 David Ragan's No. 38 team will remember a highly decorated Navy SEAL as part of NASCAR's "600 Miles of Remembrance" this Memorial Day weekend. The camouflage-schemed Jacob Companies Ford Fusion will carry the name of Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange, who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011. The 25-year-old Philadelphia native was a Navy Cryptologist Technician based with an East-Coast SEAL team. He died from wounds suffered when his Chinook helicopter was shot down during a mission in Operation Enduring Freedom. Petty Officer Strange had numerous decorations, including two Joint Service Commendation Medals and the Joint Service Achievement Medal. "Paying tribute to the men and women of our military, especially those who paid the ultimate price for their service, has always been important to all of us in the NASCAR community," Ragan said. "The '600 Miles of Remembrance' helps each team to put a spotlight on and pay respect to one particular service member. We can share a name, a face and a story, and make it a more personal tribute. Michael Strange was a hero, and we're proud to have him riding along with us this Memorial Day weekend."  STATESVILLE, N.C. (May 22, 2017) – Warmer weather and time off from school can mean an increase in serious accidents for children, but Shriners Hospitals for Children® is trying to change that with the help of Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and David Ragan. A nationwide program encourages kids to be Superheroes of Summer Safety and to #EarnYourCape by following tips to reduce the risk of injuries during the summer months. FRM and Ragan will do their part to spread the message by entering a Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford Fusion this summer into two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races. Today, Ragan, Shriners Hospitals for Children and students of the Harrisburg Elementary School in Harrisburg, N.C., unveiled the livery of the No. 38 Ford that Ragan will race at Michigan International Speedway on June 18 and Sonoma Raceway on June 25.  David Ragan shows off the Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford with Anthony West of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Board of Trustees, Charlotte Motor Speedway mascot Lug Nut and Shriners mascot Fezzy. Ragan will also visit various Shriners Hospitals during the summer to speak to children about how to stay safe and avoid swimming-related incidents, playground accidents, campfire and fire pit burns and more common and potentially life-altering childhood injuries that can occur during this time of year.
“As a father and Shriner, I know that within seconds a fun-filled day can take a turn when an unexpected accident occurs,” said Ragan. “Shriners Hospitals for Children and I want to provide families with simple ways to reduce the risk of childhood injuries so that kids can enjoy a safe summer. We’re proud to carry the colors of Shriners Hospitals on our No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Fusion as a reminder for our children to play safe.” “It is great to see our relationship with David build over the years,” said Chris Smith, chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. “David has been a loyal friend of the hospitals and we could not be prouder to have him as an ambassador for our hospitals. With David and Front Row Motorpsorts’ support of the Superheroes of Summer Safety campaign we are able to help all children enjoy a safe, injury-free summer. This is just another way we send Love to the rescue®.” As leaders in the treatment of pediatric orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns and cleft lip and palate, Shriners Hospitals for Children provides critical, surgical and rehabilitative care to children, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Shriners Hospitals for Children urges parents and caregivers to remind kids of these simple precautions to keep them injury-free this summer: • At the playground, slide feet first and swing sitting down • Keep children inside when lawn mowers are in use • Keep several feet away from fire pits, campfires or grills • Only swim with an adult present and wear a lifejacket on open water • Protect yourself from the sun with a hat and sunscreen Become a Superhero of Summer Safety and #EarnYourCape so you can enjoy a safe, injury-free summer. For engaging activity books for children, additional safety tips and flyers, or for information on treatments available at Shriners Hospitals, visit shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/safesummer. About Shriners Hospitals for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Learn more at shrinershospitalsforchildren.org. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. About Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the premier division of NASCAR competition. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by Tennessean Bob Jenkins. FRM fields two full-time entries, the No. 34 of Landon Cassill and the No. 38 of David Ragan, from its Statesville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Love's Travel Stops and CSX Transportation. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on Twitter at @Team_FRM and on Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports. ###  No. 38 Dockside Logistics Ford
Started: 17th | Finished: 10th "Derrick (Finley) and our Dockside Logistics team made a lot of adjustments last night. We didn't qualify well, but our car was better in the race. We learned a lot for the Coca-Cola 600. We've got a little better race car to bring next week. We know we can make some improvements. But we just didn't have the overall grip and handle on the race car tonight. I was proud that we made the car better from where we started the weekend, but it just wasn't quite good enough to run with those top five or six guys."  Ragan on Charlotte/All-Star"Things will be a little different for those of us trying to get into the All-Star race this year because we’re back to racing on Saturday night. We’ll be practicing on Friday and have time to adjust on the car and make tweaks before we get ready to go Saturday. There are some really fast cars in the Open. You’ve got Chase Elliott, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney – guys who are quick that would be in contention to win the All-Star race if they were to advance. We’ll have to beat those guys to race our way in.
“I think the new softer tire option is awesome. I think it’s something that, if it goes well, we could see implemented in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at some point down the road. It’s something I’ve been an advocate for for a long time. We try to create ways where guys in the front don’t have quite as much of an advantage from an aero perspective. And I think this tire combination – if it plays out like we all hope it will – will give those guys mid-pack and back a chance to race hard and be aggressive and have a little something that those front guys don’t. Other series have done this and it’s worked well. Hopefully we’ll be able to get our Dockside Logistics Ford into the All-Star race and have a chance to try it."  No. 38 Overton's Ford
Started: 34th | Finished: 17th "I'm proud of our Overton's Ford team. They made some really good adjustments Friday night. We struggled a little off the truck. This is a new car that Front Row Motorsports built in-house, and I'm proud that we were able to bring it to the track and improve the handling on it. I felt like it was a weird race with the amount of cautions and wrecks around us, but I felt like we were in a top-20 car with really good long-run speed. Hopefully we can learn some things to help us on other upcoming mile-and-a-half tracks."  No. 38 Camping World Ford
Started: 29th | Finished: 10th "That was a team effort for sure. We had a really good car. It was a calm race until the last 50 laps. You just didn't know when to be aggressive and when not to, and we wanted to take care of our Camping World Ford. We got damage from one of those wrecks and had to spend some time on pit road, but the team did a great job fixing it up. The car still drove great at the end. We were able to get in the right lane and get the right help when we needed to."  Ragan on Talladega"Talladega isn't as much of a handling racetrack as Daytona is, but I think the speed definitely correlates between the two. And we had a lot of speed in our Camping World/Good Sam Ford at Daytona. We were able to race in the top 10, we were able to push a lane, we were able to close a gap really quick.
"So many races are won and lost based on what lane you’re in and what goes on around you. We had everything come together and work in our favor at that track a few years ago, and we found ourselves in Victory Lane celebrating Bob Jenkins' first win. We'll work to put ourselves in position to make it happen again." Meet David Saturday, May 6, 11am - Camping World (2772 US-78, Anniston, Ala.) Sunday, May 7, 9:30am - Fanatics Trackside Superstore (Talladega Superspeedway) Sunday, May 7, 10am - Camping World display (Talladega Superspeedway)
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October 2017
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