford into Victory Lane during Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola.

Ragan captured his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory by partnering with teammate Matt Kenseth and survived late-race accidents and two attempts at a green-white-checkered finish to win and help earn his crew chief and engine builder three post-race awards.

Ragan’s crew chief Drew Blickensderfer picked up a pair of contingency awards, wrapping up the DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race Award for demonstrating the best qualifying and race effort based on finishing positions during the weekend, as well as the MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award given to the crew chief that improves the most from the first half of the race to the second half of the race utilizing the 40 best lap times.

The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provides teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

“Working this year with David and the guys, I think our mindset has gotten better throughout the year,” said Blickensderfer. “We felt like we were a top 20 team to start the year, and a top 15, and 10, and now we sit here as the winner. I think that momentum keeps building.”

Roush Yates Engines picked up the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race Award, their fifth of the season, awarded for qualifying and finishing position. Roush Fenway Racing posted its fourth win of the season, which ranks most by any team.

“The FR9 engine has done a great job,” said team owner Jack Roush. “The Ford support behind the program has never been better than we have this year. The engineers have all done a great job.”

In a race that featured 57 lead changes among 25 leaders – an all-time leader record at Daytona – Ragan led four separate times for 15 laps, including the final two.

“We made a pact with our teammate Matt Kenseth that we’re going to work together through thick or thin,” Ragan said. “Our car was fast and that’s what wins these races. I had Matt right behind us. I knew we had a good pusher. I knew we had the car to do it. Obviously Daytona is a special place for any racer. Very fortunate to get our first win here.”

“We are very fortunate to drive the Ford engines,” Ragan said. “Doug Yates, Robert, Jack have all done a nice job with our engine package where we’ve been able to run it to the limit and be aggressive. The engine ran flawless, and that’s what won the race for us.”

Ragan, who becomes the third first-time race winner in 2011 (Trevor Bayne: Daytona and Regan Smith: Darlington), is now eligible for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race next May and also now finds himself in the mix for a position in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Ragan sits 17th in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, and his victory puts him firmly in the Wild Card hunt. Current points leader Kevin Harvick leads Carl Edwards by five points and third-place Kyle Busch by 10 heading into Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway (7 p.m. EST, TNT).

Official winners of this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Prize Money & Decal Program special awards include:

AMERICAN ETHANOL GREEN FLAG RESTART:Matt Kenseth

COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Mark Martin (182.065 mph, 49.433 secs)

DIRECTV CREW CHIEF OF THE RACE AWARD: Drew Blickensderfer (crew chief for David Ragan)

GOODYEAR GATORBACK BELTS FASTEST LAP AWARD: Ryan Newman (199.252 mph, Lap 146)

MAHLE CLEVITE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE RACE AWARD: Tom Ghent, Roush Yates Engines, No. 6

MOBIL 1 OIL DRIVER OF THE RACE AWARD:Kasey Kahne

MOOG CHASSIS PARTS PROBLEM SOLVER OF THE RACE AWARD: Drew Blickensderfer, 0.617 secs (crew chief for David Ragan)

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS POSITION IMPROVEMENT AWARD: Joey Logano (34 places)

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD: Andy Lally

 

NASCAR PR