David Ragan to substitute for Brian Vickers at Michael Waltrip Racing

With Brian Vickers uncertain to return this season, Michael Waltrip Racing needed a veteran driver. And with Joe Gibbs Racing wanting to give 18-year-old Erik Jones an opportunity, it left David Ragan without a ride.

So it only makes sense that MWR has tabbed Ragan to drive the No. 55 normally occupied by Vickers for the remainder of the season, a move that was announced Tuesday. Ragan’s first race with MWR will come May 9 at Kansas Speedway -- he will remain with JGR for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Ragan has been filling in for Kyle Busch, who was injured in an accident during the Feb. 22 Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway. Busch suffered a broken right leg and left foot and isn’t expected to return until sometime this summer.

But while Ragan has performed solidly as Busch’s substitute, JGR wants to elevate Jones, considered one of NASCAR’s top prospects, and see how he performs in NASCAR’s highest division -- though nothing has formally been announced yet. Jones is a four-time winner in the Camping World Truck Series and impressively won his first Xfinity race April 10 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Vickers missed the past five races and his status is unknown after suffering a recurrence of blood clots last month -- the third time he’s missed a significant amount of time for reasons related to the same issue. Because he is on blood-thinning medication, he cannot race for fear of bleeding out if he were in an accident.

“There is absolutely no question about Brian Vickers’ ability, but there remains a question of his availability,” Waltrip said. “We are going to remain very close with Brian while he works on his plan to return. We have told him that MWR is here when he has a clear picture about what the future holds, but we don’t need to add any timeline pressures. He is working with a lot of medical advisors and once he has established his plan, we will sit down and discuss next steps.”

In Vickers’ absence, MWR has utilized rookie Brett Moffitt in six races with team co-owner Michael Waltrip running the No. 55 car in the season-opening Daytona 500 and again Sunday at Talladega.

The organization, however, wants a driver who can provide stability and be more competitive on a weekly basis. Although Moffitt finished a career-best eighth in the second race of the year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he’s placed no better than 17th since.

“Life has thrown a lot at MWR the first part of this racing season, but our team has stood tall and worked through it,” Waltrip said. “Our original plans for the No. 55 team have been challenged since December and we felt it was important for our employees and our sponsors to solidify the remainder of the 2015 season.”

In Ragan, MWR not only gets the veteran it’s seeking, but because he’s 19th in the standings, someone who is also in contention for a spot in NASCAR’s championship playoff -- provided Ragan can win a race or finish high enough in points to earn a wild card spot. Ragan driving the No. 55 is also a key component with the contract of sponsor Aaron’s expiring at the end of the season. Waltrip called Ragan’s availability “incredible” and “a very positive turn of events for that team.”

“The only way I can repay all the people I have to thank for making this happen is to go out and win races and get MWR, Aaron’s and Toyota in the Chase,” Ragan said. “It’s going to be awesome knowing when I climb in the No. 55 at Kansas that car will be mine the rest of the season.”

As for Ragan’s original team this season -- the No. 34 of Front Row Motorsports -- it has not unveiled its driver lineup going forward. Since loaning Ragan to JGR, the team has incorporated several drivers, with Chris Buescher set to drive at Talladega.

“We are grateful to David Ragan for his contributions to the growth of Front Row Motorsports and his commitment to our partners over the past three years,” team owner Bob Jenkins said. “He led us on our first trip to Victory Lane, and that’s a moment we’ll never forget. We wish him the best with his new team.”