CORDELE, GA :: Over the course of the 2015 season, David Ragan will compete at the likes of Daytona, Darlington, Indianapolis and Martinsville in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series but it is CRA Speedfest this weekend at Watermelon Capital Speedway that currently has the bulk of his attention.

The next race is always the most important one when speaking to racers, but Speedfest is extra special to Ragan as Watermelon Capital is only 20 minutes south of his hometown, Unadilla.

Ragan has previous finishes of third, seventh and fourth in the 200-lap Super Late Model event and really wants to seal the deal in front of his friends, family and supporters this weekend.

“It’s always important for me to come home and race at Watermelon Capital Speedway,” Ragan told Race22.com. “I’ve been going to this track my entire life, dating back to when it was still dirt.

“Some of my earliest memories are from Cordele. So combine that with racing in front of family and friends, and how close we are to my dealership, David Ragan Ford in Unadilla, and this is  big deal to us.”

READ MORE –> 2015 CRA Speedfest Entry List

The race is such a big deal to Ragan that he and crew chief/cousin Brett Ragan opted to miss the Snowball Derby in December to completely update their Super Late Model chassis in preparation for the event.

“We saved some money by not going to the Derby,” Ragan said. “We didn’t have to spend on car preparation and repairs, not to mention we had some engine problems to diagnose since our last race at Flat Rock. We stripped the car down, cleaned it up, and took the time needed to do everything the right way.

“We don’t have a new car by any means but I feel like we can go anywhere and compete right now.”

Much like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott, Ragan enjoys returning to his short track roots and considers it his off-week, away-from-NASCAR hobby. Now that he and Brett have updated and tested their car, he expects to run at least 10 Super Late Model races between CARS, the Southern Super Series and CRA Super Series this season.

“Just being at the short track with some of our friends and family — it’s kind of my hobby,” Ragan said. “I don’t really have a boat or a big beachfront ocean house. We just really enjoy being at the track.”

He hopes to enjoy it from Victory Lane after 200 laps on Sunday night.