David Ragan deserves the most improved award without a doubt. The Roush Fenway Racing driver was forced to fill some big shoes in his rookie season last year as he climbed behind the wheel of the famous No. 6.

Torn up race cars and a huge learning experience have matured the young driver who has turned up the heat in his sophomore season. Sunday’s forth place finish at Talladega Superspeedway prove this youngster is on his way to the front and capable of winning races.

Ragan – the highest finishing Ford, as well as the highest finishing Roush Fenway Racing car – kept his No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion towards the front of the pack for the majority of the afternoon. Keeping his nose clean and not making too many aggressive moves put the 22 year-old in a position to win his first Cup Series race.

Like many others in the lead pack, Ragan did not want to see that final caution that ended the race.

“You can do well here if you can manage never to get yourself shuffled to the back,” Ragan explained. “For me, it was all reaction. If you can react to the stupid moves of others, you can wind up with a pretty good finish."

For Ragan, his reactions paid off giving him a season-best forth place finish in the Aaron’s 499. With this finish, Ragan moved up three spots in the series standing to 15th, just thirty-five points behind twelfth-place Juan Pablo Montoya. Ragan’s Roush Fenway Racing teammates did not fare as well on the day.

Matt Kenseth brought out the first caution of the day after a tire failure. Kenseth, who has had a dismal 2008 season thus far, blew a right front tire on lap 20 sending the No. 17 DeWalt Ford Fusion hard into the outside wall. The crew was able to make repairs and send the 2003 Cup Series champion back on track to finish 41st, thirty-eight laps down.

Carl Edwards had two separate right front tire issues before a blown right front sent the No. 99 hard into the wall on lap 166, bringing out the second caution of the day. Edwards blamed the wrong amount of camber on the tire for the problems and was forced to end the day in 40th, thirty-five laps down.

Jamie McMurray was strong for much of the latter stages of the event, challenging for the lead on a number of occasions. After struggling early in 2008 – even falling out of the top-35 in owner points at one point – McMurray and the entire No. 26 crew, led by Larry Carter, have rebounded quite nicely.

This trend appeared to be continuing in the Aaron’s 499 until lap 172, when Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte got together going into Turn 1. The incident collected McMurray who had no where to go. McMurray was able to get back on track and come home with a 17th place finish.