KEN  RAGAN   -   09/12/1950

a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and the father of NASCAR Cup driver David Ragan.  What many may fail to realize is that Ken Ragan was a second generation racer who brought much skill, determination and drive to all his racing efforts.  It’s those attributes that has carried over to the third generation of Ragan racing with Ken’s son, NASCAR Cup racer David Ragan.  His father, Hugh, owned race cars that raced on Daytona Beach and at the famed Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, among many others, in the 1940s and 1950s, picking up an eighth place finish on the beach in 1948.  Ragan began his racing career piloting high-speed go carts, winning the World Karting Association Championship in 1978 after finishing as runner-up in 1977.  In 1985, Ragan made it an all 

Georgia sweep of the Speedweeks pole at Daytona.  With fellow Georgian Bill Elliott on the pole for the Daytona 500.  Later that year, a serious wreck at Talladega would sideline Ragan with a neck injury.  Ken made 50 Cup starts from 1982 to 1990, mostly for his brother Marvin, but also drove in the 1985 season for Roger Hamby.  Ragan's best finish was an 11th place that he recorded at Talladega Superspeedway in 1984.  He also made five Xfinity Series starts in 1982 and 1983.  Ken traveled with his young son to all of his races with his race team and managed his career.  David Ragan won the 2011 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.  Later that same month, the Ragan family scored a second big win, when Ken was named as a 2011 inductee into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia.  After retiring from driving, Ragan worked to help establish the Legends Cars of Georgia in 1997 and in 2001 would move to Charlotte, North Carolina to manage 600 Racing, which manufactures 

1984 Daytona 500

and sponsors Legends cars around the world.  Ragan was instrumental in opening the door for many drivers to have the opportunity to race, including several current NASCAR stars.  Some info from WikiPedia

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