Ragan and Menard talk final Kansas Cup weekend as full-time MENCS drivers
KANSAS CITY, Kan —David Ragan and Paul Menard have something in common: Each will race at Kansas Speedway as a full-time driver in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (NBC, 2:30 p.m. EST)
Ragan will start on the front row for Sunday’s race along side pole sitter Daniel Hemric, driving the no. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford.. Ragan’s best finish at Kansas came in the 2008 fall race where he finished eighth driving for Roush-Fenway Racing.
“I have made it a point to enjoy the weekend a little more,” Ragan said, “maybe get outside of the track, And enjoy my favorite restaurants, see some fans and invite some old friends I haven’t seen in a while.”
Ragan made his first start at the track 12 years ago and Sunday’s race will be his 22nd start.
Menard will start 22nd for Sunday’s race, driving the no. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. Menard has scored six top 10s at Kansas, including a third place finish driving for Richard Childress Racing in the 2012 fall race.
“It’s bittersweet since there’s some tracks I’ll miss and some I really won’t miss,” Menard said, “So just kinda take it week-to-week.”
Both Menard indicated that they will both continue to do some racing, even despite retiring from full-time MENCS competition.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com