David Ragan to replace injured Kyle Busch

Wanting someone with experience who could step right in and be competitive, Joe Gibbs Racing named David Ragan as the substitute for the injured Kyle Busch on Tuesday.

Ragan, currently under contract to Front Row Motorsports, will drive Busch’s No. 18 car for “at least the next several weeks,” JGR said in a statement. Because Front Row did not have sponsorship for Ragan’s car, the team permitted him to jump to JGR temporarily.

Ragan is a two-time Cup winner with victories at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, plus he has 35 top-10 finishes. When he’s done filling in for Busch, Ragan will return to Front Row, which has not announced who will replace Ragan in the No. 34 car.

“We appreciate being able to work with Front Row Motorsports and CSX for David’s availability,” Joe Gibbs said. “We are fortunate to be able to have someone of David’s caliber behind the wheel while Kyle recovers.”

Busch suffered a broken right leg and broken left foot in an Xfinity Series crash Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. There is no timetable for his return.

Busch was transferred from Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., to a Charlotte area hospital Tuesday.

Erik Jones will replace Busch in JGR’s No. 54 Xfinity car this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jones, a Camping World Truck Series rookie, was rumored to be Busch’s Cup replacement but the team prefers he get experience.

“Erik is a big part of our future at JGR and we will be increasing his schedule in the Xfinity Series beginning this weekend in Atlanta and seeking the earliest opportunity to provide him Cup experience,” Gibbs said. “We appreciate all the support we have received from the NASCAR community including our fans and we look forward to getting Kyle back in the car as soon as possible.”