#19 Team Past News and Rumors
Past 2009 News

  • Evernham still wants a role in NASCAR: Ray Evernham called "The Morning Drive" on Sirius NASCAR Radio this past week after his name came up Monday [12-29] while we [Mike Bagley & David Poole] were talking about the reports that Elliott Sadler will be replaced by AJ Allmendinger in the #19 Dodges next season at Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Evernham no longer has a major day-to-day role in the team he ran after leaving Hendrick Motorsports as Jeff Gordon's crew chief to help Dodge come back to big-time NASCAR competition. He sold most of his interest into the team to George Gillett and his family and has scaled back more and more over the past couple of years. Evernham wanted to make sure it was clear that he's not down on NASCAR or racing. Evernham wants to be involved in racing. But as a team owner, he discovered that was a job he wasn't going to be able to do at a level he could feel good about. Evernham doesn't have a "good enough" switch. You're talking about a guy whose work as [Jeff] Gordon's crew chief help redefined the way Cup teams compete. Evernham and his "Rainbow Warriors" changed the game, helping bring specialization and a level of attention to detail the sport had never seen before. By the time they were done, Evernham and Gordon had three championships together and Evernham had established himself as one of the sport's greatest all-time crew chiefs. Evernham said Tuesday that "it will probably always haunt me" that he didn't win a championship as a team owner, but he's proud of what he helped build at GEM. He's not sure he agrees with everything that's being done there now, but he also said that it's no longer his call. As for the situation with Sadler and Allmendinger, there wasn't much he could say. That's pretty much what has been going on with that story since it first surfaced over the weekend. Sadler signed a contract extension in May and my [Poole] hunch is that as lots of people wearing suits and carrying briefcases are discussing all of that everybody involved has been told to remain quiet until everybody's as happy as they're going to be. If I wanted to hype something Evernham said, I could use this quote: "When I left as a crew chief I said the only way I would come back in that job is to be Jeff Gordon's crew chief again." But that's not Evernham angling for Steve Letarte's job. It just means that Evernham isn't going to be a crew chief again just for the sake of having that title. For right now, Evernham is working on getting East Lincoln Speedway -- the short track he recently bought -- ready for a new season. He even got denim overalls, which is apparently the official working uniform of that track, for the job. See full story at Charlotte Observer.(1-1-2009)

  • Allmendinger to run Rolex 24: For the fourth consecutive year, Michael Shank Racing has signed AJ Allmendinger to be a part of the Columbus, Ohio-based team's assault on the biggest jewel in North American endurance racing, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team has two entries in the top Daytona Prototype class. The Rolex 24 event also has a GT class field as well, making the 24 hour race something akin to running a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the same time, on the same track, as a Nationwide race. Allmendinger sat on the outside pole for the race last year, and very nearly won the race in his first run with Michael Shank Racing in 2006, coming up just under three miles short after 24 hours of hard running to take second overall with Mark Patterson, Oswaldo Negri, and Justin Wilson. "I really like Mike Shank and working with his whole team is always a great experience," said AJ, who would score a custom-built Rolex watch for a victory. "This is just one of those races that you want to have on your resume. There are so many guys who come out for this from so many parts of the sport, its a great event that just keeps getting bigger. Hopefully we can go all the way and end up on top."(ajallmendinger.com)(1-1-2009)

    Past 2008 News

  • Races that Best Buy is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
     Daytona - 2/17
    California - 2/24 [with U2]
    Atlanta - 3/9
    Talladega - 4/27
    Lowe's - 5/25
    Dover - 6/1
    New Hampshire - 6/29, Hancock movie promotion
    Daytona - 7/5
    Chicago - 7/12
    Pocono - 8/3
    Richmond - 9/7
    Martinsville - 10/19
    Atlanta - 10/26

  • Races [2] that Garmin is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
     Talladega - 4/27
    Kansas - 9/28

  • Races [13] that Stanley Tools is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
     Las Vegas - 3/2
    Bristol - 3/16
    Phoenix - 4/12
    Richmond - 5/5
    Lowe's - All-Star race - 5/17
    Pocono - 6/8
    Infineon - 6/22
    Indianapolis - 7/29
    Michigan - 8/17
    Bristol - 8/23
    New Hampshire - 9/14
    Lowe's - 10/11 - Pink
    Texas - 11/2

  • Races [1] that Siemens is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
     Phoenix - 11/9

  • Races [6] that McDonald's is scheduled to be the primary sponsor in 2008:
     Martinsville [3/22] Darlington [5/10]
    Michigan [6/15] Big Mac
    California [8/31]
    Talladega [10/5] Monopoly
    Atlanta [10/26]

  • Petty-GEM merger done deal? UPDATE: Multiple sources have confirmed that Petty Enterprises racing will shut its doors and merge with the team currently known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. A deal was inked between Petty Enterprises and team owner George Gillett on Christmas Eve, but the terms of that agreement have yet to be divulged. The venerable #43 Dodge covered with the trademarked Petty blue glaze will become part of the Gillett stable with Reed Sorenson expected to be behind the wheel. A formal announcement is expected early next week. Most of the remaining 39 employees at Petty Enterprises will conclude their duties at the Mooresville-based shop on Wednesday. The company moved from its original shop adjacent to the Petty homestead in Level Cross, N.C., in January to what was formerly the Yates Racing complex. Robbie Loomis, Petty Executive VP of Racing Operations, is expected to assume a managerial role under the new partnership, which will likely be rebranded under the Petty banner. Former car chief Ray Fox Jr. will assume a similar role at JTG-Daugherty Racing with the #47 team. David Zucker, who was named CEO of the team when private equity firm Boston Ventures purchased controlling interest in June, is expected to be reassigned to the Petty Driving Experience.(FoxSports), no word on what happend to the #10 ride which Sorenson was supposed to drive.(12-31-2008)
    UPDATE: Although neither GEM nor Petty officials said an announcement was forthcoming, sources indicated that the organizations were ironing out final details. The merger would entail GEM absorbing Petty's #43 car, which according to sources would be driven by Reed Sorenson and sponsored by the Air Force next season. Chris McKee, marketing director of the Richard Petty Driving Experience, confirmed that David Zucker, current chief operating officer of Petty Enterprises and the Richard Petty Driving Experience, will oversee only the driving experience once the merger is complete. Zucker was installed as Petty's CEO after team owner Richard Petty earlier this year sold majority interest in his organization to the private equity firm Boston Ventures in a bid to raise capital and improve performance. McKee added that further details of the merger will come next week. Indications are that the name of the merged organization will be altered to reflect Richard Petty's involvement. Richard's father, Lee, founded Petty Enterprises in 1949. The merger would place four cars under the GEM stable -- the #43, as well as the Nos. 9, 10, and 19 currently in the Gillett-Evernham fleet. Kasey Kahne drives the #9, with A.J. Allmendinger replacing Elliott Sadler in the #19 for next season. No driver has been announced for the #10 car for 2009.(NASCAR.com)(12-31-2008) Comment here

  • GEM announces new director of sales: Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced the hiring of John Cowart as the NASCAR Sprint Cup team’s director of sales. Cowart, 43, will begin his duties with the Statesville, N.C. team effective immediately. “John brings a wealth of motorsports sales experience that will enhance Gillett Evernham Motorsports’ value to our current and future partners,” said De Cordell, GEM chief sales and marketing officer. “We are happy to welcome John and believe he will play a major role in the team’s quest to become the marquee team in motorsports.” Cowart, a Huntersville resident and University of Alabama graduate, said he looks forward to a new challenge. “Gillett Evernham Motorsports offers an opportunity that is challenging and ultimately will be rewarding,” he said. “NASCAR and Gillett Evernham Motorsports allow great brands the opportunity to market their product or service in a unique and interactive environment that connects with its passionate fans and provides a win-win for everyone involved.” Cowart has served in various sales and management capacities throughout the NASCAR industry since the start of the 2000 season. Cowart fills the seat left vacant by the departure of former GEM sales staff member Jim Tucker.(GEM)(12-30-2008)

  • Sadler replaced by Allmendinger? UPDATE 2: AJ Allmendinger is set to replace Elliott Sadler in the #19 Dodge in 2009, multiple Gillett Evernham Motorsports team sources told ESPN.com on Saturday. GEM CEO Tom Reddin told team employees and sponsors the news just before Christmas, causing some sponsors to consider leaving, according to team sources. Reached for comment Saturday, GEM spokesman Drew Brown chose not to comment. Sources also said Ray Evernham, who founded the team and sold majority ownership to George Gillett, cleared out all personal possessions from the team's shop, including the 2002 Brickyard 400 trophy he won as owner of Bill Elliott's #9 Dodge. Calls placed to Evernham and Sadler's representation were not immediately returned.(ESPN.com)(12-27-2008)
    UPDATE: Allmendinger will join Kasey Kahne in the flagship #9 GEM Dodge and newcomer Reed Sorenson, who will pilot the #43 Dodge following the imminent announcement of the merger between owner George Gillett and Richard Petty.
    AND Sadler? Sadler's possibilities are rumored to include the #41 Chevy at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing or the #77 Dodge at Penske Racing should Sam Hornish Jr. replace Helio Castroneves in the IRL IndyCar Series [who faces a trial and possible jail over IRS charges].(FoxSports), no word on who would drive the #10 Dodge of GEM in 2009.(12-28-2008)
    UPDATE 2: Sadler signed a two-year contract extension with GEM in May, and sources say team owner George Gillett will now be forced to buy out those additional two years. Sadler has already begun making calls to try and find a ride for next season. Sources tell Sirius Speedway that Gillett is heavily leveraged from the original Evernham buyout, as well as from a number of automobile dealerships he purchased earlier this year. He reportedly faces a major payment on his Liverpool Football Club, which plays in the English Premier League, as well. A deal that would have merged GEM with Bill Davis Racing fell by the wayside a few weeks ago, reportedly after Gillett was unable to obtain financing to complete the transaction. Gillett has recently been involved in negotiations to merge GEM with Petty Enterprises. Sirius Speedway reported two weeks ago that the merger had stalled, and while that report was immediately denied by a GEM spokesman, Sadler’s release appears to indicate that the deal is indeed in jeopardy. A combined GEM/Petty operation was expected to field four cars in 2009; enough to retain Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Sadler and Allmendinger. (Sirius Speedway)(12-29-2008) Comment here

  • Petty-GEM Deal Off? UPDATE denied: Sirius Speedway has learned that the much-discussed merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises has run aground. Anonymous sources say that GEM laid off approximately 50 employees today, and that its Nationwide Series team will either be eliminated or cut back dramatically. In addition, multiple sources say that GEM’s #10 Sprint Cup team and driver Reed Sorenson will also run only a partial schedule. While not commenting on the reported demise of the Petty deal, Gillett Evernham Motorsports CEO Tom Reddin confirmed today that major changes are underway. "We are a Sprint Cup team first and foremost, and winning in that series needs to be our primary focus,” he said. “The Nationwide Series is a fantastic series and we certainly look forward to racing a partial schedule in 2009, but we will not run the full season next year. We will remained focused on putting all of our effort behind the Cup program in 2009. GEM is very fortunate to have nearly all of our Cup sponsors returning in 2009 in addition to the new arrival of others." Reddin said that GEM will also restructure its engine department for 2009, to align with a reduced number of engine leasing customers next season.(Sirius Speedway/Motorsports Soapbox)
    AND Over the last week, Gillett Evernham Motorsports released 65 employees between its Nationwide Series team and engine shop. Due to a downturn in the economy and the inability to secure sponsorship, GEM was forced to cease operation of its NNS team on Tuesday. GEM is still in open discussions with Petty Enterprises regarding a possible merger. However, the option of Petty Enterprises not leasing engines in the future led to the company's decision to downsize its engine department by nearly half. The organization will continue to employ nearly 300 workers at its Statesville, N.C. facility and field three teams in the Sprint Cup Series with drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson, who will join the team from Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009.(FoxSports)(12-16-2008)
    UPDATE: been told by GEM that the #10 car will run the full Sprint Cup season and that the GEM-Petty merger talks are going well and the deal is NOT off.(12-17-2008) Comment here

  • Brad Parrott looking at GEM and other jobs: The newly merged Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team has shut down its NASCAR Nationwide Series operation, former crew chief Brad Parrott confirmed Wednesday. Parrott said seven crew members were laid off from the team, which originally planned to run the full Nationwide schedule next year with driver Bryan Clauson. The laid-off crew members were told Monday, Parrott said, and Earnhardt Ganassi is trying to sell its inventory of Nationwide Dodges. Parrott said sponsor Fastenal left Earnhardt Ganassi and is searching for another team. Parrott also hopes to bring a core group of crewmen with him to another team, if sponsorship can be found. Parrott said he has contacted Gillett Evernham Motorsports about the crew chief opening for Elliott Sadler’s #19 Sprint Cup team but has not talked directly about that job. “With 23 years of racing experience – and I just had my first year without going to victory lane in NASCAR since 1992 – the fire still burns,” Parrott said. “I can still win races as a crew chief, as a car chief or as a manager or as whatever needs to be done. I’ve got my name out there already, trying to beat down as many doors as I can because I know there’s a lot of people needing jobs,” Parrott said. “I’ve got a group of guys that have been together for three years. We can go as separate people, or we can go as a team.” Parrott has talked to two owners who want to bring him and his crewmen together, pending sponsorship. They said, ‘Brad, you’re at the top of our list if we can get this deal done,’” Parrott said. “They’re very close on the deals, and that’s them telling me I’m at the top of their list.”(SceneDaily)(12-11-2008)

  • Parrott leaves Yates; to GEM? UPDATE 3 No, back at Yates: Todd Parrott, a second-generation racer with more than two decades of racing experience, was released from Yates Racing after leading the #28 Ford and driver Travis Kvapil to a 23rd-place finish in the point standings.(FoxSports), no word where Parrott ends up or who will be Kvapil's crew chief in 2009.(11-18-2008)
    UPDATE: After spending a year building a relationship with Todd Parrott, #28-Travis Kvapil will have to get acquainted with a new Sprint Cup crew chief next season at Yates Racing. "Especially with a driver and crew chief, there are a lot of details or quirks you learn about each other," Kvapil said Thursday. "Todd found out a lot about me, about what I like this year. At the same time, we weren't content with how we ran, 23rd in points, and I guess the team felt we needed a change." Max Jones, the team's co-owner and general manager, gave Kvapil no indication of who his crew chief would be beyond someone with Cup experience. Parrott's role with Yates, if any, is undetermined. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(11-21-2008)
    UPDATE 2 - Parrott to GEM? Hearing crew chief Todd Parrott, who recently left Yates Racing, could end up at Gillett Evernham Motorsports, reuniting with #19-Elliott Sadler. Sadler and Parrott worked together when Sadler drove the #38 M&M's Ford for Yates. Parrott would replace Rodney Childers who is supposedly headed to the #00 to crew chief David Reutimann.(12-3-2008)
    UPDATE 3: Yates Racing's Travis Kvapil said today that Todd Parrott will return as his team's crew chief for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. Kvapil told SceneDaily.com that a Nov. 20 story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that said Parrott had left the organization wasn't correct. "Todd's going to crew chief in 2009 again," Kvapil said. "I know there was some talk that he retired or quit, and none of that is true. He is still under contract. I'm excited to take what we established last year and work together again in 2009." In the Journal-Sentinel report, Kvapil was quoted as saying that because of the team's lack of consistency in 2008 that the organization has decided a change in leadership was needed. "Todd found out a lot about me, about what I like this year," Kvapil said in the report. "At the same time, we weren't content with how we ran, 23rd in points, and I guess the team felt we needed a change." It was unclear why there was a discrepancy over whether or not Parrott had left the team. The #28 Yates Racing team has yet to secure a primary sponsor for the 2009 season, but Kvapil said he believes the organization is close to signing a deal soon.(SceneDaily)(12-10-2008) Comment here

  • Petty-GEM merger? UPDATE 4: hearing there could be an announcement as soon as today that Gillett Evernham Motorsports [#9,10,#19] and Petty Enterprises [#43,#45] has merged.(12-4-2008)
    UPDATE: SI.com has learned that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. The organization will merge with George Gillett, giving that team its fourth car. No word on the future association with Petty Enterprises and Boston Ventures, although Boston Ventures may maintain some involvement in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Official announcement of the news could come as early as this afternoon. No word on whether Richard Petty will have an ownership stake as part of the merger agreement.(Sports Illustrated)(12-4-2008)
    UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises is in discussions to merge its storied franchise with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Multiple people familiar with the talks told the AP that the two teams are discussing a deal that would merge Petty's #43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing. SI.com first reported Thursday that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. But David Zucker, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said the report was "not accurate." He would not discuss a potential merger. "We're not going to comment on rumors and speculation," he said. Petty has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields cars for Bobby Labonte, Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty. Robbie Loomis, vice president of Petty Enterprises, told the AP nothing has changed with the organization, and the team is continuing to talk to potential partners. Drew Brown, a spokesman for GEM, did not immediately return a call for comment.(Associated Press)(12-4-2008)
    UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises remains in discussions with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to merge into a four-car operation, sources told ESPN.com on Thursday. A report by SI.com that the merger would happen and that Petty Enterprises would not return in 2009, according to multiple sources, is premature. Drew Brown, the director of communications at GEM, said the status of the company has not changed and there are no impending announcements. Officials at the office of GEM majority owner George Gillett were surprised by the report. "We're just not going to comment on speculation," Brown said. Should such a merger happen it would shrink the garage by another car, the 45 driven by Kyle Petty, Chad McCumbee and Terry Labonte last season. The #43 of Bobby Labonte would combine with GEM's #9 of Kasey Kahne, #19 of Elliott Sadler and #10 of Reed Sorenson. A merger could also mean the end of NASCAR's most storied organization as it has been known since 1969. Owner and seven-time champion Richard Petty sold majority interest in Petty Enterprises earlier this year to Boston Ventures but maintained the Petty name. It is unclear if a potential merger with GEM would incorporate both parties or if the Petty Driving Experience would be included. News of the SI.com report spread rapidly through the Manhattan banquet room that hosted a Thursday awards luncheon featuring the top 12 drivers from this past season. GEM has already benefited from the merger of DEI and Ganassi, which will run under General Motors -- Ganassi was a Dodge team -- and use engines prepared by Earnhardt-Childress Racing. The #10 car that was 37th in points will move into the top 35 guaranteed a spot in the field because the two DEI cars lost in the merger have been eliminated from the top 35. The #47 car that will be driven by Marcos Ambrose for JTG-Daugherty moved from 36 to 35. "Everybody will just shift up," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "We will use the top 35 at the track."(ESPN)(12-4-2008)
    UPDATE 4: Petty Enterprises released 39 employees on Monday, bringing the total to 65 since the end of the season. A source close to the situation said Petty Enterprises has about 54 employees anxiously waiting to hear whether there will be a merger with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports. "Everybody is still looking for marching orders in what direction we're going in," the source said. The Pettys have been in negotiations to merge with several teams for months. Two were eliminated when Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates merged last month. The possible merger with GEM would have the famous #43 joining the #9 (Kasey Kahne), #19 (Elliott Sadler) and #10 (Reed Sorenson) of GEM to become a four-car operation. Whether 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte, the current driver of the unsponsored #43, would be a part of that deal remains unclear. Labonte, who signed a long-term deal that included partial ownership with Petty Enterprises earlier this year, has reportedly had talks with DEI-Ganassi about driving the Target-sponsored #41. That could clear the way for AJ Allmendinger, released by Red Bull Racing late this season, to move into the #43. Officials at Petty Enterprises and GEM were not available for comment. Should the merger occur it would be the first time NASCAR has been without Petty Enterprises as it is known today since 1969. Richard Petty sold majority ownership to Boston Ventures earlier this year, but the name of the company and driving school remained the same.(ESPN.com)(12-8-2008) Comment here

  • Childers new crew chief for Reutimann? UPDATE 2 Official: hearing former #19 GEM crew chief, Rodney Childers, will be Reutimann's crew chief in 2009.(11-26-2008)
    UPDATE: Rodney Childers will leave Gillett Evernham Motorsports, where he was crew chief for #19-Elliott Sadler, to become #00-David Reutimann's crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing, according to sources familiar with the situation. An announcement should come later this week. Childers will replace Ryan Pemberton, who left MWR to become Brian Vickers' crew chief at Red Bull Racing.(SceneDaily)(12-2-2008)
    UPDATE 2: Michael Waltrip Racing announced that Rodney Childers will become the crew chief for David Reutimann and his #00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota team for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. "This is a great opportunity," said Childers, entering his fifth season as a crew chief on the Sprint Cup level. " When I heard the position was available, I looked into it because I really liked the idea of working with David. We have the same type of personality and as I see the progress MWR has made, I see it as a place where I could have a long future. Their relationship with Toyota also attracted me because it is easy to see their commitment to NASCAR. David really burst onto the scene this past year and has proven that he can do this. He is comfortable and feels like he's as good as anyone on the track and that's really important." The Mooresville, NC native has been involved in some form of racing since he was 12 years old whether it has been behind the wheel or atop a pit box. From 1999 to 2002, he raced in several series including the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, Hooters Pro Cup Series and in 2000, he made his first and only Nationwide Series start at Myrtle Beach Speedway [SC]. More recently, Childers served as a crew chief for the past three seasons with Gillett Evernham with #19-Elliott Sadler (2008) and [then] #10-Scott Riggs (2006-2007). Childers was Riggs' crew chief in 2005 with MB2 Motorsports. "I am looking forward to picking up with Rodney where Ryan (Pemberton) and I left off," Reutimann said. "The team built a lot of momentum during the latter part of the season. We've just got to build upon that. I feel like we have improved a great deal. If we can continue to position ourselves in the top-10, the top-fives will come and ultimately our first win."(MWR PR)(12-3-2008) Comment here

  • Evernham quitting NASCAR to buy a track? UPDATE 2: NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham announced Thursday night in Lincolnton [NC] that he is in advanced negotiations to purchase the East Lincoln Speedway and plans to retire from NASCAR. Evernham and partner Bob Mack of Cornelius-based RPM Group Holdings said they had hoped to have the keys to the speedway in their hands when they appeared at the Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce’s Business After-Hours event to make the announcement, but were prevented from doing so as negotiations continued. Evernham said he has already sold off most of his interest in the Gillett-Evernham Motorsports race team and is ending his career with NASCAR. “I want to get back into grassroots racing,” he told the gathering of area community leaders and businesspeople. Contacted by the Times-News Friday morning, current track owner Ralph Nantz said he couldn’t “talk much about it right now,” but confirmed that “serious” negotiations with Evernham were under way. “You might say he is showing some interest,” Nantz said. The East Lincoln Speedway has been in operation since 1991 and is a 3/8 mile clay oval track.(Lincoln Times-News), no word if Evernham will be back with ESPN in 2009.(11-22-2008)
    UPDATE: Cup team co-owner Ray Evernham has completed his deal to purchase East Lincoln Speedway and said that might not be the last track he buys. “I will try to save race tracks to keep them from becoming shopping malls,” Evernham said on Sirius NASCAR Radio.(Charlotte Observer)(12-1-2008)
    UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham has announced that he has acquired the assets of the East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, NC from founders Ralph and Joanne Nantz. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The East Lincoln Speedway is a 3/8 mile dirt track located on Mariposa Road in Lincoln County, NC. The facility was built by the Nantzes and opened for racing in 1990. The 2009 season will mark its 19th consecutive year of racing. The Speedway runs various classes of cars ranging from Micro-sprints to Late Model Modified-Sportsman. Evernham, whom motorsports media voted "The Greatest Crew Chief of All Time", won three Sprint Cup championships as Jeff Gordon's crew chief and led Dodge in its re-entry into NASCAR. He remains a minority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports and is a motorsports analyst for ESPN. "When I sold the majority interest in Evernham Motorsports to George Gilllett in 2007, one of my goals was to find ways to give back to the sport and help up-and-coming drivers find a safe, low-cost way to race," said Evernham. "Unfortunately, rising property values and land development have taken away many of the great dirt tracks around the country. With the acquisition of the East Lincoln Speedway, I can make sure that racers in the Charlotte area will have access to a safe, low-cost, family friendly racing facility for many years to come." The transaction was negotiated by Bob Mack, who will also be a minority owner of the speedway. About The East Lincoln Speedway: The East Lincoln Speedway is a 3/8 mile red clay track located off Mariposa Road in Lincoln County, NC. The track typically operates from April through September and racing is held on Saturday evenings. Admission is typically $10 for adults, children under 10 are free. Pit admission is $20. The track is available for rental during the week and has been used in the filming of several movies and commercials. For more information, see the track website at www.elspeedway.com.(Victory Management Group PR)(12-3-2008) Comment here

  • Pemberton leaves MWR for Red Bull UPDATE 3 new crew chief?: After asking for his release, #44 crew chief Ryan Pemberton is expected to reunite with his friend and former boss Jay Frye at Team Red Bull. Pemberton, 39, spent this year working with David Reutimann and the #44 Toyota after weathering the MB2 Motorsports buyout and the Ginn Racing/Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger last fall. The Pemberton-led crew won the pole at Homestead, but finished 20th on Sunday. Pemberton's official position has yet to be determined.(FoxSports)(11-18-2008)
    UPDATE: #44-David Reutimann [will be back in #00 in 2009], who finished 22nd in points in his second full Sprint Cup season and won the pole in the finale at Homestead, is short a crew chief and a half-season's worth of sponsorship on his Toyota for next season. He also is unlikely to run a third straight full Nationwide season because of sponsorship issues. Reutimann said a replacement for (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton, who said late in the season he was leaving for Red Bull, could be announced next week. "You would like to get somebody in there because Ryan decided to do his deal so late in the season it doesn't give you much opportunity to talk with people," Reutimann said. "You know your crew chief is leaving halfway through the year, you can start talking to people who are interested in doing something different. He just didn't give us that option."(St Petersburg Times)(11-23-2008)
    UPDATE 2: hearing former #19 GEM crew chief, Rodney Childers, will be Reutimann's crew chief in 2009.(11-26-2008)
    UPDATE 3: Rodney Childers will leave Gillett Evernham Motorsports, where he was crew chief for #19-Elliott Sadler, to become #00-David Reutimann's crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing, according to sources familiar with the situation. An announcement should come later this week. Childers will replace Ryan Pemberton, who left MWR to become Brian Vickers' crew chief at Red Bull Racing.(SceneDaily)(12-2-2008) Comment here

  • Hellmann’s to sponsor Sadler at Homestead: Elliott Sadler is finishing his 11th season as a Sprint Cup Series driver, and his 10th as a full-time driver, but he has never had an off-season like the one that is ahead of him this year. Sadler is getting married to his fiancée, Amanda, on Jan. 17 in his hometown of Emporia, Va. When he returns to Daytona International Speedway in February to start the 2009 Sprint Cup season he will do so as a married man for the first time in his career. “I’m really excited to start this chapter of my life,” said Sadler. “Racing and family have always been the most important things in my life. Now, I’m going to be taking the first step towards starting a family of my own with my best friend in the world. “It’s going to be a great off-season, but I have some unfinished business to take care of at Homestead-Miami this weekend. We want to win a race and this is our last chance to do that this season. All of the guys on the #19 team have worked hard all season and a win this weekend at Homestead would be the best way to say thank you for all their hard work.” The #19 Dodge is racing with Hellmann’s as the primary sponsor for the weekend.(GEM PR)(11-13-2008) Comment here

  • Evernham selling interest in GEM: A fan approached Ray Evernham at the SEMA Show on Wednesday and asked what driver Reed Sorenson will bring to Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season. "I'm not getting a new driver," Evernham said. "Gillett Evernham is getting a new driver. I'm not really involved there." Evernham's role as the minority owner at GEM has been reduced to almost nothing since June. Soon his minority ownership will be reduced to almost nothing as plans are in the works to buy out most of his remaining 20% interest in the organization he formed in 2001. "We're working on that and hope to make some announcement shortly about where I'm going to be doing for the rest of my racing career," Evernham said. Evernham hesitates to use the word retirement. He still plans to be actively involved in racing, whether it's through his broadcast career with ESPN or other ventures he working on. He's opening a new shop in the Lake Norman area Charlotte, N.C., that will serve as his headquarters. Does his future include owning another race team? "Let me think about that ... uh, no," he said with a laugh. Does it include a management role, such as the one he was offered with Stewart-Haas Racing? "Let me think about that too . . . uh, no," Evernham said. Evernham doesn't want a role that consumes his life as being an owner and crew chief did. He's enjoying getting back to grassroots racing with the new fuel-injected cars he's building and spending more time with his 16-year-old son.(ESPN.com)(11-7-2008) Comment here

  • Sadler's #19 to be sponsored by Siemens at Phoenix: The #19 Dodge is racing with Siemens as the primary sponsor for Elliott Sadler for the weekend. The $96.6 billion electronics company's 400,000 worldwide employees are improving America’s infrastructure through technology and innovation in Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances.(GEM PR), see an image of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(11-5-2008)

  • NASCAR nixes GEM's move to Toyota? UPDATE: George Gillett, who bought into Ray Evernham's Dodge-anchor operation last year [now GEM], has made strong overtures to switch to Toyota. But NASCAR officials have apparently nixed any such move, and that could leave the Bill Davis Toyota team in limbo. Davis has talked for more than a year now about looking for a business partner. The Gillett-Evernham operation has been Dodge's chief engineering arm in NASCAR, but Penske may now get that nod, and become the engine supplier to teams like the Pettys. Penske already leases Dodge engines to Robby Gordon. Sources say that Penske, who runs one of the country's largest Toyota dealerships, in Los Angeles, has made overtures about Toyota, and may push for the launch of a satellite Toyota operation next year in order to be prepared for a possible changeover to Toyota in 2010.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-27-2008)
    UPDATE: Gillett-Evernham Motorsports has been in talks with nearly every possible team in the garage area looking to merge including Bill Davis Racing, which is down to a one car, non-sponsored team since Caterpillar is leaving the #22 for Richard Childress Racing. From what I [Pete Pistone] have been able to gather, the report that NASCAR vetoed a GEM-BDR merger and a complete switch to Toyota is false. The stumbling block in all of this is the status of Dodge and Chrysler and the future of the struggling company. If the manufacturer can't live up to its promise of supplying engines and support to GEM, its flagship Cup organization, the team needs to know that and make a move ASAP. But whether Toyota wants to support another team and a possible additional three cars is another question. Regardless, NASCAR has no say in what the teams and manufacturers decide to do.(CBS Sports)(10-31-2008) Comment here

  • Ronald McDonald House Charities Featured on #19 at AMS UPDATE: Elliott Sadler’s #19 Dodge will feature a Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) paint scheme this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in support of World Children’s Day at McDonald’s. This year, participating McDonald’s restaurants will offer customers the opportunity to Give A Hand by donating a small amount to personalize and post a paper hand that symbolizes their support. In addition, in the U.S. on November 20, participating restaurants will donate $1 from the sale of select menu items to RMHC. In addition, from November 10 – 20, customers in the U.S. can help support RMHC through the “Give a Hand” in-restaurant program. For each hand sold, $1 will go to support RMHC. Started in 2002, World Children’s Day at McDonald’s is the company’s largest annual fundraiser for children. The #19 Ronald McDonald House Charities Dodge will run “Thank You Paul Newman 1925 – 2008” on the rear panel of the racecar. Paul Newman, a former IndyCar team owner, actor and philanthropist, began supplying McDonald’s with Newman’s Own all-natural salad dressing in March 2003. McDonald’s, as a Newman’s Own customer, enabled Paul Newman to donate additional profits to charity through the exclusive agreement. Paul Newman and the Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $250 million to thousands of educational and charitable purposes worldwide since 1982. In 2005, Newman accepted the Ronald McDonald House Charities Award of Excellence on behalf of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.(GEM PR)(10-23-2008)
    UPDATE - Image: on Friday #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Elliott Sadler, of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, combined efforts to help raise awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), benefitting programs to support children and families in need around the world. Kasey Kahne, founder of the Kasey Kahne Foundation, donated $150,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities to support its three core programs: Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. Kahne is a long-time supporter of RMHC, donating $500,000 to date.
    In addition to Kahne's donation, Elliott Sadler announced he will drive an RMHC-themed race car this weekend, during the Sprint Cup Series race in Atlanta, to help raise awareness for the Charity and World Children's Day at McDonald's – the company’s largest annual fundraiser for RMHC. The race car will also feature a special tribute to Paul Newman – famous philanthropist, race car enthusiast and long-time supporter of the Charity. The #19 Ronald McDonald House Charities Dodge will run "Thank You Paul Newman 1925 – 2008" on the rear panel of the race car. Since 1982, Paul Newman and the Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $250 million to thousands of educational and charitable purposes worldwide.(CSRwire) See an image of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(10-24-2008)

  • GEM on the verge..to Toyota? George Gillett [GEM], who with minority owner Ray Evernham (20%, perhaps to shrink to 10) has been Dodge’s anchor in NASCAR, is on the verge of making a deal to run Toyotas next season. That would put #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Reed Sorensen in the Toyota camp.(Winston Salem Journal)
    AND could an announcement of a Gillett/Bill Davis Racing [#22-Dave Blaney] deal be imminent?(Yahoo Sports)(10-20-2008) Comment here

  • Evernham thinking about leaving GEM? UPDATE: Ray Evernham, who has a minority share in Gillett Evernham Motorsports [#9, #10, and #19], said he was not involved in the decision to release rookie Patrick Carpentier. Evernham stressed he's a minority partner in the team and hinted maybe that role could change to not being a part of the team. "That's largely up to the Gillettes,'' Evernham said if he would remain with the team. "I want to help Mr. Gillette, and I'll do whatever I can to help him be successful, but I also want to pursue ... I'm enjoying my life at ESPN. I'm enjoying a little bit of semi-retirement. I want to help as much as I can, but I also want to make sure I have creditability with the viewers and that's important to me.''(Roanoke Times)(10-13-2008)
    UPDATE: Tuesday [Oct 14th] on “SIRIUS Speedway” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, host Dave Moody spoke with Gillett Evernham Motorsports co-owner Ray Evernham. Evernham talked about the rumor that he is considering reducing his stake in the race team and reports that Gillett Evernham Motorsports is contemplating a manufacturer switch from Dodge to Toyota. On the rumor that he is considering selling part of his stake in Gillett Evernham Motorsports:
    Host, Dave Moody: “Randy Lajoie said on Sirius NASCAR Radio last week that you told him you’re considering selling your remaining 20% stake in Gillett Evernham Motorsports to the Gilletts. True?”
    Ray Evernham: “We’ve talked about some things with some stuff that they have going on. I do have a percentage stake that Mr. Gillett and I could talk about but a lot of it depends on what his future is and where he’s headed. But that offer is on the table, yes. Not the complete. Just to make me a smaller partner. It was not the complete buyout.”
    Moody: “So you’re not going to disappear. You’ll just go from one-fifth to a fraction smaller than one-fifth?”
    Evernham: “Correct.”
    On reports that Gillett Evernham Motorsports will switch from Dodge to Toyota:
    Moody: “There are published reports out there this week that say George Gillett is “99 percent certain” that he’s going to move from Dodge to Toyota next season. To your knowledge, is there truth to that?”
    Evernham: “To my knowledge George is talking about several different things and to his credit, as I’ve said before, he’s going to do what he believes it takes to win a championship. And that’s why he purchased the race team. Again, I’m removed from the business side. There are things going on there that I don’t really need to be involved in nor want to be involved in. I try to help George with the competition stuff but George has made it very clear to me and to Dodge and to everybody else that he wants to win a championship. He’s got a good plan for growing this team. The man knows how to win championships if you look at the history with his hockey team. He’s going to do what it takes. I’ve heard a lot of those things just like everybody else but I don’t really have the answer for that.”
    Moody: “You are still 20 percent owner of that team. Could something as important as a manufacturer change be done without your knowledge?”
    Evernham: “No, it cannot be done without my knowledge. Any kind of business proposition, until it comes time to put something on paper, anybody can talk about anything. But certainly it could not be done without my knowledge.”(SIRIUS Speedway PR)(10-16-2008) Comment here

  • Latest Ganassi merger rumor? Petty; GEM to Toyota?Trying to pin down the state of Petty Enterprises, under its new Boston Ventures' management, and the future of the Chip Ganassi operation has been tough enough the last few weeks, but now the speculation of a GM-Chrysler corporate merger has thrown things into a real tizzy. Insiders at both the Petty and Ganassi Dodge camps say there is speculation that the two struggling teams may somehow merge, and that that speculation is fueled by the sense that fellow Dodge owner George Gillett, who has majority interest in Gillett-Evernham-Motorsports, is "99 percent" certain to jump to Toyota. Ray Evernham was Dodge's mainstay in NASCAR racing, making such a move highly unusual. Dodge officials a few weeks ago denied such a change might be coming. One major complication for Dodge teams like Petty's and Ganassi's is that Gillett-Evernham has been a major Dodge engine operation. If Gillett moves to Toyota, then Dodge loses a very big player.(Winston-Salem Journal)(10-12-2008) Comment here

  • #19 Stanley Dodge Painted Pink for the Bank of America 500: Elliott Sadler and the #19 Stanley Dodge are changing their look with a passionate pink paint scheme for the Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup Series race on Oct. 11 in Charlotte. The pink paint scheme is in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Sadler, who races each week with a pink ribbon decal above the driver’s side door on the #19 Dodge, is excited for the opportunity to lend support to breast cancer awareness. “Last year my mother, Bell, was diagnosed with breast cancer, so this is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart,” said Sadler. “We are fortunate that she was able to fight and is now on the road to recovery, but I’m excited to get involved with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help support breast cancer awareness and raise money for research to find a cure.” Stanley is making a $100,000 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of the initiative. Following the race weekend, all of Sadler’s uniform items are going up for auction with proceeds set to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “Stanley Tools is proud to be supporting breast cancer awareness and Susan G. Komen for the Cure,” said Rebecca Durham, Motorsports & Sponsorships Manager of Stanley Tools. “Elliott has told us how important breast cancer awareness is to him and his family, and Stanley Tools is equally as passionate about the cause. This is a big weekend for Elliott, Stanley Tools and Susan G. Komen for the Cure and we are thrilled to be lending our support.” The pink Stanley logo that appears on the #19 Dodge and on Sadler’s firesuit marks the first time in the company’s 165 year history that its logo will change to a color other than Stanley Yellow.(GEM PR), see images of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(10-8-2008) Comment here

  • Sadler crew chief not at track and congrats: Gillett Evernham Motorsports engineer Kevin Kidd will serve as crew chief today for #19-Elliott Sadler during the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.Crew Chief Rodney Childers left Talladega on Friday to be with his wife for the birth of their twins in North Carolina.(SceneDaily)(10-5-2008)

  • Robby and investment company headed to court? UPDATE: #7-Robby Gordon claims he's been defrauded in a failed deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and wants a judge to excuse a million dollar bill. Gordon's company made a deal to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. According to legal documents, an investment company was hired to make the deal. But Gordon claims the deal went south because it was "fraudulently induced." As a result, Gordon and Co. want the judge to excuse an obligation to pay a $1,013,656 investment fee.(TMZ.com see the documents posted there)(10-2-2008)
    UPDATE: Robby Gordon Motorsports and Gillett Evernham Motorsports issued a joint statement today confirming that all issues between them are resolved. As previously announced, the two auto racing firms acknowledged that they acted in good faith in connection with their former merger plans. Recent news reports concerning a lawsuit between RGM and a business broker have suggested that RGM and GEM are in a continuing legal dispute. Those news reports are incorrect. GEM is not a party to RGM's lawsuit, and no claims are being asserted against GEM.(RGM/GEM PR)(10-4-2008)

  • Robby and investment company headed to court? #7-Robby Gordon claims he's been defrauded in a failed deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and wants a judge to excuse a million dollar bill. Gordon's company made a deal to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. According to legal documents, an investment company was hired to make the deal. But Gordon claims the deal went south because it was "fraudulently induced." As a result, Gordon and Co. want the judge to excuse an obligation to pay a $1,013,656 investment fee.(TMZ.com see the documents posted there)(10-2-2008)

  • Monopoly is off to a racing start at McDonald's: On Oct. 7, 2008, Monopoly is back at McDonald's. Elliott Sadler will get behind the wheel of the #19 McDonald's Dodge Charger with a special guest along for the ride. Mr. Monopoly will grace the hood of the McDonald's car in the Oct. 5, 2008 Sprint Cup Series Race at Talladega Superspeedway. The car will prominently feature PlayatMcD.com, where not only can consumers learn more about the exciting prizes in this year's game, but they can play the Online Game, too! There's a $100,000 cash prize up for grabs every day in the promotion - 28 days, 28 prizes. When the game kicks off on Oct. 7, customers can stop into McDonald's to get game stamps on some of their favorite menu items. All they have to do is peel their Game Stamp - and they are in the game! They could collect a property, or win instantly. A 10-digit code on the stamp gets them one dice roll in the Online Game, where there are tons of other great prizes.(McDonald's PR), see images of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(9-30-2008)

  • Garmin returns to the #19 at Kansas: Elliott Sadler and the #19 Dodge of Gillett Evernham Motorsports are sporting the blue and white colors of its primary sponsor Garmin this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Garmin, an Olathe, Kansas-based company and global leader in satellite navigation, is hoping to help Sadler find success in Kansas. Garmin also was the primary colors for the #19 at Talladega in April. Sadler is scheduled to visit the Garmin world headquarters in Olathe, Kansas on Thursday, Sept 25.(GEM PR), see images iof the scheme on my #19 Team schemes page.(9-24-2008)

  • Milestone starts for Sadler and Edwards: A pair of Sprint Cup Series drivers will be making milestone starts this weekend. #19-Elliott Sadler will be making his 350th career NSCS start. Points leader Carl Edwards will be making his 150th career start.(NASCAR PR)(9-24-2008)

  • Gordon-GEM Lawsuit dropped - no merger: Robby Gordon Motorsports and Gillett Evernham Motorsports today announced that they have agreed on terms for the resolution of the issues growing out of their former plan to merge the two teams. Disagreements over the merger led to the recent filing of a lawsuit to have the court determine the parties’ rights under the merger agreement. As part of the resolution, the lawsuit will be dismissed and the merger will not proceed. Management personnel for the two teams acknowledge that there were misunderstandings, but both sides acted in good faith throughout, and in the end it was circumstances beyond their control that caused the merger not to proceed.(RGM/GEM PR)(9-19-2008) Comment here

  • Next merger rumor - Ganassi and GEM? Since early July, Ganassi's future existence has been linked to a merger with virtually every multi-car team left in the sport. The car owner had lunch with Michael Waltrip at Daytona; immediately, rumors sprouted up the two were joining forces. Since then, rumors have swirled that anyone from Roger Penske to Robby Gordon was buying Ganassi out, or that the owner was looking to get out of the business altogether. Like Gordon's team, CGRFS is a prime target for any interested owner due to his organization's "locked in" qualifying spots (both are in the Top 35) as well as his race shop's prime real estate. Built in 2004, the top-notch facility was built right next to the Concord airport, and is just a heartbeat away from Charlotte for teams looking to move closer to racing's central hub.
    Speculation peaked on Thursday, when multiple sources told SI.com Ganassi was planning to join forces with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Gillett has been looking to add a fourth car since buying a 50% share in Evernham Motorsports last season. Rumored to be brokering a deal to buy Bill Davis Racing this week, negotiations on that side have fallen through. Bill Davis Racing officials had no comment on the process, but all indications are their organization is still up for sale -- just not to GEM. (A spokesman for Gillett Evernham Motorsports said the team won't comment on any merger speculation). That prompted a strong response from Ganassi, who told SI.com he adamantly denies anything's going on with Gillett. Ensuring SI.com he's here to stay in NASCAR for the long haul, Ganassi claimed in an exclusive interview he has no plans to merge with any organization at this moment -- with plans to run his two cars full-time in 2009.(Sports Illustrated)(9-19-2008) Comment here

  • GEM to buy BDR? UPDATE denied: According to multiple sources, a deal is in the works for George Gillett, majority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, to buy out Bill Davis' Sprint Cup operation — including the #22 team, the Toyota affiliation, Triad Racing Development and their engine shop. While Gillett could not be reached for confirmation, Gillett Evernham Motorsports Vice President and Managing Director of Competition Mark McArdle told FOXSports.com on Sunday that GEM was searching for a fourth car with a spot inside the top 35 in the owners standings. McArdle would not elaborate on which team or any possible terms, but Bill Davis has made it no secret in the garage that he is open to offers. "We're looking forward to having a fourth car next year to help us with our current business plans," said McArdle. "That's where we stand. To get a sponsor, they want to know that you're going to be there to race on Sunday." Although a deal has not yet been finalized, sources say Toyota has approved the plan. Davis will continue to field a Craftsman Truck Series team and add a Nationwide Series program to his High Point, N.C., operation. Davis, who was attending the debut NHRA event at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., could not be reached for comment. Sources in the garage said that Davis' current Cup driver, Dave Blaney, inquired last week about rides for next season.(FoxSports)(9-15-2008)
    UPDATE: from a Dodge Motorsports PR:
    Q: IN SPITE OF RECENT PUBLISHED REPORTS, CAN YOU PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON DODGE’S DIRECTION IN MOTORSPORTS – IN PARTICULAR NASCAR AND GILLETT EVERNHAM MOTORSPORTS?
    Mike Delahanty, Sr. Manager – Dodge Motorsports: I just want to respond to these recent reports regarding Gillett Evernham Motorsports – specifically regarding Bill Davis Racing and speculation that GEM would leave Dodge. It’s nothing but pure speculation. Dodge and Gillett Evernham have a long history that dates to our return to Sprint Cup racing (2001). Dodge and GEM have a long-term contract in place. We plan to continue as partners in NASCAR. We’re aware and have had discussion about GEM’s interest in adding a fourth car, but there’s never been discussion about running anything but a Dodge. Anything beyond that, we classify as pure speculation. We’re pleased to see the turnabout in the competition side at GEM and absolutely look forward to many more Victory Lane celebrations together.”
    Q: WHAT ABOUT DODGE’S COMMITMENT TO MOTORSPORTS…HAS IT CHANGED?
    MD: I don’t know how many times we have to keep saying it, but we are committed….we have long-term contracts in place…not only with Gillett Evernham, but with Penske Racing…with Petty (Enterprises) and with Chip Ganassi Racing. We’re committed to the sport. We’re committed to these guys…I don’t know how many times we have to repeat it.(Dodge Motorsports PR)(9-17-2008) Comment here

  • RGM-GEM Proposed merger may be in jeopardy #7-Robby Gordon said he still wants to merge with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, despite a suit just filed against him by Gillett-Evernham. Gordon, who has been using engines supplied by Gillett-Evernham this season, said he expects to have a legal response in the next few days to the lawsuit filed against him by the Ray Evernham-George Gillett operation that claims a breach of contract on a proposed sale of Gordon's NASCAR operation to Evernham-Gillett. But already there are rumblings in the NASCAR garage over what might be the real story behind the suit: whether Evernham and Gillett don't really want to do that deal with Gordon any more, perhaps because they have a better proposal, or for some other reason.
    One key part of the entire situation is Gillett's plan to move his team from its relatively isolated Statesville airport location down much closer to the Charlotte-Concord heart of the sport. Evernham and Gillett haven't been here to explain the situation from their viewpoint, but Gordon said he still wants to do the deal with them. One key to the proposed $20 million deal apparently is a sale of Gordon's shop and real estate -- some prime racing real estate -- to Evernham and Gillett.
    There is increasing speculation that Chip Ganassi -- a Dodge team owner like Evernham, Gillett and Gordon -- might also be a potential merger partner with Evernham and Gillett. And Ganassi has prime real estate too, right next to the Concord airport. "Unfortunately I guess you'll have to learn more about all that in our answers to their complaint," Gordon said. "But we have a deal with them, we have a contract that is still in effect. What they have asked -- I wouldn't say it's so much against Robby Gordon, but they have asked for release from the contract. But we've already done so many things together that I don't know if that's possible." Might Evernham and Gillett want to drop the Gordon deal so they can do a deal with someone else? "Maybe that's what the case is, but I'm not privy to that information, so I don't know," Gordon said.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-8-2008)

  • GEM sues Robby Gordon: Gillett Evernham Motorsports [#9-Kahne, #10-Carpentier, #19-Sadler] has filed suit against #7-Robby Gordon saying the owner/driver of Robby Gordon Motorsports violated terms of a tentative agreement that would have sold his team to GEM for $23.5 million earlier this year. The deal, agreed to Jan. 29, was pending an audit and other due diligence from GEM, which could have adjusted the price. If the deal had gone through, Gordon would have had a four-year driving contract with GEM that would have paid him $3 million annually plus 45 percent of race winnings as well as insurance and other provisions customary for NASCAR driver agreements – a package likely worth at least $5 million annually. Gordon also could have had a spot on the team’s board of directors. GEM would have acquired Gordon’s shop and property in Charlotte. As part of the agreement, GEM pledged to provide Gordon with all “racing infrastructure” and to support the Gordon’s car “in substantially the same manner in which GEM supports its most supported car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup” for the 2008 season.
    Three days after the agreement was signed, GEM and Gordon announced a technical, manufacturing and marketing partnership. At that time, GEM owner George Gillett, in an interview with NASCAR Scene, stated that he did not buy Gordon’s operation and was more likely to add a fourth car to his stable and hoped Gordon would add a second or third car to his. According to the lawsuit, GEM was pursuing efforts to close the deal. The contract includes an exclusivity clause, which GEM claims would not allow Gordon to entertain talks with other teams about possible mergers. In May, Gordon asked out of the deal, according to the lawsuit, in exchange for an engine deal for the remainder of the season.
    The exclusivity clause is the primary basis for the lawsuit, filed Aug. 25 in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. GEM claims in court documents that Gordon has talked to other teams about merging. It also claims that Gordon made disparaging remarks that he wasn’t getting comparable engines to the other GEM drivers during a DirecTV telecast last month at Watkins Glen. The lawsuit also claims that Gordon ignored the advice of GEM and terminated his previous deal with Ford prematurely, before GEM could get a sponsorship deal from Dodge for Gordon’s car. Dodge and GEM couldn’t agree on a manufacturer’s deal for Gordon’s car. GEM, which has supplied engines and other services for Gordon throughout the season, is asking for unspecified damages for Gordon’s breach of the agreement and for the agreement to be declared null and void, according to the complaint.
    “We categorically reject the allegations that are contained in the complaint, and the truth will come out if the case proceeds,” Gordon said in a statement released through his race team. “In the meantime, we think it is best to allow that to happen in the court proceedings rather than in the media. Therefore, although we have much to say, we won’t be making a further statement about it at this time.”
    Other highlights of the purchase agreement:
    • Gordon would have been allowed to compete in other motorsports events as long as they did not conflict with NASCAR or any sponsors of GEM.
    • Gordon and GEM agreed to do their best to retain the employees Gordon wanted.
    GEM spokesman Drew Brown said the team would not comment on the lawsuit.(SceneDaily)(9-4-2008) Comment here

  • If Sadler wins at MIS, $1 million to charity: Elliott Sadler and the #19 Stanley Tools Dodge now have a million more reasons to win the Aug. 17 race at Michigan International Speedway. Primary sponsor Stanley Tools will make a $1 million donation to the Children's Miracle Network if Sadler wins the 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at MIS. The incentive is part of the "Racing for a Miracle" program created by Stanley Tools, the Ace Hardware Foundation, and Children's Miracle Network. "Racing for a Miracle" is a multi-dimensional program that benefits sick and injured kids as well as the hospitals that provide their care. In addition to the race, Sadler is encouraging Ace Hardware patrons to go to one of the country's 3,800 Ace Hardware stores during the month of August to buy a $1 "Racing for a Miracle" icon. All donations go to a local Children's Miracle Network hospital. As part of "Racing for a Miracle," Sadler will visit Sparrow Hospital, the Children's Miracle Network area hospital in Lansing, Mich. on Thursday, Aug. 14 prior to the weekend's race at MIS. He will race remote control cars with young patients, sign autographs, tour the hospital and present a special miracle child with an award for winning a helmet design contest. The program culminates at MIS that Sunday, as Elliott Sadler's #19 Stanley Tools Dodge will carry a new look on their car. The logos of Children's Miracle Network and Ace Hardware will adorn the TV panel for one race only to encourage others to continue to race money for sick and injured kids.(GEM PR)(8-11-2008)

  • Gillett Evernham interested in free agent drivers: Tuesday Gillett Evernham Motorsports owner Ray Evernham spoke to Sirius Speedway host Dave Moody about the possibility of bringing Ryan Newman or any other free agent drivers to his race team for next year.
    Host, Dave Moody: "Are you now, have you ever, or do you anticipate active negotiations with Ryan Newman for a spot in your stable next year?"
    Ray Evernham: "We have not negotiated with Ryan but we have put out the feeler that we would be very interested, certainly, in talking to Ryan about the future as would probably all the other car owners but we've not spoken with Ryan or negotiated with him. But, yes, we are interested in talking to him."
    Moody: "So if your phone rings and he does [call] you back are we talking about a fourth car?"
    Evernham: "Mr. Gillett and I would love to expand to four cars. So if that's going to happen it has to happen quickly but there are opportunities to grow Gillett Evernham Motorsports. But, again, that depends on drivers and sponsors and there are sponsors available with the proper drivers."
    Moody: "Would it be safe to assume then that Ryan Newman might not be the only top notch driver in the final year of his contract that you might have reached out [to] at this point?"
    Evernham: "Yeah, absolutely, but there's no sense in doing a fourth team unless it can add to what we're already building and to start a fourth team without the proper sponsorship or a driver that can add to the program just doesn't make sense. There are a couple of drivers available and there are some sponsors out there that are talking to other teams, too, besides us to put packages together. But if we were to be able to put that package together to strengthen Gillett Evernham we'd certainly do it. The guys that are out there that have been talking to people, certainly that we have spoken to or are interested in speaking [to], are the same guys everybody else has talked to: Ryan Newman, Casey Mears and Martin Truex are the guys that are in the hot rumors right now."(Sirius NASCAR Radio)(7-23-2008) Comment here

  • Gillett Evernham hosts National Guard Unit: The final off-weekend of the 2008 Sprint Cup season saw many Gillett Evernham Motorsports employees put in a little extra time at the team's race shop Friday night. But it wasn't to work on race cars. The employees played host to soldiers from a local North Carolina National Guard unit that plans to deploy overseas in 2009. More than 100 uniformed troops and their families enjoyed food, pit stop demonstrations, entertainment and employee tours of the race shops that are home to Kasey Kahne's Budweiser Dodge, Elliott Sadler's Best Buy/Stanley Tools/McDonald's Dodge and Patrick Carpentier's Valvoline/LifeLock Dodge. The guard unit detachment is from the Alpha Battery 1-113 Field Artillery Unit of the North Carolina Army National Guard. The battery is headquartered in Lincolnton, N.C. while the detachment calls Statesville home. Friday night's event marks the first public effort of the Gillett Evernham Motorsports Soldier Outreach committee. The committee plans future fundraisers to aid the unit and its families while the troops are overseas. (Gillett Evernham Motorsports PR)(7-19-2008) Comment here

  • GEM names new CFO: Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced the promotion of Gregory D. Park to chief financial officer of the NASCAR team. "Greg has been a key contributor to the development of our team as well as a leader in the financial management, analysis and control of our business" said Tom Reddin, chief executive officer of Gillett Evernham Motorsports. I am very proud of the business team that we have assembled here. Having worked with Greg over the past few months, I know that he will be a strong chief financial officer, and that his management skills will be a great asset to the organization." Park joined GEM in 2005 as the team's director of systems and financial reporting. Prior to that, Park served as chief financial officer at MB2 and MBV Motorsports. He was also the corporate controller and director of systems and reporting for Action Performance Companies Inc. Park is a certified public accountant holding master's and bachelor's degrees from the University of Utah.(GEM PR)(7-7-2008)

  • Congrats to Elliott Sadler: #19-Elliott Sadler has already had a big week. On Tuesday he proposed to his girlfriend, Amanda Prince, who is also from his hometown of Empopria, Va. She said yes, and they've already picked a January date for the wedding.(Thats Racin)(7-5-2008) Comment here

  • Big Mac theme at MIS for Sadler: Elliott Sadler and the #19 Dodge team will make people in the Michigan International Speedway NASCAR garage and grandstands very hungry this weekend when they roll by them. Sporting the familiar McDonald's orange and yellow colors, the car has a very visual Big Mac theme to their paint scheme.(GEM PR) see an image of the car on my #19 Team Schemes page.(6-11-2008)

  • GEM signs Sadler to extension: Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced today it has signed a multi-year contract extension with driver Elliott Sadler. "Elliott is a well respected driver who has the skills, both on and off the track, to succeed in NASCAR," said CEO Tom Reddin. "In addition to being a great Sprint Cup driver, Elliott has a wonderful personality that attracts fans and sponsors who love working with him. We have enjoyed working with Elliott over the last year and a half and look forward to continuing our relationship." Sadler, 33, joined Gillett Evernham Racing in 2006 and is glad to have a future with the team. "This is the place where I want to race," the Emporia, Va. native said. "I think what we are building here is special and something other drivers and crew members envy." Sadler drives the #19 Dodge sponsored by Best Buy, Stanley Tools, McDonald's and Siemens. He owns three career victories.(GEM PR), the length of the extension was not announced but supposedly it is a 2-year deal thru 2010.(5-29-2008)

  • Elliott Sadler to Visit Charlotte School: #19-Elliott Sadler will visit a Charlotte-area high school this week to celebrate the formation of the first Student Club for Autism Speaks (SCAS) in the southeast. The driver of the #19 Best Buy Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series will meet with students of the Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in Charlotte on Wednesday. Sadler will not only honor the students for their past volunteer efforts on behalf of Autism Speaks, but also recognize the establishment of a new student club at the school that will continue to raise awareness and funds for autism research. Sadler, whose niece has autism, has helped raise funds for autism organizations for several years now. He says it's inspiring to see how involved students across the nation are becoming with such an important cause.(Best Buy Racing PR)(5-21-2008)

  • Evernham still involved in GEM: Ray Evernham says he is still an essential part of Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Rumors have been circulating that the 50-year-old Evernham had sold his remaining interest in the organization that fields Cup teams for drivers #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Patrick Carpentier. Evernham sold a majority interest in Evernham Motorsports to businessman George Gillett in August 2007 and the company was subsequently renamed Gillett Evernham Motorsports. “The way that whole program worked, I sold 80% of the company and I will continue to own 20% of the company until George and I decide we’re not going to be partners or whatever,” Evernham said May 10. Evernham says his position isn’t one that requires him to be in the office each day or at the track each weekend – earlier this year he agreed to serve as an analyst for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage, and he says his new schedule has allowed him to spend more time with his son, Ray J.(SceneDaily)(5-17-2008) Comment here

  • Allstate Teen Safe Driving Pit Stop Using GEM Drivers to Reach Parents and Teens: Allstate Insurance Company is using a group of athletes who drive fast for a living to caution parents and teens to slow down when making decisions behind the wheel. By partnering with Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM), Allstate has created the Allstate Teen Safe Driving Pit Stop, an interactive, racing-focused program that will promote teen safe driving in key NASCAR markets throughout the year. The goal of the initiative is to facilitate communication between parents and teens about the importance of teen safe driving and provide tools to spark these conversations, including Allstate's interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract, available at www.allstate.com/teen. Allstate is the official insurance provider of GEM. GEM NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Patrick Carpentier, as well as team owner Ray Evernham, will headline the Allstate Teen Safe Driving Pit Stops at high schools across the country prior to the Sprint Cup Series races in select markets. Joining them will be SPEED personality John Roberts, who will serve as emcee at all of the events. Events are being scheduled for Birmingham, Ala., Charlotte, N.C., and Richmond, Va., with other markets to be announced throughout the year. Highlights of the Allstate Teen Safe Driving Pit Stop will include an interactive discussion with GEM drivers and Evernham and an open forum and question and answer session between the drivers, parents and teens. The Allstate Safety Zone, an interactive safe driving mobile display, will also visit the high schools and provide illustrations of important safety components in NASCAR stock cars. Computer kiosks will be available for parents and teens to complete Allstate's Interactive Parent-Teen Driving Contract at www.allstate.com/teen.(Allstate)(4-27-2008)

  • Special Helmet for Sadler: For the month of April, Elliott Sadler is wearing a specially-designed Autism Awareness helmet in every race. In May, that very same helmet will belong to whoever wants it most. To raise funds and awareness, Sadler had the helmet designed with the colorful, jigsaw Autism puzzle pieces. During the Texas, Phoenix and Talladega races in April, the driver of the #19 Dodge will be wearing the colorful concoction in competition. See more info on my Racing Charities page.(4-12-2008) Comment here

  • Garmin to sponsor #19 at Talladega and Kansas: Elliott Sadler is scheduled to drive the #19 Garmin Special paint scheme at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27 [had heard it was Dover in June]. 2008 & at Kansas Speedway on September 28, 2008, see an image on my #19 Team schemes page.(4-4-2008) Comment here

  • Sadler injured? Setzer to qualify? UPDATE 2: It was reported on SPEED's Truck Series practice coverage [Friday 11am-12pm] that #19-Elliott Sadler injured his back and that Truck Series veteran, Dennis Setzer, may practice and qualify the #19 McDonald's Sprint Cup Dodge for Sadler on Friday at Martinsville Speedway.(3-28-2008)
    UPDATE: In response to the announcement that Elliott Sadler sustained an off-track injury that makes his status in question for today’s practice for the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Mark McArdle, vice president and managing director of competition of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, has issued the following statement:
    ON THE STATUS OF ELLIOTT SADLER’S CONDITION? “The situation that we’re finding ourselves in is that the driver of our No.19 McDonald’s Dodge – Elliott Sadler - sustained a low-back injury away from the racetrack during the course of the week. He’s finding himself in quite a bit of discomfort, so what we‘ve done is put Dennis Setzer in a position of stand-by.
    “It’s high likely that Dennis will do some laps in the car here during today’s practice session and get the car dialed in for us in race configuration. Elliott’s pretty uncomfortable in any kind of sitting position this morning. We’ll have to make a decision as the day goes on as to exactly what our plans will be with regard to putting Elliott in the car for qualifying or not. We’re going to take it on an hour-by-hour, day-by-day basis for the course of the rest of the weekend. What’s important of course is doing what’s best for Elliott to make sure that we don’t exaggerate or exasperate his injuries any further. So we’re taking medical advice to ensure that we do the right things in that regard. We’re pleased that Dennis has accepted our request to put himself in a stand-by role. He’s an outstanding Dodge driver. Of course it’s a natural fit for us at Gillett Evernham and we’d like to thank his ownership in the truck series for giving him permission to put him in that status for us. Obviously, with his pedigree at this race track, it was an easy choice as to who to ask to stand-by. We’ve got him fitted to the car and trying to work on the logistics of being able to go back and forth between drivers - if that proves to be the right thing to do. We just want to make sure that we kept you folks informed on what’s going on here this morning.”
    HOW DID HE INJURY HIS BACK? “Apparently he had some injury after doing some routine for the week. Apparently during the course of that, something went slightly wrong and I think he exasperated it later that same day with a different sporting injury of some kind. We really don’t know too much detail about the nature of the injury other it’s just low back and seems to be involving a lot of nerve endings.”
    WHEN DID IT HAPPEN? On Wednesday.
    WHO WILL MAKE THE DECISION TO IF ELLIOT RETURNS TO THE CAR? “It will be Elliott’s call working with me in trying to make the best decision that we can. I think right now our inclination will be that we begin practice with Dennis. Certainly the possibility exists that as we go from race mode to qualifying trim, that at that point, we put Elliott in the car for a lap or two to put him in a position where John (Darby) and NASCAR would be happy (for Elliott) to qualify the car and then make our decision as to whether he will qualify based on his condition.”
    Elliott Sadler, driver of the #19 McDonalds Dodge Charger: "My back started to hurt late Wednesday and the pain was more noticeable when I got up Thursday. It was a normal week for me, so that's what really gets me more than anything. Nothing hurts a driver more than not being in his race car with his team. My goal is to be better by Sunday so I can race."(Dodge Motorsports PR)(3-28-2008)
    UPDATE 2: ELLIOTT SADLER (#19 McDonalds Dodge Charger) HOW DOES THE BACK FEEL TODAY? “The back is a little sore. I’m going to ice it down and take some inflammatory medicine and try and get as best prepared as I can.”
    DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN DRIVE 500 LAPS TOMORROW? “Right now, I feel like that I can go maybe half-way tomorrow. Right now it’s a 50-50 chance of going the whole way. Dennis (Setzer) is going to stay and hang out with us tomorrow. If I need him, then we’ll go to him. I’m still in a lot of pain right now. You use so much brake here. I’m pushing my back up against the seat a lot. We made seat adjustments today and that helped. Right now it’s 50-50 of going the whole way.”(Dodge Motorsports PR)(3-29-2008) Comment here

  • McDonald's debut on the #19 car: #19 Dodge driver Elliott Sadler carries the familiar McDonald's paint scheme this weekend in the Sprint Cup series race at Martinsville Speedway. Sadler will race the McDonald's car six times in 2007 joining a small group of Sprint Cup drivers who have carried the Golden Arches paint scheme through the years. The list includes Hut Stricklin, Jimmy Spencer, plus Gillett Evernham Motorsports drivers Bill Elliott and Kasey Kahne. The #19 McDonald's Dodge will run GEM Chassis No. 221 this weekend; a brand new car never raced and tested last fall in Atlanta.(GEM PR), see images of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(3-26-2008)

  • Drivers celebrities join resort advisory board: Sheridan Ridge Private Reserve, a more than 1,400-acre upscale resort community located in Southwest Virginia, announced the joining of top NASCAR celebrities Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Hammond and Greg Zipadelli to the project¹s Advisory Board. The Advisory Board members¹ duties will include weighing in on the property¹s planned amenities, as well as introducing individuals to the unique lifestyle of Sheridan Ridge. Each Advisory Board member will have a vacation home on the property. Sheridan Ridge will also introduce interested individuals around the country to the beauty of Southwest Virginia. More info at sheridanridgeva.com.(3-15-2008)

  • Sadler's and Yeley enter Horsepower Series UPDATE: Elliott and Hermie Sadler, and J.J. Yeley will join a cast of eight stock car personalities [five to be named later] as they will team with Power Golf Professionals Sean Fister, Brooks Baldwin, Danny Luirette, Kevin Bullard, Vince Howell, Scott Ionno, JD Murkerson, and Carl Wolter in the 2008 HorsePower Tee Shot Tour. The Horsepower Tee Shot Tour (HTST) will include six events being played under the lights during race weeks next season. The scoring format will not only reward length off the tee, but accuracy as well. SPEED TV will be airing all the HTST events during the summer and early fall of 2008. Jeff Hammond is the spokesman for the HTST and NASCAR on FOX broadcaster. In addition to the “Power Golf” competition, each stop on the Tour also will include a golf trick-shot exhibition, fan participation and a charity event to benefit the Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp.(HTST PR)(12-30-2007)
    UPDATE: HorsePower Sports Marketing (HSM), the sanctioning body of the 2008 Horsepower Tee Shot Tour (HTST), proudly welcomes Brian Vickers, its fifth stock car personality, to the upcoming 2008 HTST season. The six "Power Golf" events constituting the HTST take place during Sprint Cup race weeks at select venues in close proximity to the race tracks between May and October. All events are scheduled to air on SPEED.(SPEED PR)(3-11-2008), for the tour schedule and more info, see hpteeshottour.com.

  • Garmin signs with GEM as a sponsor on #19: Garmin International Inc. announced that it will become an associate sponsor of the #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports team in the 2008 Sprint Cup series with driver Elliott Sadler. Electronics retailer Best Buy is the car's primary sponsor. Garmin is partnering with Best Buy Racing for the second year in a row. The #19 car will sport a prominent Garmin logo that will also be found on driver and crew uniforms, and it will appear on other supporting vehicles throughout the 2008 race season. During the season, an interactive Garmin kiosk will be available in the Best Buy Fun Zone Technology truck as it makes race day appearances. Garmin will serve as the primary sponsor when NASCAR heads to Dover on June 1, 2008, and on September 28, when drivers compete at Kansas Speedway. Garmin is the premier provider of GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled devices and a leading designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics.(PR Newswire)(2-29-2008)

  • Sadler running the flames scheme at Vegas: This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the #19 Stanley Dodge of Elliott Sadler won't be hard to find. The team will debut the Stanley Tool paint scheme on the Gillett Evernham Motorsports entry with red, yellow and orange flames on a black #19 background.(GEM PR), see my #19 Team Schemes page for some images of the car.(2-28-2008)

  • U2 on the hood of the #19 at Calif: The #19 Best Buy Dodge of Elliott Sadler will feature the "U2 3D" concert movie on its hood, sides and decklid at California Speedway this weekend. Filmed in South American during their Vertigo Tour in front of 90,000 fans, "U2 3D" continues the band's use of modern technology. With this endeavor, they once again raised the bar in creating the first digital, multi-camera real time production of its kind. The film opens February 22nd in IMAX Theaters.(GEM PR)(2-20-2008)

  • Evernham Joins ESPN’s NASCAR Team as Analyst: Ray Evernham, a successful team owner in NASCAR racing and a three-time Sprint Cup champion crew chief, has joined ESPN’s NASCAR coverage team as an analyst. Evernham, who makes his debut this week from Daytona International Speedway, will appear on NASCAR Now, ESPN’s daily NASCAR news and information show, as part of a rotating panel of ESPN analysts for a weekly roundtable discussion in an expanded one-hour Monday edition of the program. The roundtable, hosted by ESPN’s Allen Bestwick, will discuss the latest NASCAR news and events. Evernham, owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, also will make appearances via satellite on other editions of NASCAR Now. NASCAR Now airs weeknights at 6pm/et on ESPN2. In addition to his duties with NASCAR Now, Evernham will work as an analyst in ESPN’s booth for live telecasts of Nationwide Series races from Mexico City and Loudon, N.H. Evernham also will join ESPN’s pre-race NASCAR Countdown show for some races in 2008, including prior to the Feb. 16 Nationwide Series opening event from Daytona, and will appear from Daytona on NASCAR Now, SportsCenter and ESPNEWS.   “We are thrilled to further elevate our NASCAR telecasts with the addition of another former champion in Ray Evernham,” said Rich Feinberg, vice president, motorsports, ESPN production. “Our team already has a very deep bench and this only strengthens it.” Evernham appeared on several Nationwide Series telecasts in 2007 as a guest analyst on the pre-race program and also was featured in Race Wizard with Ray Evernham, a program that aired on ESPN2 in 2007. He previously appeared as an analyst on ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the IROC Series in 2000. "ESPN is the leader in sports worldwide,” said Evernham. “Their expertise and credibility with the men and women around the world reinforces this position, and I am excited that NASCAR is such an integral part of their programming. I look forward to joining their team and sharing my knowledge and experience of the sport with the fans."(ESPN PR)(2-13-2008)

  • GEM appoints Tom Reddin as new CEO: Gillett Evernham Motorsports appointed Tom Reddin as its new chief executive officer overseeing the team's three Sprint Cup teams and Nationwide team. "This is another step in our plan toward build a winning organization," said co-owner Ray Evernham. "Tom is a world-class business executive who brings a wealth of experience to Gillett Evernham Motorsports. His management style will enable this organization to maximize its production off the track so the competition side has the resources to win races and contend for championships." Gillett Evernham Motorsports began searching for a new CEO last season with Evernham, co-owner George Gillett Jr., and President Rick Russell leading the search committee. "We couldn't be happier with our selection," said Gillett. "I feel fortunate we could find someone of Tom's experience, expertise and passion to come lead our organization. The fans in the stands might not see Tom's face at the track but his performance is as vital as that of any team member." Reddin's business background is a combination of consumer packaged goods, e-commerce and technology experience gained at Kraft Foods, CBS, Coca-Cola and LendingTree where he ultimately served as chief executive officer. Reddin's experience also involved racing and NASCAR. His love for motorsports began in childhood and continued when he worked with the late Bobby Hamilton with Country Time Lemonade in the late 80's and early 90's, and Coca-Cola's NASCAR ties in the late 1990s.(Gillett Evernham Motorsports PR)(2-5-2008)

  • Cintas signs with GEM; primary for #10 in a race: Cintas Corp., a supplier of corporate uniforms and other business services, has agreed to a multiyear sponsorship deal at Gillett Evernham Motorsports beginning with the 2008 season. Cincinnati-based Cintas will become the official uniform supplier and safety supplier for all three of GEM's teams, which gives the company associate sponsorship positioning on the #'s 9, 10 and 19 Sprint Cup cars. Cintas also will be a primary sponsor on Patrick Carpentier's #10 Dodge for the March 9 Sprint Cup race at Atlanta, marking the first time Cintas has been a primary sponsor on a Cup car, the company said. Terms of the deal were not available. In addition to sponsoring GEM's Sprint Cup teams, Cintas will have access to drivers Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler. Cintas intends to use the drivers as part of its "Lifetime Experiences" program for Cintas clients.(Business Courier of Cincinnati)(2-4-2008)

  • Something up with Robby Gordon? UPDATE been hearing a bunch of rumors the last few days about Robby Gordon Motorsports, driver/owner Robby Gordon and the #7 Ford. Everything from he is selling the team, merging the team or/and switching manufacturers. Rumored teams include Yates Racing, Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Hall of Fame Racing. Email sent to the team has gone unanswered. I have been told Gordon tested at California Speedway Thursday, then left and headed back to California and didn't test there Friday.
    UPDATE: Gillett Evernham Motorsports today announced a technical, manufacturing and marketing services agreement with Robby Gordon Motorsports which will race Dodges in the 2008 Sprint Cup season. Gordon's team will use Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge engines when practice begins next week at Daytona International Speedway. BAM Racing and Petty Enterprises also use Gillett Evernham Motorsports engines and receive technical assistance. Gillett Evernham Motorsports fields cars for drivers #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Patrick Carpentier in the Sprint Cup Series as well as a Nationwide Series entry. "I feel this agreement with Gillett Evernham Motorsports helps make the learning curve of the COT little bit easier to navigate," said Gordon whose 28th-place finish in owner points was the best of any single-car team in 2007. "I like what they have going on over there and I think both organizations will benefit. As an owner I want to do what is best for my employees and sponsors." Gordon's move to Dodge comes after one year with Ford. "Ford has been very good to me, and this move is not a reflection on our relationship at all," said Gordon. "Ford was planning on supporting me, and even increasing its engineering support for my program in 2008. However, I felt that I needed to make this move to help put my team in a more stable financial situation in terms of marketing and sponsorship help." Based in Charlotte North Carolina, Robby Gordon Motorsports is home to the No. 7 Dodge. With sponsorship from Jim Beam, Menards, Mapei, and Camping World Robby Gordon will run the entire 2008 Sprint Cup series schedule.(Gillett Evernham Motorsports PR)(GEM PR)(2-1-2008)

  • McDonald's to sponsor Sadler UPDATE: McDonald's will make its return to NASCAR's Cup series as one of three primary sponsors for Gillett Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge of Elliott Sadler this season. McDonald's, Best Buy and Stanley Tools were announced as company's sharing sponsorship on the car Tuesday. Best Buy is expected to be on the car for 15 races, while Stanley will have 13 and McDonald's eight, although those numbers are still subject to change.(SceneDaily.com), McDonald's sponsored #9-Kasey Kahne in 2007 at Las Vegas and Bristol in August, see the 2007 #9 Team Schemes page to see the scheme.(1-23-2008)
    UPDATE: McDonald's USA and Gillett Evernham Motorsports [GEM] announced that McDonald's will sponsor Elliott Sadler's #19 Dodge in six [not 8] Sprint Cup races in 2008. "McDonald's is thrilled to partner with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, which is one of the premier teams in the Sprint Cup Series," said John Lewicki, McDonald's senior director of alliance marketing. "This partnership is a great fit as McDonald's, Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Elliott Sadler are all committed to delivering quality experiences to fans and customers alike." McDonald's will sponsor Sadler's #19 Dodge all season and serve as the primary sponsor at Martinsville on March 22, Darlington on May 10, Michigan on June 15, California on Aug. 31, Talladega on Oct. 5 and Atlanta on Oct. 26. McDonald's logos will also appear on the uniform of Sadler's teammate Kasey Kahne in the 2008 season. McDonald's has sponsored Gillett Evernham Motorsports since 2004 and has continued to grow its involvement. "McDonald's is obviously one of the great brands of American history and we feel proud a company of its prestige selected Gillett Evernham Motorsports," said team co-owner Ray Evernham. "The sponsor partners we have at this race team are second to none. McDonald's has supported my team and my family for quite a few years now. They are more than just a sponsor, they are my friends." Sadler will carry "trimary sponsorship" in 2008 with Best Buy and Stanley taking turns serving as primary sponsor along with McDonald's throughout the season. "The cool thing is I've always been a McDonald's, Best Buy and Stanley kind of guy," Sadler said. "We have some great partners and I am glad they are coming on board with us. McDonald's has been a big part of my life growing up." For more information about McDonald's visit www.McDonald's.com.(GEM PR).see an image for the car on the #19 Team Schemes page.(1-24-2008) Comment here

  • Evernham not leaving NASCAR: Ray Evernham said that rumors of his retirement from NASCAR were greatly exaggerated. After selling part of his business to the Gillett group (GEM) Evernham, Jeff Gordon’s former crew chief who started his own team full-time with Dodge in 2001, admitted that racing is not fun any longer in an interview during the Sprint NASCAR Media Tour in Concord. “Honestly, no, I wasn’t having fun,” he said, adding “it wasn’t just because of the (team’s poor) performance. There was a lot going on, over the last few years, that took the fun out of it for me because I love racing. Some of the fun had gone away, but, there’s a lot of great people in the sport and I want to spend time with those people and maybe being away from the negative people will help a little bit.” Remaining in NASCAR’s top series was a battle he explained “it was a constant fight to keep people, to keep sponsors, to keep relationships in a in a highly competitive world not all things don’t always go well. Evernham said that since it took three people to take over his previous job, he was working too hard to accomplish his goals. For now he’ll remain an “owner” but have the freedom to chose what role he’ll continue with at Gillett Evernham Motorsports.(Franckly Speaking/Lewis Franck)(1-22-2008) Comment here

  • GEM names Mark McArdle VP and Managing Director of Competition Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced the promotion of Mark McArdle to Vice President and Managing Director of Competition. McArdle formerly served as the Vice President and Managing Director of Gillett Evernham Engines. "This is another example of the business and performance related improvements Ray Evernham and I are committed to making," said George Gillett Jr., team owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports. "The goal is to position our resources and leadership where they will have the greatest impact, conduct assessments and then make any additional strategic investments necessary to compete for championships. That's what we expect as an organization and we are committed to delivering that level of performance to our partners." McArdle spent 10 years building engines in CART with organizations such as Penske Racing and Mercedes-Benz. After visiting victory lane in the Indianapolis 500 three times, McArdle made the move to NASCAR and has been with Gillett Evernham Motorsports since 2003. In addition to his management responsibilities at Gillett Evernham Engines, he also provided oversight and direction to Advanced Engine Technology, the Gillett Evernham facility based in Northhamptonshire, England. "We are promoting Mark [McArdle] to this role based on his remarkable performance and innumerable contributions to Gillett Evernham Motorsports over the past five seasons, especially with our engine program," said Evernham, co-owner. "Mark has an exceptional understanding of the technical side of this business, but additionally he understands that the foundation of this business is people. He has an outstanding reputation with his effective management style and is a proven team leader that is committed to excellence and delivering results." McArdle's technology-based approach to competition together with the added business expertise and resources of Gillett should help Gillett Evernham Motorsports move closer to its goal of becoming a championship organization. "I am very grateful to both Ray Evernham and George Gillett for the trust they are placing in me. Our goal is to win races and championships and until we do that I won't rest and neither will our employees at this race shop," McArdle said. "This company has a history of winning races and I fully expect we will resume that tradition here shortly."(GEM PR)(1-16-2008)

  • Stanley Tools to sponsor Sadler: Stanley Tools will have a fresh new look in 2008. NASCAR fans will now see the familiar yellow and black colors of the Stanley brand on Elliott Sadler's Gillett Evernham Motorsports #19 Dodge at a dozen races plus the All-Star race during the upcoming Sprint Cup season. The Stanley brand has served as a co-primary sponsor on the #10 Dodge at Gillett Evernham Motorsports since 2006 as well as an associate sponsor. Stanley will sponsor the #19 Dodge for 12 races in 2008, including races at Las Vegas, Phoenix (April 12), Richmond (May 3), Pocono (June 8), Infineon, Indianapolis, Michigan (Aug. 17), New Hampshire (Sept. 14), Lowe's (Oct. 11), Texas (Nov. 2) and both Bristol races plus the All-Star race in Charlotte. In addition to the #19 primary sponsorship, Stanley will continue its involvement as an associate sponsor on the #9 Budweiser Dodge of Kasey Kahne and the #10 Valvoline Dodge of Patrick Carpentier. Stanley logos will also be on Carpentier's #9 Dodge for the Nationwide Series race in Montreal. More information about The Stanley Works can be found at stanleyworks.com.(GEM PR), see an image of the scheme on the #19 Team Schemes page.(1-10-2008)

    Past 2007 News

  • Sadler's and Yeley enter Horsepower Series: Elliott and Hermie Sadler, and J.J. Yeley will join a cast of eight stock car personalities [five to be named later] as they will team with Power Golf Professionals Sean Fister, Brooks Baldwin, Danny Luirette, Kevin Bullard, Vince Howell, Scott Ionno, JD Murkerson, and Carl Wolter in the 2008 HorsePower Tee Shot Tour. The Horsepower Tee Shot Tour (HTST) will include six events being played under the lights during race weeks next season. The scoring format will not only reward length off the tee, but accuracy as well. SPEED TV will be airing all the HTST events during the summer and early fall of 2008. Jeff Hammond is the spokesman for the HTST and NASCAR on FOX broadcaster. In addition to the “Power Golf” competition, each stop on the Tour also will include a golf trick-shot exhibition, fan participation and a charity event to benefit the Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp.(HTST PR)(12-30-2007)

  • No Petty/GEM merger: For the time being, Petty Enterprises will go it alone in the increasingly costly world of NASCAR. Kyle Petty said Tuesday that Richard Petty has decided not to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Not at this time, at least. Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham were said to be discussing a merger or partnership that would have allowed Petty to maintain its identity.(Kansas City Star)(11-28-2007)

  • Evernham plans to scale back track time in 2008: Although Ray Evernham will be overseeing how the race cars will be built at Gillett Evernham Motorsports next year, he doesn't expect to be at the race track all the time to do it. "You'll probably see less of me as the thing goes on a little bit," Evernham said Nov. 16. "I'm going to try to get a little bit rested up and concentrate on what we've got to do to get better and see what the next things are." Evernham sold majority interest of his team to George Gillett and family in August. The former crew chief for Jeff Gordon has remained with the team as chief executive officer. "The Gilletts have done a great job and they're doing exactly what they said they would do and it's maybe letting me stand back a little bit and say, 'OK, what have we really got to do with this organization?' " Evernham said. "I'm looking forward to maybe being more of a consultant to my own company and helping more rather than trying. For me to be in the shop worrying about where the bodies are put and how the cars are being built? No, I need to be out identifying the people and getting that long-term vision back again and it's going to allow me to do that, so you're probably going to see a little bit less of me."(SceneDaily.com)(11-19-2007)

  • Best Buy moving? UPDATE 6 to the #19: hearing that Best Buy will not return to Haas CNC Racing in 2008, but supposedly will stay in the sport with an unknown team, possibly a Dodge team, the #19 GEM Dodge of Elliott Sadler is one rumored possibility.(10-22-2007)
    UPDATE: Haas CNC Racing has settled on its drivers for its two-car Sprint Cup team in 2008, but its sponsorship situation is unsettled. Best Buy, which backs the team's # 66 - driven for the first time this weekend by Jeremy Mayfield - has not decided its future, a spokesman for the company said this week. And Wednesday, a statement released by Yellow Transportation said that company is evaluating its future in the sport. Yellow entered Nextel Cup this season as sponsor of Johnny Sauter's #70. Sauter will be replaced next season by Scott Riggs. Haas CNC Racing General Manager Joe Custer said this week the team is negotiating with both companies to return next season.(SceneDaily.com)(10-25-2007)
    UPDATE 2: hearing Best Buy sponsorship is a done deal to Gillett Evernham Mototsports #19 team and driver Elliott Sadler, who supposedly made a commercial for Best Buy already.(11-1-2007)
    UPDATE 3: As far as sponsorship goes for the #19 next season, team sources said it will be a combination deal, with Best Buy, Valvoline and Stanley all rotating as primary sponsors next season.(SPEEDtv.com)(11-3-2007)
    UPDATE 4: Best Buy Racing will hold a press conference at Phoenix International Raceway Friday, November 9, to announce its sponsorship of a new driver and team, and unveil its 2008 car design.(11-8-2007)
    OR And Best Buy is expected to be announcing a sponsorship move today, possible to the Jack Roush-Doug Yates operation, possibly with driver #38-David Gilliland.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-9-2007)
    UPDATE 6: Best Buy, Inc., announced it has entered a new affiliation with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The nation's leading electronics retailer will serve as the primary sponsor of driver Elliott Sadler and the #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge Avenger in 15 Sprint Cup Series events in 2008, including the 50th running of the "Great American Race," the Daytona 500. "At Best Buy, we're all about bringing consumers the complete product and service experiences, and that's what we feel we've found with Gillett Evernham Motorsports," said Barry Judge, senior vice president, Marketing, Best Buy. "With Gillett Evernham Motorsports, not only do we have the focus on performance, but we also have a charismatic fan favorite and proven winner in our driver, Elliott Sadler. We're confident this new relationship will generate excitement and enthusiasm among our employees, as well as our customers." To announce the partnership, Best Buy and Gillett Evernham Motorsports held a press conference on Friday morning, Nov. 9, at Phoenix International Raceway, which featured a unique twist on the traditional sponsorship announcement. Instead of representatives just speaking about the new partnership, the relationship was announced through a special video piece that aired on flat-screen TV's placed in front of the media center stage. Produced by Best Buy's internal Yellow Tag production team and filmed last week at the Mooresville, N.C., Best Buy store, the humorous clip features Sadler, Evernham and local Best Buy employees, known as "Blue Shirts." In 2008, Best Buy will enter its fourth season as a sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2005, Best Buy partnered with NetZero as co-primary sponsors of the #0 entry, fielded by Haas CNC Racing. For the past two years, Best Buy has served as the primary sponsor of the #66 Haas CNC Racing car. Fans can view the video by visiting www.racing.bestbuy.com.(Evernham Motorsports PR), see images of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery.(11-9-2007)

  • More changes at GEM? UPDATE 2: hearing a few more engineers have parted ways with Gillett Evernham Mototsports, including former #19 crew chief Josh Browne.(11-1-2007)
    UPDATE: during ESPN2's Nextel Cup practice coverage at Texas on Friday, it was mentioned that #10 GEM Dodge Team Director [crew chief] Rodney Childers is heading up the team for #19 Elliott Sadler and Scott McDougall is heading up the #10 team of Scott Riggs. This will be Riggs last race in the #10 with Patrick Carpentier taking over at Phoenix.(11-2-2007)
    UPDATE: Gillett Evernham Motorsports is shuffling its lineup in anticipation of 2008. Rodney Childers, who was the team director of the #10 Dodge of Scott Riggs, has moved over to Elliott Sadler and the #19, replacing Josh Browne. Scott McDougall is team director of the #10 this week, while Ray Evernham himself might take over those responsibilities next week in Phoenix, when Patrick Carpentier will replace Riggs, who is in his last weekend with the team.(SPEEDtv.com)(11-3-2007)

  • GEM-Petty deal on hold? Alex Gillett still hopes to work out a partnership with Petty Enterprises, although he admits talks have slowed. "What you've got is one of the most storied people in the sport," the co-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports said. "There is a lot of emotion attached to what they want to do in the future and who they want to move into the future with. I can respect that. If that means give them space or not space. We did it with Ray." Negotiations to merge Gillett with owner Ray Evernham lasted at least four months longer than anticipated because an underground storage tank had to first be removed from Evernham's property in Statesville, N.C., for environmental reasons. "A lot of people criticized us for taking too long to close," Gillett said. "Well, nobody asked us the question of why. Each one of these has a life cycle. You can't push it." Meanwhile, Gillett said GEM officials are talking to two or three drivers to replace Scott Riggs in the #10 next season. He acknowledged that Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier is a strong candidate even though he has only one Nextel Cup start. David Stremme, who was not re-signed by Chip Ganassi Racing, also is a candidate. "I'm not sure if you bring somebody like a Patrick Carpentier and throw him right into Nextel Cup," Gillett said. "So we've got some other good options in the No. 10 car we're exploring. We'll see over the next couple of weeks where that ends up."(ESPN.cpm)(10-8-2007)

  • GEM to open New York Sales Office Gillett Evernham Motorsports announced that Jim Tucker has been hired as senior director, sales & development. Tucker has over nine years of corporate sponsorship experience, in developing, negotiating and implementing integrated marketing programs for major brands and properties in the sports, media and entertainment industries. Jim Tucker will be opening a sales office in New York City that will work complement and expand the reach of the existing Statesville, NC based sales and marketing department. Tucker will report to David Jessey, Vice President of Sales & Development. The new office will be responsible for developing new team sponsorships with Fortune 500 companies for the Gillett Motorsports’ fleet of cars and drivers, including #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Scott Riggs. Prior to this announcement, Jim Tucker spent four years in NASCAR’s sales and marketing offices, based in Manhattan. Prior to NASCAR, Jim Tucker worked with the National Football League in their Corporate Sales & Marketing division, managing the League’s official sponsorships.(Clear!Blue PR)(9-25-2007)

  • Dodge Dealers back on the #19 in 2008 UPDATE maybe not? Elliott Sadler’s #19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge will continue to carry the colors of Dodge dealers nationwide, who again in 2008 will ante up to stay in Nextel Cup.(SPEEDtv.com)(9-16-2007)
    UPDATE: Sponsorship for Gillett Evernham Motorsports' #19 car driven by Elliott Sadler remains unclear for next season, majority owner George Gillett said Tuesday. "We have options," Gillett said of the 19 car. "We can go that way [with Dodge] or we can go other ways. We have a very good relationship with Dodge and the Dodge Dealers. They wanted to be associated with Evernham and our cars, and we have flexibility."(SceneDaily.com)(9-19-2007)

  • More on the GEM/Petty 'merger': George Gillett Jr., the majority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, has been a big fan of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty for more than 30 years. Now he wants to be business partners. Gillett is actively pursuing a merger that would make Petty Enterprises and GEM a four-car team. Sources close to the situation say the merger likely would happen before the start of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, with Petty likely moving his two-car operation of #43-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty to GEM's Statesville [NC] facility. Gillett would only confirm that there have been discussions. "He's a man of great integrity, honesty," Gillett said of Petty. "His values are something like I've never seen. ... I'd love to figure out a way to be associated with him. I'm not prepared to say any more than that today. Richard and I are good friends." GEM minority owner Ray Evernham said such a deal would make both organizations stronger. "From my point of view, I would like to see that happen," Evernham said of the merger. "For me, the sooner the better." Evernham has been looking to expand to four teams. The difference here, he said, is he would have four good teams that are solidly in the top 35 for next season. Gillett said expansion is the only way to keep up, and not just in terms of teams. He is looking to build a large shop in the Charlotte area that will become a destination for racing fans. "Ray Evernham has every bit of technical skill and genius as the best of any one of those programs," he said of Evernham, who won three Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief. "So we will deploy ourselves in a way that gives us as much competitive strength as is possible to do within the rules." To stay within those rules, specifically NASCAR's four-car limit, GEM would have to lose one of its three teams to merge with Petty. The #10 driven by Scott Riggs is the likely target. Riggs is 37th in [drivers and owners] points, well behind Kahne in 22nd [drivers] and Elliott Sadler in 25th [drivers]. Gillett acknowledged that he would like to get more seat time for Patrick Carpentier, who finished 22nd when he replaced Riggs at the Watkins Glen road course last month. "We had our first test with him yesterday on an oval," [Kentucky Speedway] he said. "We're going over the data. ... I can tell you he looked very good and very comfortable on the track. He was competitive. It doesn't appear there will be any significant learning curve." Regardless, to merge with Petty Enterprises there would be no room for Carpentier in a Cup car. "It's all about the number of cars," Gillett said. "We would have to get rid of one of the cars here. Whether 'get rid of' means mothball or have it aligned with another team ... there are a number of teams out there that don't have four cars, several of whom we already have relationships with." GEM and Petty, which would remain under the Petty Enterprises umbrella, potentially could have the knowledge of six to eight cars under that scenario as Roush Fenway Racing plans to do under its partnership with Yates Racing. "As you can see, we've got technical excellence, a commitment to technology and upstanding people," Gillett said. "We need to exploit that. That can be exploited in any number of ways."(ESPN.com), on has to wonder..... what about Petty Enterprises long standing non-alcohol sponsorship policy? neither the #43-Labonte or #45-Petty cars carry any form of alcohol [beer or spirits] decals/sponsorship - like the Bud Pole award. How would teaming up with GEM and the #9 Budweiser sponsorship effect this policy?(9-19-2007)

  • Latest on the GEM-Petty merger: A possible merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises would benefit both teams from a competition standpoint, Petty vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis said Saturday. In a season of mergers, GEM and Petty are just the latest to talk about combining their teams and resources. From Loomis' view on the competition side, sharing engineering would only help. Loomis pointed to the agreement between Roush Fenway Racing and Yates Racing - in which the teams will share information, cars and motors - as one that might work for Petty and GEM. "I think that's the same thing we're trying," he said. "The model of the sport has been created by NASCAR, the framework has been set with the rules. And now we're trying to figure out how to make Petty Enterprises bigger and larger." Petty already gets its engines from GEM. Evernham, who is focused more on the racing and less on the business since selling a majority share of his company to George Gillett, said he would welcome the opportunity to work with the Pettys and "especially Bobby Labonte." "There's obviously discussions going on," he said. "I don't know exactly where they're at. ... I think it would be a good thing for both organizations." Loomis said in the year and a half since he returned to the Petty organization, he'd been approached by three or four teams about doing various deals with the 43 car in particular. "That's what everybody is interested in, they're interested in the Petty brand and the 43," he said. "It's such a clean thing. You look at the things with Kyle Petty and Victory Junction Gang [Camp] and everything they stand for, their worth is worth a lot more than what's on the race track. And what I want to do is make sure we've got the money and the tools to operate on the race track. Right now we're operating on half to a third of the budget that the big teams are operating on, so I want to make sure that we're going to get the money and the financing to carry the company forward and take it to the next level while we still keep what I call the 'P' in the Petty - the things off the track that makes Petty feel good."(SceneDaily.com)(9-16-2007)

  • GEM/Petty to merge? Petty Enterprises, NASCAR's most storied organization, is open to a change of ownership. The two-car operation owned by seven-time champion Richard Petty is having discussions with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. that would allow it to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and form a four-car Nextel Cup organization. "They have quoted some numbers,'' Kyle Petty, the CEO of Petty Enterprises and driver of the #45 Dodge, said on Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Gillett recently purchased majority ownership of Evernham Motorsports, now known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Petty said Gillett has floated an offer in which the companies would merge but allow Petty Enterprises to continue working under its flagship name. For that to happen, Gillett Evernham Motorsports would have to drop one of its three teams to comply with NASCAR's cap of four cars. The #10 car of Scott Riggs would be the most likely victim. Riggs is out of the top 35 in owner's points that automatically qualify for races and his contract is up after this season. Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler are solidly in the top 35 in owner's points with Kahne at 22 and Sadler at 28. Both Petty Enterprises cars also are in the top 35 with Bobby Labonte at 18 and Kyle Petty at 34. Evernham said there's no doubt the proper business model is for a four-car operation. Because he already has a relationship with the Pettys, supplying the organization with engines and technical support, he would be all for a merger. "I think we could combine the organizations and be stronger,'' he said. "How the car numbers work, I don't know.'' Petty said he is far from a deal with Gillett, which took more than six months to finalize his deal with Evernham, or any suitor. Should a merger with Gillett occur, Petty said the organization would consider every option from relocating to Salisbury, N.C., as has been discussed regardless to moving to Evernham's shop in Statesville, N.C. "We've been in this business 60 years,'' Petty said. "When you look at it this just seems to be the trend of the moment. Do you jump on the trend of the moment or do you stay the course? We've been the same course for 60 years. Whether that's the right course or wrong course I'm not going to say.''(ESPN.com)(9-8-2007)

  • OFFICIAL: Evernham & Gillett Partner to Create Gillett Evernham Motorsports: Today [8/6/2007], Ray Evernham and George N. Gillett, Jr. announced the creation of Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM), a partnership combining Evernham Motorsports [#9, #10, #19 teams] and the Gillett family where Evernham will remain a substantial owner and retain the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The strength of Evernham’s championship on-track performance and Gillett’s off-track sports business experience creates a high-performance, high-energy platform to establish GEM’s value and appeal to fans and sponsors, on and off the track. Recognizing that the rate of change off-track has exceeded the change on-track in the past few years, Evernham forged a relationship with Gillett, whose diverse holdings offer unique business-to-business opportunities, sponsorship activation and fulfillment that will revolutionize what sponsors can expect from a NASCAR team. Gillett is the owner of the Montreal Canadiens National Hockey League (NHL) team and a co-owner of the Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League. Gillett’s other business interests include the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens and Gillett Entertainment Group (GEG), producers of some 700 sporting and entertainment events in numerous venues throughout Canada and the United States. GEM will benefit from Gillett’s existing network of sports and entertainment properties, resorts, auto dealerships and auto franchises offering unique access to sponsors and partners and a powerful global connection that no other team can offer.
    “It’s very exciting for me to deliver to sponsors and fans the opportunity to align with a worldwide sports leader,” said Evernham, CEO of GEM. “With the business acumen of the Gillett family and its sports brands, we’ve greatly expanded our reach. This will allow me to focus on our racing operations and team performance, while the Gillett family will focus on our business operations. It certainly allows us to capitalize on our strengths and position GEM for long-term success both on and off the track.”
    “Racing is in my blood,” said Gillett, chairman of Booth Creek Management Corporation (BCMC). “It’s not often you get to partner with a leader with Ray’s reputation, talent and championship legacy.” The transaction was initiated and negotiated by Matthew Doherty at McLaren Capital Partners in Los Angeles. Wachovia Securities advised BCMC.(Gillett Evernham Motorsports-GEM PR)(8-6-2007)

  • Evernham-Gillett deal could be done by Monday..at the latest: UPDATE: Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett told the [St Petersburg] Times on Thursday there is a "95% chance" his purchase into Evernham Motorsports will be final by today or Monday at the latest. Gillett, 67, who has had stakes or complete control of the Harlem Globetrotters, Miami Dolphins and currently the Liverpool Football Club, would not divulge his percentage of ownership, but Ray Evernham has stated in the past it would be a majority. Gillett, whose net worth was estimated at $250-million in 2006. Gillett also owns a series of organic and natural foods companies, ski resorts and car dealerships. The Wisconsin native said he had been interested in acquiring part of a NASCAR team for three years but was seeking the right partner and "we weren't interested in just coming in and bringing money." He found his partner and a jovial friendship with Evernham, 49, who won three championships and 47 races as Jeff Gordon's crew chief, but had struggled recently to field a competitive team as costs skyrocketed. "We've got some fairly novel ideas that Ray's been developing and we've been developing together," Gillett said. "It's fair to say Ray's primary emphasis and time commitment will be on the racing side."
    "My partnership with Gillett is not about needing money," Evernham said. "It's about growing this company."(St Petersburg Times)(8-3-2007)
    UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports is expected to announce George Gillett Jr. as its new majority owner as early as today. Ray Evernham said Saturday that the deal is in place. Evernham said he's willing to surrender control of his operation to bring in Gillett's business acumen. The move will enable Evernham to refocus his energies on his strength, the competition side of the industry. Evernham, who currently fields cars for Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs, said he expected to make multiple major announcements this week, fueling speculation that Budweiser could be coming aboard as a sponsor in 2008. (USA Today)(8-6-2007)

  • Dodge Reconfirms Commitment to NASCAR: Mike Delahanty, senior manager of the Dodge Motorsports program, confirmed on Saturday at Pocono Raceway the manufacturer's long-term intent to remain in the series and an extension of Petty Enterprises' deal with Dodge. He also said its flagship Evernham Motorsports cars might have a different look next season. Cerberus Capital Management, an investment group, this week finalized its agreement to split the Chrysler brands away from DaimlerChrysler, but Delahanty said Dodge's motorsports involvement would not be affected, with the plan for four teams to run 10 cars next season. Delahanty declined to go into the details of rumors that connect Ray Evernham's team to possible deals with commercial sponsors such as Budweiser or a Masterfoods brand such as Snickers -- but said the #9 and 19 Dodges, which have carried Dodge Dealers and UAW sponsorship since the newest program began in 2001, might look different next season.(NASCAR.com)(8-5-2007)

  • Evernham-Gillett deal close: George Gillett, the owner of the Montreal Canadiens and a co-owner of the Liverpool soccer team confirmed Sunday that his company will close a deal to buy part of Evernham Motorsports in the next two weeks. "That's our hope," Gillett said in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway garage. "That's our expectation. We will close within [two weeks]. Yes." Gillett would not say what percentage of the team he would own, but Ray Evernham has indicated that Gillett would be a majority owner. The deal will allow Evernham to focus more on the competition side instead of the business side, something the former Jeff Gordon crew chief already has started doing.(SceneDaily.com)(7-30-2007)

  • Evernham Motorsports to 2006 Dodge: Evernham Motorsports will run the remaining non-Car of Tomorrow races with the 2006 Dodge Charger and without technical director Eric Warren. Warren was recently given a leave of absence after team owner Ray Evernham discovered critical changes regarding aerodynamics and simulation software were made to the 2007 car after an early-season test at Las Vegas. He said those changes weren't reflected in the cars that were built moving forward, leading to less than stellar results on the track. "So we basically have spent half a year trying to build a foundation that didn't exist," Evernham said on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "The information that we had was nonexistent. We had to go back to doing things the normal way and put cars in the wind tunnel to find out there was a huge difference. In the end, when you have people that are responsible for performance and the performance is way off you have to make changes in those people," Evernham said. "Ultimately, the [changes] aerodynamically and simulation-wise were the responsibility of the engineering department and that was led by Eric Warren. Right now Eric is on leave until we decide if we're going to put him in another position or find a happy medium and let him go somewhere else," he said. Evernham said he and competition director Sammy Johns have taken over Warren's duties. He added that his move to the competition side has delayed finalizing his partnership with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett and a few sponsorship deals. He expects the deal with Gillett to be complete within the next 14 days, at which point he also hopes to announce new sponsors for 2008. Among the sponsors interested in joining EMS is Budweiser, which would like Kahne to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. as its NASCAR spokesperson.(ESPN.com)(7-27-2007)

  • Evernham admits relationship hurt driver's [Crocker] career: Team owner Ray Evernham says the best thing for developmental driver Erin Crocker is to find a new race team. "I don't think it's any secret that because of the personal relationship between Erin and I it hurt her career," Evernham said on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "The proper thing to do and something her and I would like to do is move her to another race team. I think the girl has a lot of talent. But if I sit here and say to somebody, 'Look, she's got a lot of talent, you should sponsor her,' my credibility is not good because of the personal relationship," he said. Evernham, who turns 50 in August, began dating the 26-year-old Crocker last season.(ESPN.com)(7-27-2007)

  • Sadler back with M&M's? UPDATE: As far as Elliott Sadler’s #19 car, the leading candidate is candymaker M&M’s, which currently sponsors David Gilliland and the #38 Robert Yates Racing Ford, a car Sadler used to drive. Sadler was exceptionally popular with M&M’s when he drove for Yates and sources said the company would love to work with the affable Virginia native again.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-16-2007)
    UPDATE: Ray Evernham told Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway Tuesday that there was no truth to the rumor that M&Ms will sponsor Elliott Sadler's #19 Dodge next season. "Absolutely not," he said. "I don't know where that came from, but it's not true."(7-18-2007)

  • Drivers Have Different Plans for Off Week: The last open weekend on the Nextel Cup schedule until Thanksgiving means different things to different drivers as they gear up for a stretch of 17 races without a break starting July 29 in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Jeff Gordon is going to pack up his family car for a short road trip with wife Ingrid and month-old daughter Ella Sofia. Jimmie Johnson and wife Chandra are flying to Europe. Kyle Petty is getting on a motorcycle to join his annual charity ride. Elliott Sadler is heading to the golf course. And several drivers will be driving, either in a Busch Series race in suburban St. Louis or, in Tony Stewart's case, at a time and place still to be determined.(Indianapolis Star)(7-17-2007)
    AND: Tony Steweart says he is going to Canada to go fishing for his vacation this weekend. See my Driver Appearances page for more on some drivers running races(7-17-2007)

  • Evernham/Gillett deal could close this week: Team owner [#9,#10,#19] Ray Evernham’s partnership agreement with [NHL Montral Canadian's owner] George Gillett, Jr., is expected to close next week, said a source familiar with the deal. And a whole host of sponsor possibilities are in play on the Evernham Motorsports Nextel Cup cars of #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Elliott Sadler, according to multiple sources. Evernham would neither confirm nor deny the merger timetable Sunday morning at Chicagoland Speedway, saying only, “We’re working towards closing the deal.” With the sale of Chrysler Group to investment-banking firm Cerberus Capital Partners pending, it would make sense that Evernham Motorsports would seek additional sponsorship for its Nextel Cup operations. Cerberus, an investor known for sharp cost-cutting of the companies it acquires, may be willing to relinquish sponsorship rights to the two Evernham cars next season, something Dodge was unwilling to do last year when a major sponsor approached Evernham about becoming Kahne’s primary sponsor, a deal that ultimately was rejected by the automaker. Evernham said Sunday he has a contract with Dodge through 2010 and confirmed he is one of a half-dozen teams who have talked with Budweiser about taking over the brewing company’s sponsorship deal in 2008, now that Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are out of the running. There are other options for Kahne beyond Budweiser. Fast-food giant McDonald’s, who already has a minor associate position on the #9 of Kahne, could step up to become primary of Kahne’s car, as the company is looking towards re-establishing its presence in NASCAR, sources said Sunday. Another sponsor said to be looking closely at Kahne’s car is Coca-Cola, which in May agreed to buy Vitamin Water maker Glaceau for $4.1 billion in cash. Kahne is a national pitchman for Vitamin Water and an integral part of its marketing campaign. Kahne said he’s OK with however the sponsorship situation shakes out. “Myself, I’m with Ray Evernham for 2008 and whatever he decides to do that’s a good deal. I’m behind him,” Kahne said Friday.(SPEEDtv.com) AND: Evernham said he's also talked to other sponsors -- sources said Allstate is one -- about being on Kahne's car and reiterated that Budweiser is talking to other teams. Among Budweiser's options is staying at Dale Earnhart Inc., where it has been since 2000.(ESPN.com)(7-16-2007)

  • Budweiser to Evernham? UPDATE: hearing that Budweiser could sponsor one of the Evernham Motorsports teams in 2008, leaving DEI and Dale Earnhardt Jr. it could be the sponsor for Kasey Kahne if Dodge lets him out of their sponsor deal of the #9 and if Bud feels Kahne meets their demographics, or even #19-Elliott Sadler team. Supposedly DEI could still be in play for the Bud sponsor, but looks like Bud will not follow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Hendrick Motorsports and that Pepsi/Mountain Dew will sponsor Dale Jr. in 2008.(7-10-2007)
    UPDATE: Budweiser officials are shopping around for their best sponsorship option in NASCAR, a clear indication that the beer company will not sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports next season, sources confirmed Tuesday. It's expected that PepsiCo Inc., possibly with the Mountain Dew brand or a combination of Pepsi products, will sponsor Earnhardt next season in the #5 Chevy [or possibly the #8] for Hendrick. And Anheuser-Busch is negotiating with Evernham Motorsports to possibly move the Bud sponsorship to Kasey Kahne's #9 Dodge next season. Budweiser officials also have contacted officials at Lowe's Motor Speedway about the possibility of holding a news conference at the Lowe's Speedway Club next week if a new team sponsorship agreement is reached. An Evernham Motorsports official said Tuesday that no agreement has been reached with Budweiser and that the Evernham marketing department was talking to several other companies about potential sponsorships for 2008. Team owner Ray Evernham has an agreement with Dodge, through the Dodge Dealers, to sponsor both Kahne's car and the #19 Dodge of Elliott Sadler through 2010. The Dodge dealers would have to sign off on any deal to allow Budweiser to move to Kahne's car.
    One source close to the negotiations told ESPN.com that it's still possible Budweiser could stay at Dale Earnhardt Inc., depending on whom DEI signs to replace Earnhardt. Budweiser officials now have targeted four other drivers they would consider sponsoring next season, including Kahne. The other three drivers are not known.(more at ESPN.com)(7-11-2007)

  • Sadler's Team Director (Crew Chief) Resigns: Evernham Motorsports announced that Josh Browne has elected to resign from his team director duties [of #19-Elliott Sadler] and return to the organization’s engineering department effective immediately. Longtime Evernham Motorsports employee Scott McDougall, former team director of the #98 Evernham Motorsports Truck/ARCA team, will take over as team director of the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge on an interim basis. “As we look to make vital improvements across our entire program, we are reviewing the allocation of personnel and resources within the organization. Josh is better suited to help the organization as a whole from an engineering perspective and our efforts in that area,” said Ray Evernham, team owner and CEO. "I commend Josh for his decision and being a team player."(Evernham Motorsports PR)(7-3-2007)

  • Evernham tests on....NASA Runway at KSC: A team in NASCAR's elite Nextel Cup Series wrapped up its second visit to Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on Friday, using the nearly 3-mile-long runway to gauge aerodynamics of its race cars. Evernham Motorsports took a test version of one of its new Dodge Avengers -- the Car of Tomorrow [COT] that debuted this season in Nextel Cup -- to the runway for a shakedown this week and also earlier this year, Keith Rodden, a car director for the Statesville, N.C.-based team, said Friday. Rodden said he believes Evernham was the first and only NASCAR team to test at KSC. NASA charges a fee for use of the facility. The amount assessed to Evernham Motorsports was not made available by NASA on Friday.(Florida Today)(6-30-2007)

  • Evernham to Host New ESPN2 Garage Program: Beginning in July, NASCAR team owner [#9,#10,#19] Ray Evernham will be the featured host of a new and unique racing program on ESPN2. Part of the ESPN2 Garage group of motorsports and automotive shows, Race Wizard with Ray Evernham will premiere at 11:00am/et Saturday, July 7 [after NASCAR Now]. The innovative new show will provide racing fans an entertaining look at the intriguing technical aspects and little-known inner-workings of motorsports and racing. Race Wizard is created for and by NASCAR fans, who will go behind the scenes of the racing world through “person on the street” interviews with one of racing’s brightest minds and most successful team owners. “ESPN has such a legacy in this sport and deserves a great deal of credit for turning NASCAR into one of the most popular sports today,” Evernham said. “Through Race Wizard, I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned in this sport over the years and help viewers understand how technology and innovation are giving teams the edge in competition today.” Sample Race Wizard topics include: Fast Car Basics – A fan’s question on the basics of racing answered, including “How do spoilers on the back of a car increase speed?”; Girl’s Guide – Women have the “need for speed,” too, and this vignette is for them, answering “Why do race cars swerve during caution laps?”; and Race Day – Focusing on improving the fan’s experience in racing by answering, “Where is the best place to sit to watch a race?”(ESPN PR)(6-29-2007)

  • Evernham close to a deal to sell part of team: UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham expects to finalize the sale of an unspecified portion of his Nextel Cup Series operation to Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. within 60 to 90 days, the team owner told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "It's not done, but we're working on it pretty hard," Evernham said. "Honestly, I'm flying to Chicago and we're hammering through some things. Things are looking really positive, but it's not done. Quite honestly, it's not going to be done for another 60 to 90 days. It takes a long, long time, but it looks good. We've agreed to go forward, but there's so much legal stuff that's got to be done. It takes months. I feel positive it'll get done. I really do." Evernham chose not to divulge the exact percentage of his company Gillett would acquire, but did say both gentlemen would have a "substantial stake in the business side of things." Evernham also said he would still run EMS' day-to-day operations. Evernham said there are multiple contracts to wade through and further due diligence to complete. Once done, Evernham says the deal would instantly elevate EMS toward the Nextel Cup elite.(ESPN.com)(5-30-2007)
    UPDATE: Nextel Cup owner Ray Evernham took another step on Wednesday toward finalizing his partnership with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr., informing his more than 35 sponsors collectively on how the deal will work. Evernham has been negotiating for months an agreement that will give Gillett substantial ownership of his organization. He told sponsors the partnership will allow him to focus more on the competition side of the business and provide him with the resources to keep up with top organizations. The final terms aren't expected to be completed for another two to three months. "A partnership with the Gillett Group would bring excellent resources to Evernham Motorsports,'' Evernham told his sponsors. "Not only does George Gillett offer incredible business experience, his team has deep knowledge of how to successfully manage sports organizations. "This partnership would also benefit our partners at Evernham Motorsports with new business-to-business marketing opportunities." Evernham told his sponsors he would continue to own a significant part of EMS and remain the CEO. "It is an excellent opportunity that would benefit the entire organization,'' he said.(ESPN.com)(6-6-2007)
    UPDATE 2: Evernham said a partnership with Gillett is getting closer, perhaps two months away from being completed. Evernham said he'd love to announce a deal in Montreal in early August for NASCAR's first-ever Busch Series race there."That'd be awesome," he said. "That would be good incentive for the attorneys to hurry up and get it done."(Yahoo! Sports)(6-17-2007)

  • Some teams looking to add 4th team: The season is not even half over and several teams say they want to expand for next season. Officials from Dale Earnhardt Inc., Evernham Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing have said they'd like to expand to four cars next year. There have been hints other teams might look add a team. How many actually do will depend on what kind of sponsorship they can find.(Greensboro News and Record)(6-16-2007)

  • Old Nose for Evernham cars at MIS? UPDATE: hearing that the Evernham Motorsports Dodge Chargers will be running 2006 noses this weekend at Michigan.(6-13-2007)
    UPDATE: #9-Kahne is running the 2006 Dodge nose, but #19- Sadler and #10-Riggs are using the current nose.(SPEED's MIS Practice coverage)(6-15-2007)

  • Borland released by MWR #44 team UPDATE 3 Evernham?: Michael Waltrip Racing and #44-Dale Jarrett's crew chief Matt Borland have parted ways. "Dale Jarrett wasn't happy, UPS wasn't happy, and we had to do something immediately," Waltrip said. "Originally, we had hoped that Matt Borland would take the role as the technical director, but he wasn't ready to come off the road. We need a technical director down the road, but it wasn't going to help us this weekend." Jason Burdett, formerly the co-crew chief of the #88 car at Robert Yates Racing, left Yates on Wednesday and will eventually be the #44 crew chief. Waltrip wanted to give Burdett time to get acclimated to the system at Michael Waltrip Racing before he jumped into that role. Burdett worked with Jarrett last year. This weekend at Richmond, Derrick Finley will be the #44 crew chief. Finley started the season at Bill Davis Racing as the crew chief on Jeremy Mayfield's #36 car. After leaving BDR, he became the crew chief and then lead engineer on Waltrip's #55 car and is already familiar with the operations at MWR.(FoxSports)(5-3-2007)
    UPDATE: Michael Waltrip announced today the addition of Jason Burdett to Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). Effective immediately, Burdett joins MWR to serve as crew chief for the #44 UPS Team. Matt Borland, who had been serving as the crew chief for the #44 UPS Team, was offered the position of technical director – a move scheduled to take place during the course of the next two seasons. However, Borland declined the move. Burdett’s tenure with MWR started on Wednesday and he will be serving as crew chief for the No. 44 UPS Team beginning this weekend at Richmond International Raceway.(MWR site)
    AND, hearing Borland could end up at Evernham Motorsports in some capacity.(5-4-2007)
    UPDATE 2: SPEED's Bob Dilner reported that Evernham Motorsports officials said they have not talked to Borland at all.(SPEED's practice coverage)(5-4-2007)
    UPDATE 3: Evernham Motorsports has an interest in hiring Matt Borland, who was released as the crew chief for Michael Waltrip Racing. Team owner Ray Evernham said on Monday that members of his organization have talked to Borland, who helped Ryan Newman win a series-best eight races in 2003, about a role with the company. Evernham said he needed to find out if Borland wants to remain a crew chief or work strictly as an engineer. Borland turned down an offer to remain the technical director at MWR. Evernham doesn't have a crew chief opening, but he is concerned with the recent performance of the #19 team of driver Elliott Sadler and crew chief Josh Browne. "We've got to change something," Evernham said. "As for Matt, I don't know where he would fit in here. Others are interested in him and I don't want to get into a bidding war for him. Matt's a sharp guy and he would add depth to our organization, which we really need right now. But he's got to want to work here."(ESPN.com)(5-8-2007)

  • Evernham close to a partner: Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillett is close to a partnership arrangement with Evernham Motorsports [#9, #10, #19]. Gillett, who also is the owner of the Liverpool soccer team in the English Premier League, would be the second major sports team owner to join NASCAR this season, following Red Sox owner John Henry's buy-in to what is now Roush Fenway Racing.(Sporting News)(5-7-2007)

  • NASCAR donates $160,000 to Virginia Tech memorial fund: For the last three weeks, NASCAR's Nextel Cup cars have all displayed a Virginia Tech logo with a black background in a show of support for the victims and families of the massacre that left 33 dead in Blacksburg on April 16. On Saturday night the decals were just a symbol, and the support was something more tangible: money. In prerace introductions, Virginia drivers Jeff and Ward Burton, Elliott Sadler and Denny Hamlin presented Hokies football coach Frank Beamer with a check for $120,000 for the Hokies Spirit Memorial Fund. And Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz presented him with a check for $40,000, also for the memorial fund, that he said was given by RIR and some sister tracks also owned by International Speedway Corp.(Associated Press/ESPN)(5-6-2007)

  • Special scheme for Sadler at the Coca-Cola 600: Elliott Sadler will turn into a super hero for the Coca-Cola 600, running a special Fantastic Four paint scheme on the #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge Charger. In honor of the debut of the “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” movie, produced by Fox Studios and scheduled for release in theaters on June 15th, the #9 Dodge Charger will be transformed into the Dodge Fantasticar. The movie, directed by Tim Story, stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, the same foursome that made the original Fantastic Four such a success. The #19 will feature a stunning paint scheme that showcases the ghost-like Silver Surfer shooting across the hood, while flames explode over the nose and up the fenders of the Fantasticar. The familiar Fantastic Four logo will also adorn both rear quarter panels. “This is by far one of the coolest paint schemes I’ve ever seen, let alone be able to drive,” Sadler said. “This is something every little kid dreams about. Now, not only do I get to drive a race car, but I get to drive a race car with super heroes on it!(Sadler Fanclub site)(5-3-2007)

  • Special Helmet Scheme for Sadler for month of April: In an effort to promote Autism Awareness Month, #19-Elliott Sadler will be wearing a special autism helmet at the remaining races throughout the month of April. It will then be auctioned online to benefit the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Charitable Foundation. The helmet, which was donated by Impact Racing, will sport the multi-colored puzzle piece logo of the Autism Society. The complex design was painted by Ryan Young of Indocil Art, who handles the majority of helmet paintings for Evernham Motorsports. Sadler will be sporting the new helmet starting with the April 15 race at Texas Motor Speedway, then Phoenix Int’l Raceway and finally at Talladega Superspeedway. On April 30th, Sadler’s 32nd birthday, the helmet will be put up for bid on an online auction site. Fans can look for Sadler on “Trackside” at Talladega on the SPEED Channel where he will announce which website will host the online helmet auction. The Hermie and Elliott Sadler Charitable Foundation is dedicated to raising autism awareness and promoting research for a cure while also supporting initiatives that improve educational opportunities for children and their families.(Clear!Blue PR)(4-15-2007)

  • NHL Owner meets with Evernham UPDATE; George Gillett Jr., the owner of the Montreal Canadiens National Hockey League team and co-owner of the Liverpool soccer team in England, has talked with NASCAR teams, including Evernham Motorsports, team owner Ray Evernham confirmed Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "I've talked to a lot of people," Evernham said. "George is one of the people I'm talking to. When I said I was looking for a partner [earlier this year], the phone has been ringing and ringing. I met George. He is a really cool guy. But we don't have anything done." Evernham has invited Gillett to come to Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 this weekend.(SceneDaily.com)(3-10-2007)
    UPDATE: Ray Evernham may be getting closer to finding a business partner for Evernham Motorsports. George Gillett Jr., the owner of the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and co-owner of the Liverpool soccer team in England, will be at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. Gillett also met with Evernham at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago. "We're still talking," Evernham said on Friday. "It's a matter of getting the right partner and getting the right timing. It's not about the money. I need the right partner. I want to win a championship." Evernham said he hasn't discussed how much of EMS will be sold. "I just need somebody that's going to come in and bring people that are interested in providing technology and sponsorship to the race team," he said. Evernham would like to find a partner that could take over some of his business duties, such as dealing with sponsors. "I want to work on race cars again," said Evernham, who won three championship as the crew chief for Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports. "That's what I do, work on the cars with my guys and go fast. I need a partner who can do his side and I can do my side."(ESPN.com)(3-23-2007)

  • Evernham cancels appeals? UPDATE no, but penalties upheld: hearing that after the penalties for the #9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne were upheld on Monday, Evernham Motorsports withdrew their appeal of the Daytona penalties of the #10 Dodge of Scott Riggs and #19 Dodge of Elliott Sadler.(3-7-2007)
    UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports lost its second appeal in as many days Tuesday as the National Stock Car Racing Commission turned down the #19 team's appeal of the 25-point penalty NASCAR handed down for infractions during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.(SceneDaily.com), no word on the #10 team and Riggs but supposedly they chose not to appeal, but have heard nothing for sure.(3-7-2007)

  • Appeals to be heard next week: Penalty appeals for four Nextel Cup teams accused of breaking NASCAR's equipment rules leading up to the Daytona 500 will be heard early next week, NASCAR officials told ESPN.com on Tuesday. The appeals for Kasey Kahne's #9 team and Matt Kenseth's #17 team will be heard on March 5 in North Carolina. Appeals for Scott Riggs' #10 team and Elliott Sadler's #19 team will be heard the following day, also in North Carolina, NASCAR said.(ESPN.com)(2-27-2007)

  • Evernham Appeals Penalties to all 3 teams: Appeals for the penalties passed out to the Nextel Cup teams of #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Scott Riggs before the Daytona 500 were filed on Wednesday by owner Ray Evernham. Roush Fenway Racing filed an appeal on the penalties against Matt Kenseth's #17 team on Saturday. Evernham said before Sunday's race he was most concerned about the severity of the penalties, particularly the points deductions, and the damage allegations of cheating have done to the reputation of his organization. "That's been tarnished and it bothers me more than anything," Evernham said. Kenny Francis, Kahne's team director [crew chief], was suspended for four weeks and fined $50,000 after NASCAR inspectors discovered that two layers of duct tape covering an air hole near the rear wheel well came off during qualifying. Officials said the first layer had a razor slice in it that they believe was designed to force both layers of tape off. Kahne was docked 50 championship points and Evernham 50 owners' points for what NASCAR deemed a blatant attempt to create an aerodynamic advantage. Rodney Childers and Josh Browne, the team directors for Riggs and Sadler, were suspended for two races and fined $25,000 each when officials discovered the bolts that attach the rear spoiler to the trunk had holes drilled in them to help create an aerodynamic advantage. Their drivers were docked 25 championship points each. Evernham said the bolts were hollowed out to make them lighter and were used in all four restrictor plate races last season without penalty. NASCAR officials said a date for the appeal, to be heard by the National Stock Car Racing Commission, has not been set.(ESPN.com)(2-21-2007)

  • Evernham names interim crew chiefs/team directors: Team owner Ray Evernham will sit atop the pit box for Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler during the Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying race Thursday, team officials confirmed Wednesday. Evernham will share responsibilities as team director, Evernham's vernacular for crew chief, with car director Kirk Almquist. Tim Malinovsky and Chad Johnston will serve as Sadler's engineers. Tuesday, NASCAR suspended all three of Evernham's team directors, Kenny Francis (Kasey Kahne's No. 9 team) for four races and Rodney Childers (Scott Riggs' #10) and Josh Browne (#19) for two apiece. Team enginner Keith Rodden will serve as Kahne's team director, with support from car director Rich Hubbs and engineer Nick Hughes. Kevin Kidd will be Riggs' team director, with support from car director Dave Bryant and engineer Mike Wolfe.(SceneDaily.com)(2-15-2007)

  • EMS will not appeal 4-race suspension, may appeal #10, #19 penalties: Team owner Ray Evernham said he won't appeal the four-race suspension to #9 team director Kenny Francis but is still mulling over whether to appeal the two-race suspensions of #19 team director Josh Browne and #10 team director Rodney Childers. Francis, the crew chief for Kasey Kahne, had his car fail post-qualifying inspection Sunday after tape came off holes in the oil tank and the right rear wheelhouse, where a hose would run during race conditions. Francis also was fined $50,000, and the team and driver were docked 50 points. Kahne also will have to start his 150-mile qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500 from the rear of the field. Evernham said that one layer of tape had been slit but another had not. He said the tape was found inside the car. He said no extra holes were drilled in the car. Browne and Childers, the team directors for Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs, were found to have illegal bolts in their spoiler fasteners prior to qualifying Sunday. They were also fined $25,000, and the team and drivers were docked 25 points. Evernham said those bolts were used in all restrictor-plate races last year and questioned whether it was right for NASCAR to penalize a team for an infraction where the part is presented for inspection prior to an event and found illegal. "I don't know how you find out if something is legal or not until you present it for inspection," Evernham said. "Those parts were used in 2006. The deck lid is sealed up so they cannot be an aerodynamic device. We lighten several bolts on our car." The car owner said he is now "scared to death" wondering if parts that had been raced will be deemed illegal in pre-qualifying inspection and the team will be docked points in the future. "I'm going to be best friends with [NASCAR's] John Darby and Robin Pemberton because I will be at their doorstep, and I will ask every nut, bolt and washer: Is this legal or not legal?" Evernham said. Evernham said he was still deciding exactly how his teams would be organized and who would be interim team directors. He said the teams will use the 150-mile qualifying races as a test to see who will work well in what role.(in part from SceneDaily.com)(2-14-2007)

  • Penalties Announced by NASCAR; Suspensions, Fines, Points Taken Away: NASCAR has announced that Robby Reiser and Kenny Francis have each been suspended for 4 races and fined $50,000. In addition, the teams of #17-Matt Kenseth and #9-Kasey Kahne have been penalized 50 owner and driver points. Also, the team directors for Evernham drivers #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Scott Riggs (Rodney Childers and Joshn Browne, respectively) have each been suspended for 2 races and fined $25,000 for violations found prior to qualifying on Sunday. Those team have each lost 25 owners and drivers point. No announcement has been made on #55-Michael Waltrip.(2-13-2007)

  • Evernham would hire Schumacher: If Michael Schumacher wants a ride in NASCAR, [#9, #10, #19 team owner] Ray Evernham has one waiting for him. Evernham, who works with German company DaimlerChrysler, has issued an open invitation to the seven-time Formula One champion to give stock car racing a try. The German driver retired from racing red Ferraris after the 2006 season. Asked recently about Juan Pablo Montoya leaving F1 to drive in NASCAR, Schumacher told The New York Times: "Personally, I wouldn't do it. What do you do in NASCAR? What is exciting there? I can't see that, running around on ovals." But Evernham would like him to reconsider. "I'll put him in a red car, a real good car, any time he wants to come over here and try it," he said. "A lot has changed in recent years. These cars are looked on as much more sophisticated than they used to be. I think he'd find them technical enough to keep him happy."(ESPN.com/AP)(2-12-2007)

  • Elliott teams with Hermie at car dealership: Sadler Auto Center of Franklin, currently owned by NASCAR driver and SPEED broadcaster Hermie Sadler, is getting a new partner and a new look, as it was announced today NASCAR driver #19-Elliott Sadler had joined brother Hermie in the ownership of the dealerships, which would be named Elliott Sadler Ford Mercury and Elliott Sadler Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Elliott thinks the time is right to get involved in the car business. "I think this is the perfect time to take this step. I drive a car sponsored by the Dodge Dealers, and there are many ways that my involvement in the dealerships will benefit me as well as our customers. Our family has been in the automobile business over 40 years, and I am proud to now be involved." Hermie Sadler, current owner and president, now works for SPEED channel and Direct TV on the weekends covering NASCAR, but has moved his office to Franklin and manages the dealerships during the week. He says the addition of his brother as a partner will help take the stores to new levels. "His involvement will not only provide more resources for the store, but will also trigger more support from all of the manufacturers we represent, which will enable us to serve our customers better." According to Hermie Sadler, the name on the front of the buildings will not be the only change to the look of the dealerships, as plans call for a replica of Victory Lane from Bristol Motor Speedway, site of Sadler's first career Nextel Cup Series victory, to be built on site for customers to have their picture taken when picking up their new wheels from the dealership. Plans also call for 2 promotions a year that will feature autograph and picture sessions with both brothers and other NASCAR drivers. The name change should take place in about 90 days. "The one thing that will not change, " says Hermie Sadler, "is that we guarantee you that we will save you money when you buy a car. The rest of the stuff you get from us will just be a bonus."(Sadler PR)(2-8-2007)

  • Evernham Motorsports Promotes four: Evernham Motorsports announced the promotions of four senior team members who, along with Ray Evernham, team owner and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, comprise the leadership of the organization. Rick Russell, who has been with Evernham Motorsports since 2000, was promoted to president in addition to his current responsibilities as general manager and chief financial officer. Dr. Eric Warren was promoted to vice president in addition to his current responsibilities as technical director. A member of Evernham Motorsports since 2002, he leads the company’s engineering operations. Sammy Johns was named vice president in addition to his current responsibilities as competition director. Johns joined Evernham Motorsports as the head of the team’s research and development effort in April 2001, then stepped into the team director role on the #19 Dodge later that season. He went on to become the competition director at the end of the 2003 season. Mark McArdle was promoted to vice president in addition to his responsibilities as managing director of Evernham Engines.(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR)(1-30-2007)

  • Spokesmen named for NASCAR Speedpark: NASCAR SpeedPark, "the official family fun park of NASCAR" announced that #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #11-Denny Hamlin will be the 2007 official spokesmen for NASCAR* SpeedPark's North American locations in Myrtle Beach, SC, Concord, NC, Sevierville, Tenn., St. Louis, MO and Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. As official NASCAR SpeedPark spokesmen, Kahne, Sadler and Hamlin will make park appearances throughout the year in an effort to enhance the experience of visiting fans by providing autographs and posing for photographs. The 2007 driver appearance schedule will be announced at a later date.(NASCAR Speedpark PR)(1-28-2007)

  • Robots building race cars at Evernham? Team Owner Ray Evernham disclosed Thursday, is that robots are part of the team’s car-building future. NASCAR’s ultra-strict chassis rules involving its Car of Tomorrow, which will debut in March at Bristol, Tenn., make it possible for robots to perform welding and similar duties in the chassis-building process. That, Evernham said, will free humans up to fine-tune other areas of the car.(Fayetteville Observer)(1-27-2007)

  • Evernham looking for financial partner: Ray Evernham, owner of Evernham Motorsports [#9,#10,#19] is looking for a financial partner to help keep up with rising costs, and he believes other owners will follow suit if they hope to survive. Some already have. Jack Roush is close to a deal that would sell 25-50 percent of Roush Racing to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and Fenway Sports Group. Real estate tycoon Bobby Ginn purchased a reported 80 percent of MB2 Motorsports -- now Ginn Racing -- in August. Richard Childress sold part of Richard Childress Racing to Chartwell Investments a few years go.(ESPN.com)(1-26-2007)

  • #19 to run Siemens colors at Phoenix in November: Evernham Motorsports announced that Siemens, the global leader in automation and control, will serve as primary sponsor of the #19 Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler in the Nextel Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on November 11, 2007. Siemens currently serves as an associate sponsor of the #19 Dodge and the #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne. Siemens also plays a vital role in technology development through its partnership with Evernham Motorsports.(Clear!Blue/Evernham Motorsports PR), see image on the #19 Team Schemes page.(1-25-2007)

  • Sadler and Hamlin slim down: #11-Denny Hamlin and #19-Elliott Sadler both have new looks for the upcoming NASCAR Nextel Cup season, but it has nothing to do with paint schemes. Hamlin hired a physical trainer in the offseason, and Sadler is hoping to lose weight and return to the size he was in his rookie season. Hamlin, who sported a slight bulge in the midsection of his racing uniform last year, said he already notices a difference. "I feel better than I have ever in just the short amount of time I've been doing it," Hamlin said of his workouts. "To me, it's more about working on those last 100 laps of the race when you need to dig down and get the most out of yourself. I felt like I was kind of slack on it last year." Sadler said he weighed 211 pounds in 1999 and had not been below that until now. Sadler weighs 210 pounds. He says he's lost 10 pounds since last year's season finale at Homestead and wants to lose another 10 pounds before this season begins. "I just want to be prepared mentally and physically the best I can to make sure I pull my weight," Sadler said. He says he is not on a particular workout program other than watching what he eats. "I can eat as much as anybody I think that you've ever met in your life," said the 31-year-old, who finished fourth in last year's Daytona 500. "I ordered two or three Big Macs at a time. I'd eat two or three steaks at a time when I go to a steakhouse."(Roanoke Times)(1-20-2007)

    Past 2006 News

  • Evernham Announces 2007 Paint Schemes: Dodge and Evernham Motorsports announced today new primary paint schemes for the #9 and 19 Dodges of drivers Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler for the 2007 season. The two cars are near mirror images of each other, but both carry the distinctive bold red color of the Dodge brand and signature Ram logo on the hood. Kahne’s racing colors will flip from 2006 to 2007, moving the red from the top side of the Dodge to the bottom and bringing white to the hood and roof areas of the car. The number will again be black on the sides and roof of the Dodge. Sadler’s Dodge will be the reverse of Kahne’s, with red adorning the hood and roof areas of the car and white on the lower portions of the side panels, growing more dominant as it reaches the rear of the car and eventually fully covering the back end from the rear quarter panel.(Clear!Blue PR), see images on my #9 Team Scheme page and #19 Team Scheme page.(12-8-2006)

  • Evernham expanding in 2007: Evernham Motorsports has won a race in each of its six seasons and qualified for all three editions of the Chase for the Nextel Cup. But success has come with a price. Once able to field cars with $10 million apiece annually and about 60 crewmembers, Evernham has a staff of 330 and says he needs $20 million a car to be competitive. Next year, the team will add a part-time fourth Charger while spending more on the Car of Tomorrow. Evernham estimates his budget will need to grow by $8 million for software, technology and personnel.(USA Today - in part), the team currently fields three Cup teams, one part time Busch team and a Truck Series team.(10-4-2006)

  • New 'Team Director' [crew chief] for Sadler: Chris Andrews, who started the year as the team director of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, is no longer being referred to as a co-team director. Andrews had been listed with Josh Browne for several weeks as "co-directors" (the Evernham word for crew chief) for the team, but the listing was changed on the Elliott Sadler team roster this week. Andrews has been reassigned to work on special projects at Evernham. Browne was brought in to help with the transition from Jeremy Mayfield to Sadler when Sadler first joined the team at Michigan in mid-August.(SceneDaily.com)(9-29-2006)

  • Sadler Fan Club Party Raises $30,000: Elliott, Hermie and the Sadler family hosted 1,000 Sadler fans at the Sadler Barn on Thursday evening prior to the race at Richmond International Raceway. Elliott and Hermie were joined by special guests Blake Shelton and Dale Jarrett. The agenda for the evening included bologna burgers, autographs, photo opportunities, viewing of Elliott's famous hunting dogs and a concert by country music artist Blake Shelton. The Sadler Fan Club Barn Party raised over $30,000 for the Elliott and Hermie Sadler Foundation.(Sadler PR)(9-9-2006)

  • Evernham to a four car team...in the future: on Speed Channel's NASCAR Raceday, Nextel Cup team owner Ray Evernham said he hope to expand to a four-car team in the future. NASCAR.com has an interview with Evernham by Marty Smith, one quote reports "Do you have plans to add a fourth team? Evernham: Yeah, we're trying to do that. We can't do it next year. We're not going to make next year, but we've got some things that I'm in the middle of putting together right now. The plan really was to go to four teams and we just couldn't get everything together fast enough."(8-26-2006)

  • Evernham says Sadler talks started in July: Team owner Ray Evernham says that talks with Elliott Sadler began in July, but at that time they centered around a potential fourth Nextel Cup team. Sadler, who drove for Robert Yates Racing through last Sunday's AMD at the Glen, confirmed Wednesday that he would drive Evernham Motorsports' #19 Dodge the remainder of this season. "He was under contract with Yates, and we didn't have a place to put him at that time, so we initially started looking at what we could do in the future with our fourth program," Evernham said in a national teleconference. Evernham pointed out the team's top goal is returning to the top 35 in owner points. Sadler must qualify for the race based on speed this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Evernham's other two teams, with drivers Kasey Kahne and Scott Riggs, are locked into the field for the GFS Marketplace 400. To help get ready for the event, Sadler and his new team tested together at Kentucky Speedway earlier this week. They're working on the other area that Evernham sees as needing improvement for the team.(SceneDaily.com)(8-18-2006)

  • Mayfield claims Evernham's absence hurt team [Crocker implication]: Jeremy Mayfield claims in court documents that team owner Ray Evernham's "close personal relationship" with development driver Erin Crocker distracted his team and kept the owner from being an instrumental part of the #19 Nextel Cup team, whose struggles this year eventually led to Mayfield's firing. Mayfield made that allegation in his lawsuit against Evernham Motorsports filed Aug. 9 in North Carolina Superior Court in Iredell County after Evernham Motorsports informed Mayfield Motorsports Inc. on Aug. 7 that Mayfield would not drive the car in the Aug. 13 race at Watkins Glen. Evernham responded in an affidavit that he has worked diligently to make sure that the #19 team had the personnel and resources to be successful. See full report on SceneDaily.com.(8-17-2006)

  • Sadler to the #19 at MIS OFFICIAL: Elliott Sadler will take over the #19 Dodge at Evernham Motorsports beginning with this weekend's race at Michigan International Speedway, a team official confirmed to The Associated Press. Sadler secured an early release from Robert Yates Racing late Tuesday evening, clearing the way for him to replace Jeremy Mayfield beginning Sunday, according an Evernham official who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not yet been made.(Associated Press), plus there is a scheduled announcement by Evernham Motorsports for a brief update from Ray Evernham and the new driver of the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger today at 11:30am/et.
    OFFICIAL: Evernham Motorsports announced today that it has named Elliott Sadler to drive the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger beginning this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Sadler, who had his first win at Bristol in 2001, has three career wins, seven poles and 16 top fives in 271 starts, brings his hard-charging driving style, fun-loving personality and broad fan appeal to Evernham’s three-car NASCAR Nextel Cup program. He joins Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger and Scott Riggs, driver of the #10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger. The 31-year-old native of Emporia, VA, will start his career at Evernham Motorsports this weekend in the backyard of his new primary sponsors – Dodge and the Dodge Dealers. While the terms of his relationship with Evernham Motorsports were not announced, he does have a long term commitment to the program.
    “It’s truly an honor to drive for Dodge and Ray Evernham and to be a part of this team,” said Sadler. “I admired Ray as a crew chief and now as a team owner and business leader. His operation is impressive. When you look at the engineering resources, the talented guys on the team, the marketing programs, the facilities and the way he and his directors run things, you can tell that this is a powerhouse organization that is focused on winning races and championships. I look forward to providing some of those wins and hopefully competing with Kasey and Scott for the championship next year.”
    Sadler is also excited about his new relationship with Dodge. “My family’s business has a Dodge dealership in Franklin, VA, so it will great to represent Dodge and all the dealers across the country,” he added. “They have some amazing cars and trucks, and I’ll be trading in my current truck for a Ram SRT-10 right away.” Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, said Sadler brings the right chemistry, personality and driving skills to round out his stable of NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers. “So much of the success of a team depends on having the right blend of chemistry and communications,” said Evernham. “Elliott will be a great fit with our team right away and will bring the competitive drive and the ability to communicate with the team what the Dodge Charger needs to perform at its best. I think he’s the key that will place this team firmly on the path to success.” Sadler will get his first experience in a Dodge Charger on Wednesday when his team goes to Kentucky Speedway to test. “We’re looking forward to having Elliott join the Dodge family,” said Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge SRT and motorsports product planning and marketing. “He’s got great star power, he’s a talented driver and has excellent potential to be a champion. He’s a perfect fit for the Dodge brand.”(Clear!Blue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(8-16-2006)

  • Kahne Double-Clutches (and confirms) Sadler Rumors: #9-Kasey Kahne may have given Knoxville television stations a scoop tonight. Kahne was visiting East Tennessee and signing autographs at NASCAR Speedpark in Sevier County. Speculation is mounting that Elliott Sadler will join Kahne as a teammate next season– although there’s been no official confirmation from Ray Evernham Motorsports– or Sadler himself. Tonight, asked about the situation– Kahne took things one-step further– saying Sadler may join the team in time for this weekend’s race at Michigan. Here’s his quote: “The 19 (car) hasn’t performed at all this year, and actually has been bad at most of the tracks. They’re out of the top-35 in points, so Ray is changing some things around there. I think Elliott Sadler is gonna be in the car this weekend. I think, maybe (smile). I don’t know for sure. I’m pretty sure he is. It’s gonna be good. I mean, next year he’s gonna be my teammate for sure, whatever happens this year."(Wogan on Sports)(8-16-2006)

  • Latest on the Mayfield-Evernham legal battle: Jeremy Mayfield's immediate legal challenge to the terms of his firing by Evernham Motorsports has been resolved. Mayfield, who was released Monday, filed the request for an injunction in North Carolina Superior Court in Iredell County. Whether he could have gotten in the #19 car Friday is unclear as Bill Elliott pracaticed and qualified at Watkins Glen International. There was a hearing on the injunction Friday in North Carolina, and the parties had agreed in principle to settle after the hearing, a Dodge spokesman confirmed Friday night. The two sides released a statement Saturday morning: "Jeremy Mayfield, Mayfield Motorsports, Inc., and Evernham Motorsports LLC announced that they have agreed to end their relationship effective immediately. The parties agree that it is in their mutual best interests to go in different directions and wish each other success in the future." Elliott Sadler is expected to take over the #19 car in 2007 but possibly will take over the driving duties soon.(SceneDaily.com), looks like at Michigan next weekend.(8-13-2006)

  • Mayfield out..totally at Evernham? UPDATE 2 yep: hearing Evernham Motorsports has released #19 driver Jeremy Mayfield from driving duties for the rest of the season, no word if the contract situation has been resolved if he has been released....or if he will drive again this season in the Cup series.(8-10-2006)
    UPDATE: Jeremy Mayfield has been released from Evernham Motorsports, team owner Ray Evernham said Friday at Watkins Glen International. "He has been terminated, and I honestly don't want to discuss the terms with that," Evernham said. Mayfield was replaced for this weekend's race by former Cup champion Bill Elliott on Tuesday. When contacted by NASCAR.COM, Mayfield said he knew nothing of the driver change. Evernham, however, said his team contacted Mayfield Motorsports' agent on Monday and began the discussions. There was no immediate announcement of a full-time driver in the No. 19 Dodge, although it has been speculated that Elliott Sadler will likely move to the car. Whether that will happen before the end of the season is unknown for sure, Evernham said. "The decision to make a change in the 19 had nothing to do with whether [a driver change] could or could not happen," Evernham said. "It would make the most sense if we could do that, for sure."(NASCAR.com)(8-11-2006)
    MORE: Jeremy Mayfield, whom Ray Evernham said he terminated on Monday, was hoping to stall the firing by getting a temporary injunction Friday. The hearing was scheduled to begin at 11:30am/et in North Carolina Superior Court in Iredell County. "Jeremy Mayfield has been terminated,"Evernham said. "We have 2007 plans in place. We hope to be able to announce them soon." While Mayfield is expected to drive for Bill Davis Racing beginning next year, a source familiar with the situation said that team doesn't have an immediate ride available for the driver. Evernham Motorsports, though, is looking for a driver for the rest of the season and owner Ray Evernham would welcome the chance to get a jump on 2007 if the driver he's signed for next year were to become available sooner. That driver is expected to be Elliott Sadler, who may be available by the Aug. 18-20 Michigan Cup race weekend if Robert Yates Racing grants his release after Watkins Glen. For now, Bill Elliott is in the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge and Sadler remains in RYR's #38 Ford. Evernham said the reasoning behind the change was simple from his perspective. "Purely the performance of the car and the team is not where it should be to represent sponsors," he said Friday. "It's out of the top 35 in points now and that was really the big trigger on making a change. We just haven't delivered as a group on what we should be doing, so we needed to make some changes." A wreck at Indy knocked the #19 team out of the top 35, meaning its not guaranteed a starting spot for the AMD at the Glen. "It's one of those where as hard as you try to turn things around if they're not working, sometimes you just have to make a change to get it to work and it's certainly not been because of a lack of effort," Evernham said. Elliott is currently scheduled to attempt two more races for Michael Waltrip Racing and three for Team Red Bull. Evernham is expected to utilize the former champion's talent as often as possible until a more permanent replacement for the #19 team is found. "The decision to make the change in the 19 had nothing to do with whether that could or couldn't happen," Evernham said of Elliott's availability. "It would make the most sense if we could do that, for sure. ... But I can tell you that just having Bill Elliott back in the car is pleasant again." A phone call to Dale Cagle, Mayfield's business agent, was not immediately returned on Friday. RYR co-owner Doug Yates isn't sure what the future holds. While it's not been announced yet, David Gilliland will take over for Sadler, either sometime this year or next. "All that just happened, so we have to look at that and see what works," Yates said of potentially releasing Sadler prior to year's end. "We haven't really talked about that right now, but I'm not saying it's out of the question." If so, would Gilliland run more than seven races, making him ineligible for rookie of the year honors in '07? "David and I have talked about that," Yates said. " ... He feels right now he'd rather be in the car as much as he could, so that's the most important thing."(SceneDaily.com)(8-11-2006)

  • SRT scheme back for #9 and #19 teams at Watkins Glen: #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Bill Elliott will be running special Dodge SRT paint schemes this weekend, promoting Dodge’s line of SRT (Street and Racing Technology) vehicles. It is the same scheme that was on the cars at Infineon Raceway in June.(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR), see images on my #9 Team Scheme page and #19 Team Scheme page.(8-10-2006)

  • The Elliott-Mayfield PR UPDATE No Champ Provisional Allowed?: Evernham Motorsports announced Tuesday it will bring back past NASCAR champion and Evernham driver Bill Elliott to pilot the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger at Watkins Glen. Elliott drove for Evernham Motorsports full-time from 2001 to 2004, then part time in 2005. Elliott went to victory lane for Evernham Motorsports four times, including winning the prestigious Brickyard 400 in 2002. Jeremy Mayfield, who has been driving the #19 Dodge this season, will not participate in the Watkins Glen event. No decisions have been made regarding his long-term future with the team. The decision was made after efforts to get the struggling #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger back on the right track have not progressed as quickly as needed. The team is currently 36th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup owners’ points standings, which means it does not have a guaranteed spot in Sunday’s event. Elliott brings a champion’s provisional, which means the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger is confirmed in the starting lineup and does not need to qualify solely on speed. “This team has a great deal of potential and we just haven’t met the expectations this year,” said Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. “We will do whatever we need to get this car in the show for Watkins Glen. It’s important to our sponsors and it’s important to this team. Having Bill in the driver’s seat gives us this guarantee. I believe in our system, our process and our people, and am committed to getting this program where it needs to be.” Evernham noted that the team has finalized its long term plans for 2007 and expects to announce those plans in the coming weeks.(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR)
    UPDATE - No Champ Provisional Allowed? NASCAR's official entry list Tuesday showed Elliott subbing for Mayfield, and the team later released a statement confirming the switch. It said Mayfield's long-term future with Evernham is undecided - but his name had been removed from the company letterhead. "This team has a great deal of potential and we just haven't met the expectations this year," car owner Ray Evernham said in a statement. "We will do whatever we need to get this car in the show for Watkins Glen. It's important to our sponsors and it's important to this team." That meant putting Elliott in the car because as a former NASCAR champion, he should have been assured a spot in the field. But in a statement released on Wednesday, Evernham Motorsports said, ""Unfortunately the timing was such that NASCAR will not provide us with the provisional."(FoxSports/Associated Press)(8-9-2006)
    UPDATE 2: Because Bill Elliott was not on the entry list as Jeremy Mayfield's replacement by the July 31 entry deadline, he is unable to use a past champions provisional this weekend at Watkins Glen, NASCAR confirmed Wednesday. Elliott was named the driver of the #19 Evernham Motorsports car on Tuesday.(SceneDaily.com)(8-10-2006)

  • Mayfield 'doubts' he will be back at Evernham UPDATE 4 Mayfield out at Watkins Glen, Elliott In: While #19-Jeremy Mayfield told reporters Saturday that he doubts he'll be back with Evernham Motorsports next year, team owner Ray Evernham said no decisions have been reached. Asked following qualifying for the Allstate 400 if Mayfield has inquired about his release, Evernham said they'd discussed a number of things. "But we haven't made any decisions," Evernham said. "The first thing we honestly both said was, 'Let's fix this first, because no matter what we decide to do, we can't leave this thing like it is. We have to prove that we can do it. Jeremy's got options, the same as many other drivers. Why wouldn't he? He's been in the Chase two years in a row. If I was a team owner starting a new team, he'd be one of the guys I'd be looking after, too." Mayfield has struggled this season, working with a new crew after Evernham swapped his teams following the 2005 season. Mayfield is coveted by Michael Waltrip Racing and is believed to be a candidate at Bill Davis Racing as well. It's widely believed that Elliott Sadler [currently with RYR in #38 and has been granted his release for 2007] will replace Mayfield, once Mayfield's granted his release. Evernham said such a decision isn't entirely his own. "That's not all up to me," Evernham said. "We have all these [sponsorship] partners. That's a decision that would have to be sat down and talked about between a lot of people."(SceneDaily.com)
    AND Jeremy Mayfield is close to signing a deal to drive next season for Bill Davis Racing, multiple sources told NASCAR.com on Saturday. Mayfield, who has a year and two option years remaining on his contract with Evernham Motorsports, would not comment on specific plans for 2007. But he admitted a return next season to the No. 19 Dodge, which reportedly already has been offered to Elliott Sadler, was unlikely. "I doubt I'm staying,'' Mayfield said after qualifying 15th for Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. According to sources, Mayfield already has toured the facilities at Bill Davis Racing and agreed in principal to a multi-year deal to drive one of the organization's two Toyotas next season. Team director Tommy Baldwin confirmed on Friday that Dave Blaney would drive the other car.(NASCAR.com)(8-6-2006)
    UPDATE 2: It was hard to figure out what was worse for Evernham Motorsports in the Allstate 400 - Kasey Kahne dropping out of the top 10 in points or Jeremy Mayfield's #19 team dropping out of the top 35 in the car owner standings. Mayfield also has had trouble figuring things out all season, and an accident helped relegate him to a 41st-place finish. His team dropped behind #40-David Stremme's in points and he won't be locked in for the Aug. 13 race at Watkins Glen. Evernham was asked after the race if he would consider putting a road-course ace into the car to make sure it qualifies. "I'm going to get together tomorrow with all the other parties and make a decision," Evernham said. "We've just got to sit down and figure it out."(SceneDaily.com)(8-7-2006)
    UPDATE 3: Bill Elliott is now listed as the driver of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge for Watkins Glen per nascar.com's entry list, looks like Mayfield will sit the road course race out since the #19 is now out of the top-35 in owners points, Elliott running the #19 guarantee's the team will race at Watkins Glen since Elliott has the past champions provisional to use and none of the other non top-35 teams have a past champ in their cars.(8-8-2006)
    UPDATE 4: Jeremy Mayfield may be free to leave Evernham Motorsports for Bill Davis Racing sooner than he expected. Bill Elliott will be in the #19 Dodge that Mayfield has driven for EMS since 2002 this weekend at Watkins Glen International, according to the Nextel Cup entry list released by NASCAR on Tuesday. Jeremy Mayfield has been driving the #19 Dodge since 2002. Contractual agreements remain to be settled before it can be decided if Mayfield will be out the remainder of the season. Team owner Ray Evernham could not be immediately reached for comment. Mayfield, who said last weekend at Indianapolis he likely would not be at Evernham Motorsports next season, said he had not been contacted by Evernham about a switch. "It's not professional, that's for sure,'' said Mayfield, who crashed on Lap 82 of Sunday's race and fell out of the top 35 in owners' points that guarantee a spot in the next race. "That's the way everything has worked around here for a while.'' A spokesperson for Evernham Motorsports said discussions with Mayfield Motorsports management began on Monday.(NASCAR.com)(8-8-2006)

  • Sadler to the #19? Mayfield to Toyota? UPDATE 4 Yes to Sadler..No to M&M's: Elliott Sadler has until Saturday to tell Robert Yates whether he plans to drive the #38 M&M's Ford next year. With Dale Jarrett leaving at the end of the year, Yates might have to fill two seats. Two drivers reportedly on Yates' short list are Ward Burton and Stephen Leicht.(Orlando Sentinel)
    UPDATE 1: hearing Elliott Sadler, current driver of the #38 M&M's Ford for RYR, will go to he #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge with current driver there, Jeremy Mayfield going to one of the three Toyota Teams, most likely Michael Waltrip Racing and the #00 car.
    AND Speed Channel's Bob Dillner on NASCAR Live, that rumor has Sadler going to the #19 and COULD be taking the M&M's sponsorship with him.
    UPDATE2 : #55-Michael Waltrip, who will graduate to team ownership with Toyota next year, says he has offered a job to driver #19-Jeremy Mayfield, who recently has expressed dissatisfaction with his current situation at Evernham Racing. "The ball's in his court," Waltrip told Speed Channel after his qualifying run Friday at New Hampshire, referring to Mayfield. "Hopefully it will all come together, and as soon as it does we'll let the world know." That, meanwhile, would open the seat in Evernham's #19 Dodge for Elliott Sadler, who apparently is looking for a way out of his deal with Robert Yates. Other reports say Sadler could take sponsor M&Ms with him to the #19, although that could not be confirmed. Robert Yates and Doug Yates were not at the track Friday, although Slugger Labbe, crew chief for Sadler teammate Dale Jarrett and the #88, hinted, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Mayfield would complete the lineup for Waltrip's three-car Toyota stable. Waltrip will drive one of the cars, with NAPA sponsorship [#55]. He has hired Jarrett and landed sponsor UPS for the second car [#?], and Mayfield would drive the so-far-vacant third car [#00], to be backed by Domino's and Burger King. Mayfield had no comment on the reports. Sadler denied he had had any negotiations with Evernham, and he has a year left on his contract with Yates. He admitted he had had a long talk with Yates this week at the Indianapolis tests.(Speed Channel)(7-14-2006)
    UPDATE 3:Sadler denied that he's had discussions with Evernham or anybody from Evernham Motorsports about leaving Robert Yates Racing, but admitted there have been discussions with other teams.(NASCAR.com)
    AND Sadler insists his overriding commitment is winning for his team and sponsors. The latest speculation has Sadler taking the #19 Dodge of Evernham Motorsports when Jeremy Mayfield leaves to drive a Toyota for Michael Waltrip. At least one Internet site says Sadler must give Yates a “staying or going” statement this weekend. ”I don’t know about any deadline or date or anything like that,” Sadler said after qualifying 18th for Sunday afternoon’s Lenox Industrial Tools 300. “Robert and I talked at Indy [during a recent test]. Our conversation was that we’re not running as well as we’d like; he’s frustrated and I’m frustrated; what do we need to make it better; what direction do we take? We ran a Roush chassis at Chicago [qualified 29th, finished 32nd], but that didn’t seem to be the answer. That was pretty much our 45-minute conversation. So far as a deadline for deciding about next year: I don’t have one; I don’t think Robert has one; M&Ms doesn’t have one. I haven’t made up my mind what I’m going to do. This is the only uniform I’ve had on in four years, so I can see myself driving this 38 Ford again next year."(Ford Racing)(7-15-2006)
    UPDATE 4: Though he denies any contact with Ray Evernham, Elliott Sadler will drive the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge in 2007, multiple sources close to Robert Yates Racing have confirmed. Contrary to recent speculation, M&Ms, Sadler's current primary sponsor at Yates, will not accompany him to Evernham, those same sources say.(NASCAR.com)(7-18-2006)

  • #400 for Mayfield at NHIS: #19-Jeremy Mayfield will make his 400th career Nextel Cup start this weekend at New Hampshire International Raceway. His first start came at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1993 (10/10/93).(Clear!Blue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(7-13-2006)

  • Mayfield Frustrated, comments on Evernham UPDATE Evernham speaks: #19-Jeremy Mayfield isn't happy with the way his team is performing this year. And he doesn't seem to think team owner Ray Evernham is taking enough of a hands-on approach to fixing what's wrong. "I haven't talked to Ray much," Mayfield said Friday morning. "We don't see Ray much. I don't know. He encourages us when he is around but we haven't seen him much lately." Mayfield said he is surprised that Evernham hasn't been at the track. "He used to be on top of stuff like this pretty hot and heavy and he's letting it take its course, I guess," Mayfield said. Mayfield added: "He is here today, isn't he? I don't think he is here today." Evernham wasn't. Reached by cell phone at Kentucky Speedway on Friday evening, where he was overseeing developmental driver Erin Crocker in the ARCA series, Evernham said he and Mayfield already had talked to clear the air. "I don't think he's upset with me," Evernham said. "I'm sure he's frustrated that we're not performing." With high-profile rides available at two new Toyota teams, Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull, for next season, Mayfield sounds as though he would entertain the idea of leaving Evernham if he didn't have a long-term contract. "I've got a contract through next year and I've got two years after that, so I can't talk to nobody," Mayfield said. "So I'm sitting here like a sitting duck. What I do know is we've got to get running better." Evernham said Mayfield hasn't said anything about wanting to out of his contract. "Not to my knowledge," Evernham said. "And again, we're good enough friends (that) we can sit down and talk about anything like that."(ESPN.com/AP)
    BUT Mayfield said on Speed Channel's Trackside that the comments were taken out of context and while hs is frustrated with how his team has performed but there is no problems between himself and team owner Ray Evernham.(7-8-2006)
    UPDATE: Statement by Ray Evernham from Chicagoland on Sunday morning. "My commitment to building a championship caliber motorsports organization for numerous racing series and multiple teams has never wavered. Neither has my commitment to providing the best people and resources for our race teams. What has changed is my job. I'm running a significant business with operations in the US and the UK. I have tremendous responsibilities to our sponsors and business partners away from the race track. That's been my focus this season. And, that's why I've put smart, talented people such as Sammy Johns, competition director, Mark MArdle, engine program director, and Dr. Eric Warren, engineering director, in charge of day-to-day operations at the track. Jeremy and I talked this weekend, and we're on the same page. We're both unsatisfied with the performance of his team. We know the potential is there and that Jeremy is a talented driver. It's frustrating when you can't quickly find the solution. That doesn't mean we aren't trying. Jeremy and I are going to continue to work on getting this team where it needs to be. There's a lot of racing left this season and I'm confident that we can get this program on track."(Clear!Blue PR)(7-10-2006)

  • Dr. Z back on the #19 Dodge at Chicago: #19-Jeremy Mayfield will run Dodge’s special “Ask Dr. Z” paint scheme that debuted in Daytona again in Chicago.(Clear!Blue PR), see image of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(7-6-2006)

  • Dodge partners its F-1, NASCAR teams: DaimlerChrysler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche attended Saturday night's Nextel Cup race at Daytona, where his likeness appeared on the hoods of the [#9 and #19 Ask Dr Z] Dodges driven by Evernham Motorsports' Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield. Then Zetsche flew to Indianapolis to be with McLaren-Mercedes for what turned out to be a short day for the team in Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix. At a news conference Sunday morning at the convention center, where he was joined by McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham, among others, Zetsche said a joint NASCAR/F-1 program isn't as farfetched as it might seem. "The technology is very different, but the principles are the same," he said. "There is much to share. NASCAR has something to tell as far as the show is concerned. I saw Daytona and it's quite something." Zetsche said DaimlerChrysler is committed long term to both programs. "It's our history and will be our future as well," he said. "NASCAR is as American as it can get. We are there to stay." Dennis and Evernham agreed they are in the initial stages of developing their partnership, but both expect it to be fruitful. "It takes time because they're two very different types of motor sports," Dennis said. "It's a learning curve for both of us. But we are blown away by their marketing machine." Evernham acknowledged he has thought about one day being part of a U.S. team effort in F-1 but not until his NASCAR program has produced a championship or two. He is counting on the union with McLaren and Mercedes to help him do that. "It's not just the technology. Take what they're doing with their strategy and their software," he said. "It's great to have a big brother like McLaren. This is what we've been waiting for."(Indianapolis Star)(7-2-2006)

  • Special paint for Kahne and Mayfield at Daytona UPDATE 2 Challenger: #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Jermey Mayfield will be running another special paint scheme again this weekend, promoting an advertising campaign for Chrysler that will be announced Saturday, July 1st as Kahne will participate in a major press announcement for Chrysler with Richard Petty.(Evernham Motorsports/ClearBlue PR), see an image of the cars on my #9 Team Schemes page and #19 Team Schemes page, "Ask Dr Z" scheme.(6-30-2006)
    UPDATE: Tomorrow [July 1st] it is expected that the Dodge will unveil a new production car as part of its Daytona activities. Fans are invited to attend the event to see Richard Petty and Kasey Kahne showcase the new car.
    AND Chrysler also is expected to unveil details an employee-pricing discount plan for consumers in a campaign that will feature DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche [Dr Z].
    UPDATE 2: Chrysler is crashing the muscle-car party with plans to build a production version of the Dodge Challenger coupe that debuted as a retro-styled concept car in January at the Detroit auto show. The automaker plans to herald the return of the Challenger at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, Fla., on Saturday, according to people familiar with the plans. The Challenger concept, a rear-wheel drive coupe, drew raves from enthusiasts for its old-school looks and growling 425-horsepower V-8 engine.(Detroit News)(6-30-2006)

  • SRT Paint Schemes for #9 and #19 at Sonoma: Evernham Motorsports teammates #19-Jeremy Mayfield and #9-Kasey Kahne will run special SRT paint schemes on their Dodge Chargers at Infineon Raceway. Dodge SRT vehicles offer the boldest, most powerful performance for the Dodge lineup. Every SRT vehicle showcases five key aspects: Exterior styling that resonates with the brand image; race-inspired interiors; top-notch ride and handling characteristics across a dynamic range; benchmark braking; and standout powertrain. Kahne’s #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge SRT Charger will carry their signature bold red Dodge color, in addition to white on the rear quarter panels and black striping along the sides. SRT lettering is on the sides and hood of Kahne’s Dodge Charger. Mayfield’s #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge SRT Charger will take a more bold tact with bright yellow on the hood and the sides, eventually blending to black on the rear quarter panels and back of the car. It will be a distinctive look for the #19 Dodge Charger. Like the #9, red SRT lettering will be on the hood and quarter panels. Another notable change in the schemes is the Dodge Charger’s rear panel, which displays Dodge’s website with information regarding the SRT program and encourages viewers to visit Dodge’s SRT website, www.driveSRT.com.(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR)(6-20-2006)

  • Mayfield plans on staying at Evernham: #19-Jeremy Mayfield, one of the veterans in the garage, said he’s unfazed by all the Silly Season chatter, even rumors about his status with Evernham Motorsports. “If I was a younger driver and had never been through it, it would be pretty tough, but I’ve been through it before,” he said. “I don’t really pay attention to it anymore. I just do what’s best and do what’s right. I stay focused and do the best we can as a team and get better every week. Whatever happens then happens, and I know I’ve done all I can do. Right now I’ve got a contract with Ray (Evernham) through this year and next year and hopefully two more years after that. That’s what my intentions are, to finish this deal out and do the best we can. I know a lot of stuff is going on right now in the rumors about different drivers but hopefully we’re not one of them.”(Speed Channel)
    AND Jeremy Mayfield clarified his contract status, pointing out that he has no plans to move on since he is signed with Evernham Motorsports through 2007. Mayfield, dogged by rumors that he's in the mix for several open NASCAR Nextel Cup rides, has repeatedly stated that he's planning to continue building his team this season. But it wasn't until Friday that he outlined the contract that he plans to honor.(SceneDaily.com)(6-10-2006)

  • Kyle Busch Fined, Placed on Probation by NASCAR; Mayfield Penalized: NASCAR announced that Kyle Busch, driver of the #5 Kellogg's Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, has been fined, penalized points and placed on probation because of a rule infraction this past Sunday during the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Busch was in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the NASCAR Rule Book. He disobeyed a directive from a NASCAR official, entered the racing surface without authorization and threw an object at another competitor’s car during the event. He has been fined $50,000, penalized 25 Driver Championship points and placed on probation until Dec. 31. The infraction also resulted in car owner Rick Hendrick being penalized 25 Owner Championship points.
    In addition, the #19 Dodge team was found to be in violation of Section 12-4-A, 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 20-12.8.1A (roof height too low in post-race inspection). That infraction resulted in crew chief Chris Andrews being fined $35,000, driver Jeremy Mayfield losing 25 driver points and car owner Ray Evernham losing 25 owner points.
    Also, Don Richardson, crew member on the #5 Chevrolet team, has been fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. He violated 12-4-A, because of improper use of a NASCAR credential.(NASCAR PR)(5-31-2006)

  • Mayfield's car failed post-race inspection at LMS: Jeremy Mayfield's #19 Dodge failed post-race inspection following the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The roof was one-eighth of an inch too low. There is a quarter-inch tolerance given for settling during the race, but the Evernham Motorsports car was an eighth of an inch below that tolerance, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said Tuesday. Penalties likely will be announced Wednesday. Being too low typically is a 25-point penalty accompanied by a $25,000-$35,000 fine. "The way we run these cars now, these [front] springs settle and you never know how much," team owner Ray Evernham said. "They were low, no doubt about it." Evernham said there would be no appeal of a penalty. His team members told him that the car was in the "red" - the color on the height sticks that signifies the car is too low - in post-race inspection. "The bottom line: It was low," Evernham said. "We know why it was low. The front springs gave up. The thing settled too much. There's no appeal - you're either right or you're wrong, and there was red showing."(SceneDaily.com)(5-31-2006)

  • Mayfield to Davis? Waltrip? UPDATE no way: #19-Jeremy Mayfield is also in middle of a lot of Toyota talk, perhaps leaving Ray Evernham to take a Toyota ride next season with [#22/23] Bill Davis, perhaps even taking a third Toyota ride with Waltrip, who indicated last week that he had a third major sponsor in the works.(Winston Salem Journal), but Mayfield re-upped with Evernham last year and is supposedly signed thru 2008.(5-21-2006)
    UPDATE: #19-Jeremy Mayfield says he working hard to help his team turn around their 2006 season and denies garage area gossip he's looking for another ride. Mayfield told PRN's Garagepass; "As far as me out looking that's defiantly not true, I haven't been out looking nowhere for nothing. I have a contract with Ray (Evernham) I'm driving for Ray and Dodge. My head has been down working on our own stuff trying to get our own stuff better. Our deal is hard enough as it is let alone start throwing the rumors and all that stuff around."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(5-24-2006)

  • Mayfield expects no changes: Despite a disastrous season to date, #19-Jeremy Mayfield said he foresees no major shakeup to his Evernham Motorsports team, which was reorganized late last year. “I don’t expect any changes other than we might add a few people. Chris (team director Andrews) and I have started to come together,” Mayfield said Saturday. “It hasn’t showed up yet, but it’s better than it was a couple of weeks ago as far as him understanding what I like and me understanding how he does things on the car. It’s just like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Michael Waltrip when they switched up (prior to the start of the 2005 season). You saw what happened on that deal. Dale Jr. couldn’t hit his butt and Michael took off running good. That’s just part of what we’re going through right now.”(Speed Channel)(4-30-2006)

  • Evernham Motorsports joins effort to find missing woman: Evernham Motorsports president and CEO Ray Evernham announced that the decklid of Jeremy Mayfield’s #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger will feature a photograph of 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse, missing from the Orlando, Fla., area since Jan. 24, during Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kesse was reported missing when she failed to show up for work on Jan. 24. NASCAR team owner Evernham attended high school with Kesse’s mother Joyce, and felt compelled to help when he heard of the disappearance. Since the search for Kesse began, the Orlando Police Department has received more than 1,000 leads, but officers are still hopeful that someone out there has additional information that can lead to a break in the case. There is an $115,000 reward for information leading to her safe return. For more information about Jennifer Kesse, please visit jenniferkesse.com. Anyone with information concerning her disappearance, please call 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).(3-14-2006)

  • Cup team considering move to Indy? UPDATE Evernham Denies: in a Darrell Waltrip column at FoxSports: "by the way I was in Indy this past week on some business. There's a rumor going around that some big NASCAR team was thinking about moving to Indianapolis, and I was talking to some folks who may have given me an inside track on who it might be. It's a guy that's got three cars and no crew chiefs, if that helps you any."(FoxSports), no crew chiefs? Evernham Motorsports uses Team Directors...not crew chiefs.(1-6-2006)
    UPDATE Evernham denies: Team owner Ray Evernham said Sunday morning that there was absolutely no truth to the rumors that he was considering relocating his team from Statesville, N.C., to the Indianapolis area. The state of Indiana has been trying to lure teams to the Hoosier state, but Evernham said he wouldn’t even consider leaving his current location, which abuts an airport and houses the rapidly growing Evernham Motorsports operation. “I have not talked to anybody at Indy,” Evernham said Sunday morning. “We have no intention of moving Evernham Motorsports. We’re more than happy where we’re at. And actually, it’s been distracting to the team because I had a lot of people coming up and asking me about it. I have no idea where that even came from.”(Speed Channel)(3-13-2006)

  • Special Schemes for #9 and #19 at Vegas: #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Jeremy Mayfield's Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Chargers will run special paint schemes in Sunday's UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Flames [DW will be happy] will extend down the length of each car and the hoods will feature the race logo for the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400.(Clear!Blue/Evernham MS PR), ni images to post..yet.(3-8-2006)

    Past 2005 News

  • Knaus leaving Hendrick? UPDATE denied: hearing [or have leaned] that #48 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Chad Knaus will leave the team and driver Jimmie Johnson and go back to Evernham Motorsports [was one of Evernham's first hires, until moving to #92 Melling team in 2001], then Hendrick Motorsports in 2002 to crew chief Johnson.
    UPDATE: Hendrick Motorsports says Knaus has no plans to leave Hendrick Motorsports and has multiple years remaining on his contract.(12-2-2005)

  • Baldwin gone from Evernham? UPDATE New Team Structure at Evernham: hearing #9 crew chief, Tommy Baldwin Jr. has left Evernham Motorsports, no word on where he is headed.
    MORE hearing this is true and that there could be some crew swapping between the #9 and #19. UPDATE 8: As the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season winds down, planning for 2006 is already well underway at Evernham Motorsports. For President and CEO Ray Evernham, it is anything but business as usual. Evernham is developing a new architecture for team success, one designed to foster better collective thinking, decision making and intellectual innovation. In 2006, Evernham will do away with the crew chief position on all of his race teams, instead installing a leadership team similar to many corporate structures. Each of the Evernham Motorsports Nextel Cup teams will have a Team Director, a Car Director and an Engineer. Evernham designed the new team structure with an eye toward the future and the continued evolution of the sport.
    #19: For 2006, the leadership and team members of Evernham Motorsports will shift their alignment to better share the knowledge and thought-processes throughout the organization. The team that comprises the #91 Evernham Dodge Charger today will move to the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger, driven by Jeremy Mayfield. It will be led by Chris Andrews as Team Director. Kirk Almquist will be the Car Director and Tim Malinovsky will be the Engineer.
    #9: The #19 team will shift to the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger, which Kasey Kahne will continue to drive. Kenny Francis will be the Team Director for the #9 team, Mike Shiplett will be the Car Director and Keith Rodden will be the Engineer.
    #10: The #9 team will support the new No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger and driver Scott Riggs. Rodney Childers is the acting Team Director, and the leadership team will be announced at a later date.
    The new team structure will be in effect for the final race of the 2005 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20, 2005. Tommy Baldwin, Team Director of the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger, will serve as a team consultant at Miami before moving on to pursue his dreams of running his own team. "Tommy will be leaving Evernham Motorsports to hopefully start his own operation," added Evernham. "He's very interested in being a team owner, and I want to help him get started just like Rick Hendrick helped me get started. I've known Tommy since he was 10 or 11 years old, and wish him the very best in the future."
    "I appreciate the opportunity to work with Ray for several years," said Baldwin. "I've learned an awful lot from him. I also appreciate him letting me move on and helping me accomplish what I want to accomplish in the future. I came to Ray some time ago and told him this is what I've wanted to do. He didn't have any problems with that. He was in the same position with Rick (Hendrick) when he wanted to move on. Ray has helped me through all this and helped my decision making. I'm thankful for his friendship. Kasey and I have talked about this," he added. "He's going to win plenty of races with me or without me. He just has a God-given talent. I'm not worried about that. I'm glad I've become really good friends with him, and hopefully we can carry that into the future."
    The remaining positions within the new team structure at Evernham Motorsports are expected to be named in the next few weeks.(Clear!Blue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(11-15-2005)

  • #9 and #19 get newe 2006 paint schemes: When the green flag falls at the 2006 Daytona 500 next February, the Dodge Chargers of Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne will be sporting bold new paint schemes reflective of the bold design of the popular Dodge Charger production vehicle. The new 2006 Dodge Dealers paint scheme provides Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield distinctive yet familiar team identities. The new scheme maintains the Dodge trademark red color and provides greater on-track visibility for Dodge Dealers. The #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger of Jeremy Mayfield will still feature the bright red hood with the signature Dodge Ram's head and branding for the Dodge Dealers. But, the Dodge Charger will carry black doors and fenders with red numbers on the side and white numbers on the roof. Mayfield drove a black car in several races in 2005, and made a special request for a cool black Dodge Charger for 2006.
    Kasey Kahne's #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger also will have a new look for 2006. His Charger will carry the same bright red hood and Dodge Ram logo as the #19, but will have white doors and fenders. The numbers on the side of the car will be black and the top of the car will be white. Diecast models of the new #9 and #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Chargers will be available through Action Performance beginning February. To purchase online, visit evernhammotorsports.com.(Clear!Blue PR)(11-15-2005)

  • Slugger to leave the #19? UPDATE 2: hearing #19 crew chief, Slugger Labbe could leave Evernham Motorsports at the end of the season, possibly going back to Robert Yates Racing, as the crew chief for #38-Elliott Sadler?(10-26-2005)
    UPDATE: Statement from Ray Evernham on the Leadership for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger: "We have decided to make a change on the leadership team for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger driven by Jeremy Mayfield. The team, led by Team Director Kenny Francis for the past three years, has shown great promise and potential. We've qualified for the Chase for the Championship for the second year in a row. But, we have high expectations for this team, both for the remainder of the 2005 season and for next year. We still have four races to run this season, all of which are on tracks where we've been successful. We're confident that we can re-energize this team to bring home solid finishes in these last four races and move up in the Chase for the Championship. We are already planning for next year, and we recognize that we need to make several changes to regain the momentum this team had earlier in the year and to ensure we have the right people in the right places to win races and a championship.
    As part of this change, Richard "Slugger" Labbe will no longer serve as crew chief for the team. Kenny Francis will continue to lead the team as he has the last three years, and Mike Shiplett, currently the car chief for the team, will share Labbe's duties with Francis. Slugger Labbe made good contributions to this team this year, and we wish him well as he pursues other opportunities."(ClearBlue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(10-27-2005)
    UPDATE 2: Richard "Slugger" Labbe said a lack of chemistry with Jeremy Mayfield was behind his departure from Evernham Motorsports this week. Mayfield has one top-20 finish since making the Chase for the Nextel Cup for the second consecutive year. "I just didn't fit in," said Labbe, who declined another position at Evernham. "We got in the Chase, and we've just been mediocre. I want to win and be in the top five every week." Labbe expects to join another team by next week's race at Texas.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(10-29-2005)

  • Special scheme at Kansas for Mayfield: On October 9th at Kansas Speedway, #19-Jeremy Mayfield will race a special paint scheme featuring Mountain Dew's newest flavor, "Pitch Black". Mountain Dew Pitch Black combines the great taste of Mountain Dew with a blast of black grape flavor.(Action), see an image of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(8-31-2005)

  • Evernham Announcement at Indy: #9, #19, #91 [#10 in 2006] team owner Ray Evernham and driver Kasey Kahne are scheduled to announce plans for 2006 and beyond on Saturday morning at Indy.(Clear!Blue PR)(8-4-2005)

  • Rondeau finds a new home: Pete Rondeau has negotiated his release from Dale Earnhardt Inc. and joined Evernham Motorsports [#9, #19, #91]. Rondeau started the season as #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief but was removed from that position after 11 points races. He joined Evernham on July 18 as director of research and development.(Sporting News)(8-1-2005)

  • Former Crew Chief third in fishing tourney: Former NASCAR crew chief Mike Hill was part of a scoring team last weekend in the Midlands Striper Club/Hydro Glow Fish Lights Tournament on Lake Murray. Hill, who lives in Ronda and works at Evernham Motorsports in Statesville, teamed with his brother, Allen, to place third with 341/4 pounds in the night tournament. The Hills had the event's largest single striper, which weighed 15 pounds, 15 ounces. Tournament proceeds help the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' striper stocking program.(Charlotte Observer/Tom Higgins)(7-21-2005)

  • Bad News Bears scheme for Mayfield at Daytona: At this summer's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, Jeremy Mayfield will sport some additional firepower on his #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger - that of Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear and Marcia Gay Harden, stars of the new Paramount Pictures comedy "The Bad News Bears," which opens nationally on July 22. Mayfield, a fan of the original "Bad News Bears" will carry the pin-striped signage for the new movie on the hood of his Dodge Charger to promote the comedy, which was first released in 1976. The #19 Dodge will feature a distinctive red and white paint scheme featuring baseballs and classic pin-stripes. "Bad News Bears" is a fresh take on the irreverent 1976 comedy hit, "Bad News Bears" follows a grizzled former minor league baseball player who is recruited to coach the Bears, a woefully inept Little League team, to a championship against their hated rivals, the Yankees. Richard Linklater is the director and Marcus Viscidi is the executive producer.(Clear!Blue PR), see an image of the scheme on my #19 Team Schemes page.(6-30-2005)

  • Evernham Motorsports to make 2006 announcement on Friday, July 1st at Daytona International Speedway, announcing news for the 2006 season.(6-28-2005)

  • New Assoc. sponsor for Evernham - Allstate: Allstate announced a multi-year deal with Evernham Motorsports. The associate sponsorship will make Allstate the official auto, home, life and supplemental insurance, motor club and retirement products sponsor of the race team. Earlier this year, Allstate signed a multi-year agreement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to become the title sponsor for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. As part of the sponsorship agreement, #9 driver and 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year Kasey Kahne, #19 driver Jeremy Mayfield and legendary driver Bill Elliott, along with Evernham Motorsports crew members, will display the Allstate logo on their race uniforms. Two new television ads currently in production will feature Evernham Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne in a race setting, yet with a humorous twist that challenges viewers to consider the unique circumstances in which they would need their insurance. One spot focuses on the new Allstate Your Choice Auto Insurance. In addition to unique race-themed advertising, Allstate will launch a national consumer promotion beginning July 1, offering the chance to win a trip and tickets to this year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and other prizes, including a meet and greet with Kasey Kahne and a ride in the official pace car. Committed to diversity and its growth in motorsports, Allstate will also work with members from Evernham Motorsports' driver development program, including Tommy Lane and Erin Crocker, on a broader diversity program with NASCAR. Lane, who is African-American, competes in the Late Model Stock Division at Hickory Motor Speedway, while Erin Crocker, the first female to join Evernham Motorsports, competes in the NASCAR Busch Series and ARCA Series. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate.(Clear!Blue PR)
    AND Third Round of Exclusive eBay Auctions to Begin Thursday, June 30th, to benefit the Charity Chopper Fundraiser, helping to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This month's featured prize is an American Rodsmith, Evernham Signature Series bass fishing rod. The rod is autographed by Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, as well as Bill Elliott, driver of the #91 Stanley Tools Dodge Charger. For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org.(6-28-2005)

  • Evernham hopes to run full 3rd team in 2006: Evernham Motorsports [#9, #19, #91] is close to getting the money needed for a third full-time entry in NASCAR's top series. The third full-time Nextel Cup entry would take over the #91 team that is now a part-time ride for Bill Elliott, team owner Ray Evernham said Friday. Elliott would not be the driver, but the NASCAR veteran, who cut back to a limited schedule in 2004, can remain affiliated with the program, the owner said. "I would love to run a third team," Evernham said. "We have the infrastructure in place. We've built the new building [in Statesville, N.C]. We have the people ready. We have the plan ready. But I'm not going to pull the trigger until I know the money's in place." Evernham said he hopes to have the finances for the third team in place by the end of July or August at the latest. Evernham's two main drivers are #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Jeremy Mayfield. He also has ARCA driver Erin Crocker on a developmental team, and he's working on getting her a solid Busch Series program for next year. As for Elliott, who is racing at Michigan International Speedway this week, the former Cup champion has the choice of doing what he wants.(ESPN.com/AP)(6-18-2005)

  • Mayfield and Kahne to test: #19-Jeremy Mayfield and #9-Kasey Kahne are scheduled to test at Carolina Motorsports Park, in Kershaw, S.C., next Thursday, June 16. The teams will use the test to prepare for the June 26 roadcourse race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.(Clear!Blue/Evernham PR)(6-8-2005)

  • Labbe ill, Francis calling the shots: Slugger Labbe, crew chief for the #19 Dodge of Jeremy Mayfield is at the track, but feeling the effects of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and is resting in his motor home at Dover International Speedway, Team Director [and last years crew chief] Kenny Francis will call the shots today at Dover.(MRN Radio/FX TV Coverage)(6-5-2005)

  • Mayfield signs new contract with Evernham: Jeremy Mayfield will be driving for Evernham Motorsports for the foreseeable future. The 36-year-old driver has signed a multiyear contract with the Dodge team. "Year after year, he has shown that he can be a constant candidate to win races and make the Chase for the Nextel Cup," Ray Evernham said Saturday at Dover International Speedway. "He has been a great team player for Evernham Motorsports."(CBS Sportsline/AP)(6-4-2005)

  • Dickerson resurfaces: Former Hendrick Motorsports chassis developer Eddie Dickerson (released back in February) is consulting for Evernham Motorsports #9-Kasey Kahne and #19-Jeremy Mayfield.(Sporting News)(5-23-2005)

  • Top Banana and Go ManGo! Chargers Unveiled AND: As part of its introduction of the new limited production 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, Dodge unveiled two new Bud Shootout paint schemes on the #9 and #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Chargers, celebrating the modern rear-wheel-drive muscle car. Jeremy Mayfield will pilot the #19 Top Banana Dodge Charger, and Kasey Kahne will drive the #9 Go ManGo! Dodge Charger in Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway. The paint schemes are replica versions of the two classic 1960s color schemes available on the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T production vehicles available starting this summer.(Clear!Blue PR), see images on my #19 Team Schemes page and #9 Team Schemes page.(2-12-2005)
    AND these schemes are also running in the Dodge Charger 500 at Darlington Raceway this weekend.(5-7-2005)

  • Rusty and Jeremy Makeup: When they competed together under the Penske umbrella, Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace endured a rocky partnership as teammates. Now, with Mayfield admittedly older and wiser and Wallace in the twilight of his career, time appears to have healed the wounds. Mayfield currently competes in the Busch Series driving the Miller High Life Light Dodge owned by Wallace. He'll steer that car throughout today's Sharpie Professional 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I kind of feel honored to be honest with you," Mayfield said Friday. "His last year, (Rusty's) Last Call, he asks me to drive it." It's a surprising turn of events, considering the frosty state of affairs between the two in the Penske days. But Mayfield says that's all in the past. "You know, there's a lot of things I did wrong that I could've done better to make that whole deal work," he said. "We'd probably still be teammates right now. But I had a lot of growing up to do and had to be humbled and mature a lot, too, and I feel like I have." Now with the Ray Evernham Dodge team in Nextel Cup competition, Mayfield said he sees a whole different side of his former teammate. "We never really got to know each other when we were teammates," Mayfield said. "Now, the more I'm around him, I'm like ‘Man, this guy's cool as hell.'"(Kingsport Times News), may Newman and Rusty are next to fix things?(4-2-2005)

  • Top Banana and Go ManGo! Chargers Unveiled: As part of its introduction of the new limited production 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, Dodge unveiled two new Bud Shootout paint schemes on the #9 and #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Chargers, celebrating the modern rear-wheel-drive muscle car. Jeremy Mayfield will pilot the #19 Top Banana Dodge Charger, and Kasey Kahne will drive the #9 Go ManGo! Dodge Charger in Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway. The paint schemes are replica versions of the two classic 1960s color schemes available on the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T production vehicles available starting this summer.(Clear!Blue PR), see images on my #19 Team Schemes page and #9 Team Schemes page.(2-12-2005)

  • Evernham to design and manufacturer racing parts: The Evernham Group has made its first venture outside the United States with Evernham Advanced Engine Technology, a company based in Northampton, England. It will design and manufacture racing parts for NASCAR and other series and will be headed by Mark McArdle, a veteran engine builder with a long background in Indy Car racing prior to moving to the stock-car ranks.(Speed Channel's Media Tour Notes)(1-26-2005)

    Past 2004 News

  • Slugger leaves DEI UPDATE 2: Richard "Slugger" Labbe -- who served as #15-Michael Waltrip's crew chief earlier this season and also worked with Earnhardt Jr. Truex's teams, has left DEI and joined Evernham Motorsports. Evernham officials confirmed Labbe has been named director of speedway development, over Evernham's #9 and #19 Dodges, driven by Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield, respectively.(ThatsRacin)(12-1-2004)
    UPDATE: Richard "Slugger" Labbe, former crew chief for Michael Waltrip at DEI, has been hired to oversee Evernham Motorsports' speedway development program for drivers Kasey Kahne's and Jeremy Mayfield's restrictor-plate efforts. Labbe has already started work in Evernham's Statesville, N.C., shop in preparation for the 2005 season, which opens with the Daytona 500 -- a restrictor-plate race.(NASCAR.com)(12-4-2004)
    UPDATE 2: Effective immediately, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, who joined Evernham Motorsports to lead Speedway Development, adds responsibilities as Crew Chief for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge race team with driver Jeremy Mayfield. Kenny Francis remains Team Director for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, focusing on engineering and technological innovation for the team. In a related move, Josh Browne, Race Engineer for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, was promoted to Director of Vehicle Dynamics for Evernham Motorsports.(Evernham Motorsports/ClearBlue PR)(12-14-2004)

  • Evernham signs Crocker to development deal: Evernham Motorsports announced that it has signed sprint-car star Erin Crocker to a development deal that will allow the hottest young female driver in racing to compete next year in the Silver Crown, ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series. Crocker, the first female to win a World of Outlaws race, caught the attention of Ray Evernham and Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year Kasey Kahne for her performance in open wheel racing. Evernham Motorsports partnered with Kasey Kahne Motorsports and has signed Crocker to an agreement that involves her running the Silver Crown Series in a Kasey Kahne Motorsports car, along with three Busch races and three ARCA races in an Evernham Dodge. Sponsors for the program have not yet been announced. “This is like a dream come true,” said Erin Crocker. “When Ray Evernham called, I was considering several options. But once that phone rang, my mind was made up. It is an unbelievable opportunity to race for him – if you consider what he done with other rookies such as Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. This is a chance for me to learn as much as I can, in several different types of cars, from the best in the business. I get to race with a team that focuses on innovation and inspiration, and drive for a leader who puts teamwork, engineering and technology first. It’s absolutely incredible.” Crocker has already moved to Charlotte, N.C. to prepare for her intensive training program. When not racing, Crocker likes to participate in outdoor sports, shop and spend time with her friends and family.(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR)(12-8-2004)

  • Evernham Motorsports wins the championship: Evernham Motorsports won the Inaugural Totally Racin' Flag Football League Championship, beating Roush Racing 40-35. Totally Racin' Softball and Flag Football League founder/coordinator Bob Hubner is now looking to start a Totally Racin' Basketball League in January 2005 for NASCAR Teams in the Mooresville/Charlotte, NC area. More info at racecityresumes.com.(11-18-2004)

  • Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper to sponsor Evernham Motorsports: In their continued quest for high performance, aftermarket auto parts giant Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper has inked its first NASCAR deal as associate sponsor of Evernham Motorsports and includes primary status on the #91 Dodge in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and on the #79 Dodge in the NASCAR Busch Series. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper is the first aftermarket auto parts distribution network to partner with Evernham Motorsports. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper’s partnership with Evernham Motorsports is a multi-faceted marketing program. The automotive aftermarket brands take the lead with the primary sponsorship of the #91 Dodge in 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup races at Michigan International Speedway on August 25, 2005, and Texas Motor Speedway International on November 6, 2005. Veteran racer and former NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Bill Elliott will drive the #91 Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper will be an associate sponsor of the #91 Dodge for all other races in 2005 and will receive branding on Elliott’s uniform, team haulers and pit equipment. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper’s partnership with Evernham Motorsports also includes primary sponsorship of the #79 Dodge. In the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series, Kasey Kahne will drive the #79 Dodge at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 16, 2005 and teammate and NEXTEL Chase contender, Jeremy Mayfield, will take the wheel at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 14, 2005. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper’s association with Evernham also will be used in key customer outreach efforts, retail marketing efforts and internal promotions. The affiliation will compliment Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper’s existing partnership with NASCAR and its new NASCAR Performance Network program, a branding and locator platform associating Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper’s parts stores or service centers with NASCAR’s 75 million fans.(Clear!Blue PR)(11-2-2004)

  • Evernham Tribute UPDATE / IMAGE: Hearing that in remembrance and tribute to Hendrick family and Motorsports, all Evernham Motorsports cars will run the remaining races of the year with black numbers, including this weekend's special Mad Magazine schemes.(10-27-2004)
    UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports Dodges driven by Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne will carry black numbers #19 and #9, respectively, the remainder of the season in memory of the victims in the Hendrick Motorsports plane crash last Sunday. Also, the tail number of the plane, 501RH, will be in front of the rear wheel well on the Evernham Motorsports Dodges.(Clear!Blue PR)(10-29-2004)
    IMAGE see an image of the car with the black number #9 and the plane number [circled in the image] on my #9 Team Paint Schemes page.(10-31-2004)

  • Can you say 'Hemi'? Sweeet: Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge will carry a special orange HEMI paint scheme for this weekend's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway. The paint scheme is running to promote the success of the new HEMI engine available in many of Chrysler Group's vehicles including the 2004 Dodge Ram, Dodge Durango, Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300C. The special paint scheme will mark the first return of the HEMI brand to NASCAR Cup Series racing since the early 70s.(ClearBlue/Evernham Motorsports PR), see images of the scheme on my #19 Team Paint Schemes page or the 2004 Cup Paint Scheme page.(10-7-2004)

  • Jeremy's Tshirt says 'Stay Away': Wearing an orange shirt (the same color as Robby Gordon's car) that read "I want you to stay far, far away from me," Jeremy Mayfield qualified first yesterday for the MBNA 400 a Dover International Speedway. He edged Ryan Newman with a 159.405-mph lap his second slowest this year at the 1-mile oval. Mayfield, who set a track record (161.522) in June, became the first driver to complete a season sweep of pole positions at Dover since Cale Yarborough in 1980. Mayfield needs a strong result tomorrow. He dropped 142 points out of first after he got caught in a crash started by Gordon at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday. But his #19 Dodge has proved resilient recently, clawing its way into the Chase by winning at Richmond International Raceway after two subpar showings. "We're going to have to do that every week from here on out," he said. "That's what this team seems to be really good at. We get knocked down, chewed up, spit out and booed off the stage, but we come right back. When the going gets tough, we feel like we perform our best." Mayfield hadn't heard yet from Gordon, who said yesterday morning he wanted to apologize to Mayfield and Tony Stewart, the other title contender victimized by his spin. "Obviously he wasn't in too desperate of a search for me," Mayfield joked. "It might have been the shirt. What's cool is that [Gordon's car owner] Richard Childress called. He apologized and said he was very sorry. That's classy of Childress. Richard didn't seem to have any problems getting a hold of anybody."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-25-2004)

  • Congrats: Kenny Francis, Team Director of the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge from Evernham Motorsports, is proud to announce the birth of he and wife Rebecca's first baby girl. Emma Michelle Francis was born at 10:26 p.m. last night (Tuesday, Sept. 21). Emma weighed 10 lbs. 3 oz. at time of delivery. Kenny chose the middle name Michelle for her. Mother and child are doing well, and Kenny Francis will be back on the pit box this weekend at Dover.(ClearBlue/Evernham Motorsports PR)(9-22-2004)

  • Mayfield wins at Richmond and gets in 'The Chase': #19-Jeremy Mayfield won the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night, leading the most laps, and clinching 9th in the 'Chase for the Nextel Cup'. It is Mayfield first win in 142 races, at Pocono on June 19, 2000, the 4th of his career. #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 2nd, followed by #24-Jeff Gordon, #80-Mike Bliss [best career finish] and #6-Mark Martin. #99-Carl Edwards was 6th, his 3rd top 10 in his first 4 races. #32-Bobby Hamilton Jr. finished 11th, his career finish [best was 14th at Talladega in Oct 2001]. Some great pre-race ceremonies honoring 9-11.
    For more on the race, lap leaders, DNFs, cautions, notes, how the top 10 starters did, etc. see my Richmond Race Info/Rundown Page.
    For race results, see:
    Jayski's Richmond Race Results/Awards page
    Motorsports One
    NASCAR.com.(9-11-2004)

  • Last Week for Summer Sales Driver Scheme: The #9 and #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge's will run its "Dodge Summer Sales Drive" paint scheme for the final week in Bristol. #9-Kasey Kahne's and #!9-Jeremy Mayfield's Dodge's has run this paint scheme since racing at Chicago in July.(ClearBlue PR)(8-25-2004)

  • #9 and #19 Schemes for the Summer: the #9 and #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge will continue to run its new paint scheme this weekend in New Hampshire. The new scheme will run through the August 28th race in Bristol in support of Dodge's Summer Sales Drive.(Clear!Blue PR)(7-20-2004)

  • Mountain Dew back on the #9 and #19 - #9 at MIS: Evernham Motorsports teammates Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne showed their alliance to the "Dew Crew" today when they unveiled their Mountain Dew Dodge paint-outs plastered with the team green at the Michigan International Speedway. "Fueled by Dew," Kahne's #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge will feature a Mountain Dew paint scheme when he competes in the DHL 400 this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. Mayfield will race in his Mountain Dew-themed #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge at the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on November 14. Mountain Dew is sponsoring Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield throughout the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Both drivers are making appearances for Mountain Dew during the season and they are featured on in-store display materials. In addition, Mountain Dew sponsors the over-the-wall pit crews for Kahne and Mayfield. Their teams are known as the "Dew Crew."
    "The association between Mountain Dew and Evernham Motorsports is such a big part of our race team and I've enjoyed working with them," said Mayfield who is in his third season as a driver for Evernham Motorsports. "Everything they do is so much fun to be a part of. I'm excited about the Dew paint scheme I'll be running at Darlington and look forward to making the other drivers green with envy."
    "This is my first year being associated with Mountain Dew, it's been fun so far," said rookie driver Kasey Kahne. "Everyone on the team has been great to work with and each week I meet new people who are part of the Mountain Dew team. I love Mountain Dew, so working with them comes naturally. Running the Dew car at Michigan this weekend is something I'm looking forward to. It's always fun to drive a car with different paint on it. It gets the fans' attention and if you do well it helps the sponsors." This marks the fourth year that Mountain Dew has sponsored Evernham Motorsports. Pepsi-Cola North America, the makers of Mountain Dew, has been involved with NASCAR since the sport was introduced in 1948. Today, Pepsi serves its products at 16 of the 23 Nextel Cup Series tracks and is the title sponsor of NASCAR Nextel Cup races in Daytona, Fla. (Pepsi 400), and Darlington, S.C. (Mountain Dew Southern 500).(Evernham Motorsports/Clear!Blue PR), see images of the cars on my #9 Team Paint Schemes and #19 Team Paint Schemes pages.(6-18-2004)

  • Evernham may get into the engine business: Evernham Motorsports [#9,#19,#91] owner Ray Evernham said he is looking to expand his engine program and has had preliminary talks with several NASCAR teams. Although the most likely case would be to start building engines for a new team in 2005, Evernham said he could be ready sooner. "I think if we had someone who came to us and said we needed engines, we could do something right now. How extensive an effort we could manage right away remains to be seen," Evernham said. There are at least three full-time Nextel Cup Series Dodge organization that do not currently build their own engines, Petty Enterprises, BAM Racing and Arnold Motorsports.(ThatsRacin)(6-11-2004)

  • Evernham Helping Out: Ray Evernham, CEO of Evernham Motorsports [#9, #19, #91], has been named National Chairperson of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk. Evernham will put serious horsepower behind the Society's efforts to raise funds for lifesaving cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The Light The Night Walk is the Society's annual fall event held in communities throughout the U.S. to raise money for blood cancer research and patient services. Last year, the walk raised more than $18 million in 260 communities. Evernham, a longtime supporter of the Society, has a personal connection to blood cancer. In 1992, his son, Ray J, was diagnosed with leukemia at just under a year old. Today, Ray J. is a healthy teenager. In cities across the country, teams of co-workers, families and friends walk together along a two- or three- mile route in twilight holding illuminated balloons -- white for survivors and red for supporters. The walks commemorate lives touched by blood cancer. Individuals and teams of walkers are invited to participate.
    Call 800-LTN-WALK or visit www.lightthenight.org.(Evernham Motorsports PR)(5-19-2004)

  • Evernham Motorsports Hosts Third Annual Fan Appreciation Day: Evernham Motorsports [#'s 9.19.91] will hold its third annual Evernham Motorsports Fan Appreciation Day featuring Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne, Ray Evernham and Bill Elliott to thank fans for their support of the team and provide them an opportunity to meet the stars of Evernham Motorsports in person. Evernham Motorsports Fan Appreciation Day will be held Friday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Evernham Motorsports facilities in Statesville, N.C. Throughout the event, fans will have the opportunity to tour the race facility and meet members of the Dew Crew. The day will conclude with an autograph signing with Elliott and a second with Mayfield, Kahne and Evernham. Charlotte's WFMX-FM will be doing a live broadcast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from the event. In addition, a silent auction will be held featuring several items including race memorabilia. Funds from the auction will be distributed to Racing for a Reason, a foundation established by Ray Evernham that benefits several worthy causes. For more information and directions, visit www.evernhammotorsports.com.(5-18-2004)

  • #19 Jackman out for year UPDATE: Ed Watkins, Jack Man for the #19 Dew Crew, will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering injuries to both knees in April. He is replaced by Rick Pennington for this weekend’s race at Richmond. Pennington also subbed as Jack Man for the team at Talladega and California.(ClearBlue/Evernham Motorsports PR)
    UPDATE: a correction - Rick Pennington will NOT be subbing as the #19 Dew Crew Jack Man this weekend at Richmond. Mark Schmuck, Jack Man with the #38 Dodge Busch Series team will sub this weekend.(5-13-2004)

  • More on the EM Noses: By covering the noses on its cars, Evernham Motorsports is only distracting Darrell Waltrip. Ray Evernham has been working really hard with his guys to come up with more power, and it's starting to show at the race track. If the noses on Evernham's cars were illegal, NASCAR would be on top of it, and they would put a stop to it, especially after DW and everybody said, "Lookie here!" NASCAR is going to look extra long and hard at it. It's made for interesting conversation, but I don't believe anything's happening that warrants NASCAR's concern.(FoxSports/Jeff Hammond), see the initial story/rumor and pictures of the noses on my #19 Team News and Links page.(3-16-2004)

  • Suspect Noses? Evernham Motorsports Dodges qualified first [#9], sixth [#19] and 10th [#91] at Las Vegas, and other teams were suspicious about what advantage the Evernham crews had found. Rival manufacturers took pictures of the noses to examine the changes. The competitors discovered the noses were designed to offer greater downforce in the front and rear. "It's totally legit," one competitor says. "It's so simple it makes you mad that you didn't come up with it." Although the Evernham cars were constructed completely within the rules, chances are NASCAR will develop a new body template that defines that nose area.(FoxSports/Sporting News), while walking along pitroad before the race, the #9 and #19 cars had the noses/grill area coveredd up and didn't remove the covers until after the two cars fired up and just before the left pitroad.(3-8-2004)



    Suspect Noses? a pic of the #9 nose covered
    then exposed as the car was ready to roll
    and a comparison shot of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge.
    (I don't see the difference)
    UPDATE Team owner Ray Evernham wears criticism about his cars from other competitors at Las Vegas last week as a badge of honor. Several teams claimed Evernham's teams had altered the noses on their Dodges to improve their performance, even though the cars still fit NASCAR's rigid template screening. "I'm happy again. People are looking at my stuff and taking pictures," Evernham said. "I'm still the same guy. I didn't go to sleep. I didn't go away. We're going to do everything we can do within the rules and within the templates and make our stuff good. The same things win races, good aerodynamics, good horsepower and good drivers." Evernham's rookie driver, Kasey Kahne, has finished second in the past two Nextel Cup races and is eighth in points. Teammate Jeremy Mayfield is 14th in points.(ThatsRacin)(3-12-2004)

  • Evernham cars get some spinach for July Daytona Race UPDATE: hearing that the #9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne and the #19 Dodge of Jeremy Mayfield will sport Popeye The Sailorman 75th Anniversary schemes in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July.[no images...yet](1-9-2004)
    UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports, King Features, Action Performance, Dodge and America's Favorite Sailor will unveil the #9 and #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW/Popeye Dodges on Friday, March 12, 2004 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It will celebrate Popeye's 75th Anniversary.(3-10-2004)

  • Evernham to build own chassis: Evernham Motorsports has taken the next step in expanding its resources by developing a chassis in-house that Bill Elliott tested last month at Las Vegas. Team owner Ray Evernham says the project has been in the works for the past three years and that building the frame took 120 to 140 man hours, not including the research involved in the design. "If you want to compete at the top level, you're almost forced (to build your own chassis)," Evernham says. "We're a year behind in doing it, but it's finally going." Evernham says the chassis needs more testing, but he hopes to install it in Kasey Kahne's and Jeremy Mayfield's cars in the near future.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(2-16-2004)

  • Engine Tuner leaves Evernham: Engine tuner Mike Hawkins parted with Evernham Motorsports last week. Considering that Kasey Kahne's engine failed Sunday on lap 43, it was obvious that Hawkins was missed. Hawkins is rumored to be headed for Toyota. Coupled with Jon Dennison's earlier departure at Richard Childress Racing, there now are tuner openings on the Nos. 9 and 29 teams. But the head engine builder's job at DEI -- vacant after Richie Gilmore's move to director of motorsports -- will be the hardest to fill. The company has been very secretive with the construction of its engines. The concern is that an engine specialist could come in, stay a few years and take the information elsewhere. If that's not enough, the pressure of maintaining a record that includes winning 10 of the last 13 restrictor-plate races will be intense.(Yahoo Sports)(2-16-2004)

  • Mountain Dew Back with the #19 and will sponsor the #9: #9-Kasey Kahne, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series rookie, is the newest member of the Mountain Dew team. Kahne joins his Evernham Motorsports teammate, #19-Jeremy Mayfield, who has been sponsored by Mountain Dew since the 2002 season. Pepsi-Cola North America, makers of Mountain Dew, announced an agreement with Evernham Motorsports to extend their sponsorship to include rookie driver Kasey Kahne and the over-the-wall crew of Kahne’s #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge who compete in the Nextel Cup Series. The Evernham Motorsports pit crews for Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield will be known as the “Dew Crews.” Kahne’s Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge will race in a special Mountain Dew color scheme for one race in 2004. In addition, Kahne and Mayfield will appear on in-store display materials and make appearances during the season for Mountain Dew. This marks the fourth straight year that Mountain Dew has sponsored Evernham Motorsports drivers and teams. Pepsi’s involvement with NASCAR began when the sport was introduced in 1948. Today, Pepsi serves its products at 16 of the 23 Nextel Cup Series tracks and is the title sponsor of NASCAR Nextel Cup races in Daytona, Fla. (Pepsi 400) and Darlington, S.C. (Mountain Dew Southern 500).(Clear!Blue PR)(2-13-2004)
    IMAGES added a few images of each car to the 2004 Cup Paint Scheme Gallery.(2-15-2004)

  • #19 / #97 may be fined: Jeremy Mayfield's #19 team and Kurt Busch's #97 team are likely to be penalized further for infractions found by Nextel Cup officials, series director John Darby said. The rear deck lid on Mayfield's car failed to fit the template. Busch's car had a rear bumper support confiscated. Teams are allowed to place added weight in the support as long as it is in an approved container. The weight in Busch's car was not in such a container. Also taken were an illegal spring from Derrike Cope's #50 car; underpans from the cars of #7-Jimmy Spencer, #24-Jeff Green, #29-Kevin Harvick, #0-Ward Burton and #95-Andy Belmont [who withdrew]; and adjustable fender braces from the cars of #20-Tony Stewart, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #15-Michael Waltrip and Busch.
    Other violations included illegal windshield clips from Larry Foyt's #14 car, an illegal wheel opening on Earnhardt's #8 car, and expired Hutchens Devices from #2-Rusty Wallace and #72-Kirk Shelmerdine. Darby said that the adjustable fender braces are not as likely to incur a further penalty. Teams are allowed to use adjustable braces during practice but not during qualifying.(Roanoke Times)(2-11-2004)

  • Evernham cars get some spinach for July Daytona Race: hearing that the #9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne and the #19 Dodge of Jeremy Mayfield will sport Popeye The Sailorman 75th Anniversary schemes in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July.[no images...yet](1-9-2004)

  • NHL and the #19 and NASCAR: #19-Jeremy Mayfield will supposedly run an NHL All-Star Game scheme in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona on February 7th, 2004.(12-22-2003)
    UPDATE: Dodge, Evernham Motorsports and the National Hockey League will meet at Center Ice For the Unveiling of the NHL All-Star #19 Dodge To Run in the 2004 Bud Shootout on Thursday, January 8, 2004.(Clear!Blue PR)
    see an image of the car on my #19 Team Schemes Page and there are many drivers 'dropping pucks' in Jan/Feb, see the Driver Appearances page for the info.(1-2-2004)

    Past 2003 News

  • Testing at Nashville: Evernham Motorsports brought their Dodges to the Nashville Superspeedway for two days of testing on December 17 & 18. NASCAR drivers Bill Elliott, Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne, and Elton Sawyer were all in town to participate, as was their owner, Ray Evernham. Mother Nature decided not to cooperate, so the testing was cut short due to weather, but the teams plan to reschedule and return to the superspeedway in early January. Mayfield said," We'll be back in a few weeks I think. This is a great place to test, it's my second visit and I look forward to coming back soon. I can't believe Nashville doesn't have a Cup race yet, hopefully in the near future."(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(12-19-2003)

  • Evernham Announces 2004 plans; Kahne to the #9; Elliott to a limited schedule:
    Elliott to run limited schedule in Evernham Motorsports Dodge
    Kahne succeeds Elliott as driver of the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
    Baldwin joins Evernham as team director for Kahne’s #9 Dodge team
    Evernham Engines to supply engines for Kahne’s Busch Series Dodge
    Evernham Motorsports announced its lineup this morning for the 2004 NASCAR season. The lineup will include NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, who will run a reduced race schedule in an Evernham Motorsports Dodge; NASCAR Busch Series standout Kasey Kahne, who will succeed Elliott as the driver of the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge; Jeremy Mayfield, who will continue as driver of the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge; and Tommy Baldwin, who will join Evernham Motorsports as team director for the #9 Dodge team. Elliott announced his intentions to run a limited schedule for several years and remain with Evernham Motorsports as mentor and coach to the team’s drivers. Elliott’s role will expand in a business capacity with Evernham Motorsports, lending his talent in a variety of endeavors on and off the track. Details of Elliott’s participation as an Evernham Motorsports Dodge driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series still are being finalized. Initial plans call for a limited schedule with Ray Evernham and director of competition Sammy Johns overseeing the on-track program for Elliott.
    Elliott, the 1988 Winston Cup champion, also announced plans to include fan events in his 2004 schedule. In a show of appreciation for their unending support, Elliott is planning several celebrations to thank his loyal following for their devotion during his four decades of NASCAR competition. More details will follow once sponsorship is secured and Elliott’s final schedule is determined.
    Kasey Kahne assumes Elliott’s role as driver of the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge. In addition to running a full Nextel Cup schedule in the #9 Dodge, Kahne will compete full time in the NASCAR Busch Series next season. Evernham Engines will supply the #38 Great Clips Dodge with engines for 2004.
    Tommy Baldwin joins Evernham Motorsports as team director for Kahne’s Cup operation. “Ray and I have known each other for a while,” said Baldwin. “The opportunity for us to work together never seemed to present itself like I wished it would have. I’m just glad it did this time. Our visions are the same, and I think you’ll see that translate well on track.”
    As previously announced, Jeremy Mayfield remains in the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge for Evernham Motorsports in 2004, with Kenny Francis returning as team director.
    Evernham is pleased that Elliott will remain with his organization. “I’m fortunate that things have fallen into place like they have,” said Evernham. “Bill and I worked closely to make sure we were taking this company in the right direction, but I also wanted to make sure that he had the space to really make the right decision for himself. In making that decision, I think we as an organization have made some strong personnel moves. Kasey Kahne is a bright, young star in this sport, and he will accomplish a lot with guidance from one of the best in the business. Tommy Baldwin is an asset, and I feel very lucky to have him on board. And, we have a solid base with Jeremy Mayfield and Kenny Francis returning as well. With these moves, we are on track with the vision I have for this company, and these additions only make us stronger as we move into 2004.”(Evernham Motorsports site)(12-4-2003)
    UPDATE 2: Some confusion remains on what number cars Elliott and Kahne will drive in Cup competition. Elliott said he'll continue to drive the #9 Dodge in events he enters, but Evernham announced Thursday that Kahne will drive the #9 Dodge. Since Kahne will race the full 36-event schedule, it's likely he'll either drive cars with two different numbers (he'll drive in an alternate number car in events that Elliott races in). Potentially, Elliott might have to take a different number. A third option is keeping Elliott in the #9 and giving Kahne a similar number like #09 or #90 or #91 [already used by the team]. The only non-confusing element is that Jeremy Mayfield will remain in the #19 Dodge. Adding to the confusion was Elliott's take on the whole matter. Early in Thursday's teleconference, he remarked that "Kasey Kahne will be the driver of the 9 car." Moments later, Elliott said, "Right now when I run I'll run the 9; Kasey will run the 9 when I'm not racing. We've got a plan, but we're still trying to put it all together." For his part in all this, Evernham said: "Since it's not a retirement tour (for Bill Elliott), we haven't worked out all the car number stuff yet. We're still looking for partners to come on board with us, so they would certainly have some input on the number. Bill is going to run 10-15 races. On the day Bill Elliott decides it's going to be his last race, he will drive the No. 9." He will likely skip the season-opening Daytona 500 and the second race of the season at Rockingham, and make his first start of the year in the third race at Las Vegas. He also foresees running at places like Michigan, California, Pocono and Indianapolis.(ESPN)(12-5-2003)

  • Evernham, why a Busch team? Evernham Motorsports, running their first Busch race this weekend at Rockingham, is running the Busch Series to get Jeremy Mayfield get some track time and because team owner Ray Evernham plans to start building Busch Series engines to lease in 2004. Also of note, Elton Sawyer, former Busch Series driver is working with the team as a consultant.(Speed Channel's coverage of Busch Series Qualifying)(11-7-2003)

  • Mayfield in the #79 Busch Series Dodge at the Rock: Evernham Motorsports will field the #79 Mountain Dew Dodge in the Busch Series at Rockingham. Mayfield will drive the entry and Sammy Johns will serve as crew chief. In addition to Mountain Dew, Dodge, Ingersoll-Rand, Cometic Gaskets, Action Performance, Freightliner, Siemens, Valvoline, and PPG will serve as associate sponsors on the No. 79 Dodge. The entry is the first for Evernham Motorsports in the Busch Series.(Evernham Motorsports PR)(11-5-2003)

  • Mayfield's Options: Jeremy Mayfield's decsion came down to length of contract [and of course how well the #19 team has been doing of late], supposedly RCR offered Mayfield as one-year deal to drive the #30 AOL Chevy, while Evernham offered Mayfield a two-year extension to stay where he is and is running good of late.(Speed Channel Coverage of Cup Qualifying and see a NASCAR.com article: Mayfield came close to leaving Evernham)(10-25-2003)

  • Evernham to field a Busch car? It was mentioned during qualifying when #9 and #19 team owner, Ray Evernham was congratulating Bill Elliott on his top five qualifying run, that Evernham was asking Elliott to sponsor his Busch car at Rockingham [the sponsorship thing was a joke] but seemed the running a Busch car was the real thing.(10-25-2003)

  • Mayfield staying with Evernham: Jeremy Mayfield, the subject of much speculation regarding his future in the series, has signed a contract extension with his current owner, Evernham Motorosports, to remain in the #19 Dodge, ThatsRacin has learned. An official announcement of Mayfield's re-signing with Evernham is expected later Wednesday afternoon. Mayfield, 34, joined Evernham following the 2001 season. He owns three career Winston Cup wins, but none since joining Evernham. He is currently 20th in points, with nine top-10 and three top-five finishes, including two runner-up finishes. Mayfield's first Cup win came in 1998 with Penske Racing, when he also finished a career-high seventh in points. He earned two more wins in 2000 and left the organization near the end of the 2001 season. Mayfield struggled at the start of this season, but in recent weeks his #19 team has improved dramatically. All three of his top-fives this season have come in the past seven races. Mayfield has grown increasingly frustrated recently as his job status appeared to be up in the air, and other Cup teams began expressing interest in his services. "All we need is to be left alone for a while," Mayfield said following his second-place finish at Dover, Del. "Let us race. We've fought rumors since I've been there. I've been in the rumor mill forever. Now, the 9 car is. ... Let us race."(ThatsRacin)(10-22-2003)

  • Dodge Dropping Teams? UPDATE: Dodge may cut back its Nextel Cup operations by limiting car owners to a single team sponsorship, which could be why Jeremy Mayfield has felt under such pressure lately with car owner Ray Evernham.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2003)
    UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports has been the center of various rumors lately but team owner Ray Evernham wants to put one of them to rest. During an interview for RPM2Day he made it clear that his team will definitely field two cars full time next season. There were rumors that he would field just one.(ESPN)(10-21-2003)

  • Evernham losing sponsor? Jeremy Mayfield could be on the way out of the #19, mostly because Evernham could have sponsorship troubles.( NASCAR.com Buzz), but it doesn't expand on it, have not heard anything about Dodge Dealers leaving Evernham.(10-10-2003)

  • Looks like Riggs to Cup in 2004; either Evernham or DEI? Scott Riggs [driver of the #10 ppc Ford in Busch] has been debating between Winston Cup offers from Ray Evernham and DEI, according to sources. If Riggs takes the DEI ride, as expected, Jeremy Mayfield could remain with Evernham. Doug Randolph could become Riggs' crew chief at DEI. Shane Hmiel had been No. 2 in line for the DEI ride behind Riggs until he ran afoul of NASCAR's drug-abuse policy. NASCAR has still not offered any timetable for the Richmond drug test that Hmiel took or any details of the drugs involved or what medical treatment program would be acceptable.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-29-2003)

  • More on Mayfield and RCR: While Jeremy Mayfield has been hot with car owner Ray Evernham this month and is bidding to hold his Dodge ride, insiders say that Mayfield continues to be a front-runner for a ride with Richard Childress. Steve Park, Childress' third driver, failed to make the 500 field yesterday.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-27-2003)

  • Mayfield sounds like he is staying at the #19: Runner-up finisher #19-Jeremy Mayfield hopes that his recent streak of five finishes of 11th or better will dispel persistent rumors his job with team owner Ray Evernham is in jeopardy. "Ray and I want the team to stay together, and that's best way to say it," he said. "It would be a shame, and whoever would split this team up is crazy. That's how confident I am about it."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-22-2003)

  • Evernham, Ward and Baldwin? Ward Burton and crew chief Tommy Baldwin could be back together again if talks with car owner Ray Evernham prove fruitful, according to Dodge sources. However, Baldwin denies any such plans are in the works with Evernham. Burton will likely leave car owner Bill Davis at the end of the season, but Dodge wants to keep the 2002 Daytona 500 winner in the Dodge fold.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-15-2003)

  • More on Elliott and Mayfield: Where Jeremy Mayfield may drive next season could depend on Bill Elliott's decision on retirement that his expected later this month. Mayfield's second place at Richmond was his best run with car owner Ray Evernham, but in their nearly two years together Mayfield has all but vanished on race days, leading to rumors he was looking for another ride, possibly with Childress. Why the Mayfield-Evernham team hasn't clicked any better has been a mystery. Sources close to Elliott have said that he will announce his retirement. If so, then Evernham may have to make some tough decisions. Mayfield said he has signed a contract renewal and given it to Evernham and is waiting to see what Evernham does.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-11-2003)

  • Evernham to one team? Akins to move up with Kahne? There has been speculation on the future of Evernham Motorsports if Bill Elliott retires and Jeremy Mayfield moves on after this season. Mayfield, who had a season-high second-place finish at Richmond, says he does not want to leave and adds that the potential for chemistry is there between him and crew chief Kenny Francis. One scenario that has been suggested is Evernham losing one team and Brad Akins' #38 Busch Series team changing allegiance from Ford to Dodge. That would allow Dodge to promote that team and its driver, 23-year-old Kasey Kahne, to Winston Cup.(FoxSports), thought Kahne was signed with Ford?(9-8-2003)

  • Mayfield signed his half? Evernham has not? #19-Jeremy Mayfield has been expected to leave Evernham Motorsports, but he has signed a contract renewal and sent it to Evernham. 'It's signed. My half. Let's see if he'll sign his half,' Mayfield said. Mayfield is also figured to be under consideration by Richard Childress. However, complicating the Evernham issue is the possibility Dodge executives could reshuffle their NASCAR sponsorships, cutting some teams back to a single deal. Expected to land a full Dodge deal, however, is car owner Jim Smith -- crew chief Tommy Baldwin says he'll need to know the team's sponsorship situation within the next 30 days or prepare to move on.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-6-2003)

  • Mayfield Out? Re-signed? UPDATE 2 going to the #30 car?: Ray Evernham may be in the market for a new driver, if Jeremy Mayfield leaves [the #19 car]. Evernham and other Dodge team owners have been under heavy pressure from Dodge executives to improve performance.(Winston Salem Journal) AND being told by source Mayfield will leave the #19 team, no idea where he goes, and who goes into the #19? would imagine a young gun of some caliber.(8-30-2003)
    UPDATE: however, PRN's Garage Pass reported on Thursday that Mayfield's option for 2004 was picked up by Evernham Motorsports.(8-31-2003)
    UPDATE 2 - not so fast? PRN's Garage Pass radio show reported last week car owner Ray Evernham and driver Jeremy Mayfield agreed to a new contract extension, however it appears that hasn't stopped Mayfield from talking with car owner Richard Childress. Sources tell PRN Mayfield has talked with Childress about the AOL Monte Carlo ride if Childress decides to replace Steve Park. Park, who says he wants to make it hard for Childress to replace him wants to stay with the #30 team. He recently finished 5th at Michigan.(9-3-2003)

  • Evernham not changing drivers: There has been talk that Brendan Gaughan, who leads the Craftsman Truck Series in points and victories (four), might move to Cup racing in 2004, possibly with Evernham Motorsports. Though Gaughan, 28, tested for the organization in the past, team owner Ray Evernham says the next logical step for Gaughan would be the Busch Series. One thing is certain: Evernham has no intention of replacing Bill Elliott or Jeremy Mayfield next year. “For his age (47), Bill is one of the best drivers I've ever worked with, and he carries our deal on his back a lot of the time,” Evernham says. “I feel like I owe him a lot.” …(Sporting News)(8-20-2003)

  • #9 and #19 get a Mane UPDATE: hearing #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Jeremy Mayfield will sport Lion King paint schemes at Kansas Speedway in Oct.(6-23-2003)
    IMAGES: see images of the cars at 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Car #'s 0-23.(8-19-2003)

  • Gaughan and Evernham? UPDATEs: some sources say that Brendan Gaughan's [#62 in the Truck Series] name has come up as an option for Evernham Motorsports if changes are made or they choose to run the third R&D car [#91 Dodge](3-22-2003)
    UPDATE: .....a mention of CTS driver Brendan Gaughan as a possible driver for on of Evernham's three cars, brought this response from Gaughan: "I want to go to Winston Cup, we know that," Gaughan said. "But I don't ever want to hope that someone does bad. I'm rooting for all the other Dodge drivers. Right now I'm just worried about getting our team through this Craftsman Truck Series season. We're third in points -- two points out of second -- and that's right where we want to be at this point. I haven't heard anything about the rumor, but it's cool my name's out there. That's a bonus." ...(Las Vegas Review Journal)(3-28-2003)
    UPDATE 2: Brendan Gaughan, one of the hottest drivers on NASCAR's Truck tour, is under consideration for a Winston Cup ride with Ray Evernham, according to sources.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-28-2003)

  • Mayfield extension? hearing that Jeremy Mayfield, driver of the #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge is close to signing a contract extension with Evernham Motorsports. Should put to rest the rumors he is leaving or being booted.(7-26-2003)

  • #9 and #19 get a Mane: hearing #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Jeremy Mayfield will sport Lion King paint schemes at Kansas Speedway in Oct.(6-23-2003)

  • Hornish and DEI rumor resurfaces UPDATE or is it Mayfield?: Sam Hornish's name is again being mentioned prominently as the man who could join Dale Earnhardt Inc. next season as team mate with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip. The 23-year-old Hornish, the 2001 and 2002 IRL champ, is sponsored by Pennzoil, which is the company DEI is trying to re-sign [for the #1 Chevy now driven by Jeff Green/Ron Fellows]. There is word that Hornish might get a shot at a DEI ride at Michigan in August.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-9-2003)
    UPDATE: First in line for the DEI job appears to by Jeremy Mayfield, who currently drives for Ray Evernham's #19 Dodge team.(Toronto Sun)(6-9-2003)
    UPDATE 2: Jeremy Mayfield said during an interview with XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio (Subscription Required) that he had no plans to go to DEI and hopes to re-sign with Evernham Motorsports to stay in the #19 Dodge(6-17-2003)

  • Mayfield to Petty? So this weekend rookie Christian Fittipaldi is in the Petty car that Andretti drove the last five years, and Andretti is looking for a job. And Petty is hearing speculation that Jeremy Mayfield may be on his list as a driver. Mayfield's year and a half with car owner Ray Evernham has been very disappointing.(Winston Salem Journal); Mayfield has also been rumored to the #1 DEI car.(6-14-2003)

  • Evernham's Return to Racing rained out: Ray Evernham's much-ballyhooed return to driving at Wall Township Speedway Saturday ended like most of New Jersey's races this year with a driving rainstorm. But it wasn't from lack of trying. Speedway officials waited out Saturday's morning and afternoon rains, and track safety vehicles circled the third-of-a-mile asphalt oval during a brief respite in the rain from 4:30.-6:00/pm/et. But another shower that hit shortly after 6:00pm/et officially canceled the show that was to include a 15-lap match race featuring Hazlet native and NASCAR Winston Cup car owner Evernham. The race is not expected to be rescheduled. Ticket stubs from Saturday's show are good for admission to any Wall race for the rest of 2003, with the exception of the June 29 NASCAR Modified Series race and the July 26 appearance of NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Sterling Marlin and Kenny Wallace.(Newark Star Ledger)(6-2-2003)

  • Mayfield Safe in the #19; Elliott signed thru 2005, and Atwood back? Evernham Motorsports owner Ray Evernham debunked rumors Tuesday of #19-Jeremy Mayfield's demise and also spoke of the futures of #9-Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood. Mayfield has been the subject of the media rumor mill based on his lackluster results this season. Despite a 2002 season in which Mayfield finished 26th in the standings with two top-fives, four top-10's and seven DNFs, Evernham said he was unquestionably standing behind his driver. "Jeremy Mayfield is in the 19 -- there's no question about his future," Evernham said. "We're working as hard as we can work to get that 19 car back to the front (and) they're probably closer than you think. It's not an easy sport (but) as long as we keep communicating and holding hands and digging hard, that's all that we can do." Elliott, 47 will be driving Evernham's #9 Dodge well into the future. "Bill is under contract through 2005, and he knows that No. 9 car is his as long as he wants to drive it," Evernham said. "He has said he'll give us plenty of notice if he decides he wants to do anything else." Atwood, 22, was displaced when Mayfield was hired to drive the #19 car beginning last year. In 2002, Atwood drove the No. 7 Dodge for Evernham/Ultra Motorsports, but he was released near the end of the season. He remains under contract to Evernham, though he's been given his release to seek other opportunities [such as the #82 U.S Navy Chevy in the Busch Series]. Evernham will field a #91 Dodge at Pocono next month for Atwood, and has said he would like to do more races with that car. "We're still working with Casey Atwood," Evernham said. "There's a chance he might be back in one of the red cars some time in the future."(see full story and quotes at NASCAR.com)(5-20-2003)

  • Mayfield to drive truck at Charlotte: Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith announced that Jeremy Mayfield will drive the team's third Dodge Ram entry in the inaugural Truck Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway this Friday night. Mayfield tested the #7 Dodge for Ultra Motorsports last week at the 1.5-mile speedway. Jimmy Spencer, who drives Smith's #7 Winston Cup Dodge Intrepid, was scheduled to drive, but soreness in his ribs from a hard crash at Richmond International Raceway two weeks ago prevented him from testing the truck last week. Mayfield will be driving the #7 American Tire Distributors Dodge, the third truck in an elite lineup of Ultra Motorsports entries. Friday night's Hardee's 200 is slated to start at 8:30pm/et and will be televised live on SPEED.(Golin Harris PR)(5-12-2003)

  • Penske Engine in the #19? UPDATE: Hearing that the #19 Dodge that Jeremy Mayfield won the pole with at Talladega had a Penske engine in it, not one from Evernham Motorsports.(4-4-2003)
    UPDATE: Give some credit to Penske-Jasper horsepower for Jeremy Mayfield's pole-winning run Friday. Dodge car owners Roger Penske and Ray Evernham have teamed up to improve their efforts at Daytona and Talladega. Evernham gets engine help for Mayfield and Bill Elliott, and Penske gets aerodynamic assistance for Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace. The cooperation worked in qualifying, when Penske's engines helped Mayfield take the pole for Sunday's race while Elliott qualified fifth. Newman was eighth for Penske, but Wallace was 31st. "We both struggled in qualifying at Daytona so we teamed up to work on our restrictor plate program," Evernham said. "We don't have a name for it, just a group of people from both shops who built engines for this race." Like Penske, Evernham builds his own engines. But as a third-year program, his motors lag behind and have been a weakness in the operation - Elliott blew his engine while leading the race at Texas last weekend. "Our motor program is good for a a three-year program," Evernham said. "But we need access to better technology and Roger has access to the experience and technology we need."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(4-5-2003)

  • News to Gaughan: the rumor I had posted yesterday and the past few days; 'Evernham Changes' with a mention of CTS driver Brendan Gaughan as a possible driver for on of Evernham's three cars, brought this response from Gaughan: "I want to go to Winston Cup, we know that," Gaughan said. "But I don't ever want to hope that someone does bad. I'm rooting for all the other Dodge drivers. Right now I'm just worried about getting our team through this Craftsman Truck Series season. We're third in points -- two points out of second -- and that's right where we want to be at this point. I haven't heard anything about the rumor, but it's cool my name's out there. That's a bonus." ...(Las Vegas Review Journal)(3-28-2003)

  • Evernham Changes? UPDATE 3: hearing some crew changes have occurred on the #9 and #19 Evernham Motorsports teams with the rear tire changers/carriers switching. Hearing there could be other changes coming, including Crew Chief (even though they do not use a 'crew chief' but a CART crew formula), Supposedly #19 Dodge driver, Jermey Mayfield is under some pressure to perform better or a change could be made there.(3-21-2003)
    UPDATE: been told by sources that the rear tire changers/carriers have switched teams. Also some sources say that Brendan Gaughan's [#62 in the Truck Series[ name hass come up as an option for Evernham Motorsports if changes are made or they choose to run the third R&D car [#91 Dodge](3-22-2003)
    UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham's teams are among the organizations that are struggling to get up to speed this season, so he's experimenting with the structure of his pit crews. Last week, the rear tire changer/carrier duo of Shane Russellberg and Bob Dowens on Bill Elliott's #9 Dodge swapped spots with Joe Singerland and Eric Wakeland on Jeremy Mayfield's #19. "I've got really good people," Evernham says. "I'm just trying to get them moved around and into the right place. We just hope that the chemistry will be better in areas we were weak." Evernham says those crew members will maintain their regular roles in the shop during the week. Elliott finished 18th and Mayfield 23rd at Bristol.(Sporting News)(3-24-2003)
    UPDATE 3: Ray Evernham is not satisfied with Jermey Mayfield's results so far, however that doesn't mean he is about to replace Mayfield or drastically revamp his crew. "I'm extremely happy with the team," Evernham said. "There's no crew chief changes, no driver changes - there's none of that coming. The only thing that's got to change is our performance." The only driver opening at this point will be when Evernham needs one for the third car he will enter in select races [was #91 in 2002]. The car was going to run at Talladega with Hank Parker Jr., but those plans have been put on hold. Parker helps the team with testing.(Winston Cup Scene - Subscription Required to read online)(3-26-2003)

  • Gordons' divorce costly and aggravating, Evernham says: Car owner Ray Evernham said his fight to keep his records away from lawyers for Brooke Gordon has already cost him $18,000 - and climbing. The fact that Jeff Gordon's divorce is costing him money doesn't make Evernham real happy. "It's cost me a lot of time and a lot of money and the bottom line is this is between Jeff and Brooke and I don't want to get in the middle of it," Evernham said. Evernham was Gordon's crew chief when the driver won three of his four Winston Cup titles and was also the best man at his wedding to the former Miss Winston model. Brooke Gordon filed for divorce last year and her lawyers have asked to see records from most Winston Cup teams to evaluate Gordon's worth and potential earnings.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-22-2003)

  • Special Elliott/Mayfield schemes? UPDATE 3: hear there will be some sort of special #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Jermey Mayfield schemes, some sort of special Dodge program, but not sure what or where yet.(2-20-2003)
    UPDATE: hearing it could be a Simpson's (TV Show and Jayski Fave) scheme, not sure what for or when.(2-22-2003)
    UPDATE 2: not the Simpsons, but a promotion scheme for the movie, "2 Fast 2 Furious".(2-28-2003)
    UPDATE 3: been told that the Mayfield/Elliott "2 Fast 2 Furious" diecast program has been canceled by Action and that it probably also means they will not run the promotion on the #9 and #19.(3-20-2003)

  • Evernham to sponsor Late Model driver: Pennsylvania/New Jersey racing legend Billy Pauch, a career winner of 596 features, seeks his 11th Hagerstown victory today. Pauch plans to race Friday nights at Big Diamond Speedway near Pottsville, PA and Saturdays at New Egypt, NJ, where he's the defending modified champion and winner of three of the last four titles there. Pauch's son, Billy, a sophomore at Delaware Valley Regional High School, is getting into stock car racing for the first time this year in a big way. Young Pauch, a junior varsity wrestler at Del Val, moves from go-karts and slingshot car racing at Borger's Speedway into a modified. Pauch is teamed with his dad to race at Big Diamond. The Pauches will drive modifieds powered by Dodge engines with Billy in a car sponsored by Ray Evernham, a NASCAR Winston Cup owner.(Express Times)(3-15-2003)

  • Evernham to build a Chevy: Car owner Ray Evernham plans to build a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in an effort to help his Dodge operation become more competitive. "I feel like we have good equipment, but we're getting ready to build a Chevy so we can see what the difference is," Evernham said Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Through three races, Evernham's drivers, Jeremy Mayfield and Bill Elliott, are 24th and 31st in points, respectively. Mayfield has the only top-10 finish between them, an eighth at Daytona. "What you can do by looking at someone else's car is better know and understand what they have and then find out where your car is better or worse," Evernham said. "If you feel their nose is a little better, you work on front downforce. Everyone says, 'I'm maxed out.' But it seems you can find a little bit more if you work hard enough." Evernham said his organization built a General Motors engine to use as comparison before Dodge debuted in 2001 and hopes to find similar benefits in building the Chevrolet.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-7-2003)

  • Special Elliott/Mayfield schemes? UPDATE 2: hear there will be some sort of special #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Jermey Mayfield schemes, some sort of special Dodge program, but not sure what or where yet.(2-20-2003)
    UPDATE: hearing it could be a Simpson's (TV Show and Jayski Fave) scheme, not sure what for or when.(2-22-2003)
    UPDATE 2: not the Simpsons, but a promotion scheme for the movie, "2 Fast 2 Furious".(2-28-2003)

  • Jackman OK: Big Ed Watkins, Jackman for the #19 of Jeremy Mayfield, is doing OK after being hit during a pit stop in.the Subway 400 at Rockingham. He suffered injuries to his right foot and ankle.(2-24-2003)

  • Evernham subpoenaed by Brooke: #9 and #19 car owner Ray Evernham was subpoenaed in Jeff Gordon's divorce case Tuesday, accepting the papers from a sheriff's deputy outside Daytona International Speedway. Brooke Gordon's lawyers want to look at the contracts NASCAR car owners have with their drivers and sponsors to determine what Gordon is worth as a car owner. The four-time Winston Cup champion owns a stake of Hendrick Motorsports. The car owners fought original subpoenas they received over the past month at their home offices, but the lawyers have been trying to serve them during preparations for Sunday's season-opening Daytona 500 to get them to appear in a Florida court. NASCAR turned away a process server attempting to get into the track last week, and Evernham said officials from the sanctioning body asked him to go outside of the track on Tuesday to accept the papers. "NASCAR asked me to do it and to not make a scene about it," Evernham said. "So I did it because I care about this sport, unlike Mrs. Gordon, who is trying to make a circus of the Daytona 500." Evernham, who won three Winston Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief, was the best man at the Gordons' wedding. The subpoena orders Evernham to appear in court this Friday, but he said he would not be showing up. "I have 150 employees to worry about and two race cars to get ready for the biggest event of the year," he said. "I'm not stopping to go to court." Car owner Chip Ganassi said he was not served before he left Daytona on Monday to return to his home in Pittsburgh, but was told a deputy had been looking for him where he had been staying when he first arrived for the race. Roush Racing general manager Geoff Smith said his organization had not received an order to appear in a Florida court.(FoxSports/AP)(2-12-2003)

  • #19 and Mountain Dew: the #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge will once again run a Mountian Dew scheme at the Mountain Dew Souther 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 31st.(1-31-2003)

  • Evernham Motorsports Changes: Evernham Motorsports announced that several key personnel have assumed new duties within the organization. Effective immediately, Kenny Francis assumes the role of team director. Prior to accepting this position, Francis was race engineer for the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge driven by Bill Elliott. Derek Jones assumes Francis' former duties in addition to his duties as senior engineer for Evernham Motorsports. Dr. Eric Warren, technical director, continues to oversee all engineering aspects related to the Evernham Motorsports Dodge Intrepids. Mike Shiplett assumes the role of lead mechanic for the #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge. Shiplett comes to Evernham Motorsports from the #7 Dodge Winston Cup team. Josh Browne assumes the role of race engineer. His responsibilities include supervision of all engineering aspects specific to the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge. "We have a lot of knowledgeable people working at Evernham Motorsports, and we decided to distribute that knowledge a little differently," said Ray Evernham, President and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "These changes reflect our commitment to bringing the best possible product to the race track for the Dodge Dealers and all of our valued partners. Kenny has been an integral part of the success of our organization, and I know he will continue to do so in his new role. The addition of Mike Shiplett and the transition of Josh to the #19 team solidifies Evernham Motorsports' commitment to using technological based decisions to enhance our on-track performance. We have restructured a little differently than the traditional Winston Cup operation, but this sport is growing in such monumental ways that sometimes traditional ways need to be updated." In 2002, Evernham Motorsports announced that the #19 Dodge team would run under a new management system consisting of a team director, a lead mechanic and a race engineer. The #9 Dodge team assumes this structure as well and remains intact with Mike Ford as the director of operations, Bobby Foley as the lead mechanic with Jones as race engineer for the team.(Golin Harris PR)(1-14-2003)

  • Mayfield Gets Married: Jeremy Mayfield married Shana Sessions, whom he has been dating for almost four years, in a ceremony in front of a mixture of local family and NASCAR friends at the First Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach. Mayfield arrived for his Grand Strand wedding in a red stretch limo bearing his #19 trademark. The wedding capped a whirlwind romance that began after a chance meeting at Darlington Raceway. Sessions was at the race not as a fan, but as a recent Clemson graduate considering a career in sports marketing. The week-long honeymoon will be on the Turks and Caicos islands. The couple is scheduled to return on Jan. 12 - just two days before Mayfield must begin testing at Daytona International Speedway.(more and quotes at the Myrtle Beach Sun News)(1-6-2003)

    Past 2002 News

  • Mayfield getting hitched: on Jan 4th, 2003, #19 Dodge driver Jermey Mayfield is getting married to Shana Sessions.(FoxSports)(12-27-2002)

  • Mayfield Commercial: Creative digital effects and design studio Ring of Fire contributed to a dynamic spot for the new Dodge Intrepid SXT via ad agency BBDO Detroit. The spot, entitled "Co-Pilot," was created in :30 and :23 versions and features NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield. "Co-Pilot" began airing in December. The spot opens with a man cruising along in a red Dodge Intrepid on a two-lane road. As he approaches a big rig truck, he decelerates and watches the speedometer fall to 40 mph. Suddenly, a small apparition of racecar driver Jeremy Mayfield appears on the man's right shoulder. "Son, you drive like my granny," Mayfield exclaims. "That's no canned ham under the hood. That's 250 horses!" The man nods in agreement. "Well then, pass him," Mayfield insists. The driver steps on the gas and proceeds to overtake the truck as the voiceover states, "Dodge Intrepid SXT, with best-in-class horsepower and a little racing attitude." After the successful pass maneuver, the man and his little guardian Mayfield stare, mouths open, as an attractive woman drives by in the opposite direction in a matching red Dodge Intrepid. "Man, I gotta go," Mayfield declares as he disappears in a poof. The energetic spot concludes with the Dodge logo and the tagline "Grab Life By The Horns."(Design in Motion)(12-19-2002)

  • Siemens to Evernham: Siemens announced their Associate Sponsorship and Technology Partnership with Evernham Motorsports {#'s 9,19,91). "Evernham Motorsports and DaimlerChrysler are a force in racing and bring Siemens the exposure and platform for further development of technologies within NASCAR", said John Dimmerling, director of Corporate Marketing Communications for Siemens. "Racing sponsorship provides a unique opportunity for a company as diverse as Siemens. In addition to brand exposure, NASCAR has been a great place for us to showcase our broad range of products and services, build relations with our customers and discover new business. We are excited about the opportunity to continue this relationship with NASCAR through Ray and his team." For more information: www.usa.siemens.com.(Golin Harris PR)(12-9-2002)

  • Congrats Big Ed Watkins, jackman at Evernham Motorsports for #19 of Jeremy Mayfield, got married during Thanksgiving, the bride is Vonda Duke of Atlanta, GA.(12-3-2002)

  • #19 Shakeup UPDATE Furr? Sources inside Evernham Motorsports say a major shakeup is expected on the #19. Feelers were put out in the garage for a crew chief and a driver -- yes, a driver, even though Jeremy Mayfield has been in the car just one season and has a year left on his contract. Busch Series driver Shane Hmiel, 22, has been mentioned for the Evernham ride and as a candidate to replace Spencer at Ganassi Racing.(Sporting News)(11-18-2002)
    UPDATE: hearing Tony Furr [formerly of the #7 and the #25 in 2002] could be the new crew chief of the #19 Dodge, guess the committee thing didn't pan out? If Mayfield does leave rumored drivers are Shame Hmiel and Hank Parker Jr.(11-20-2002)

  • NAPCM Pit Crew of the Week - #19: For winning the Golden Benny and Benny Parson's $700 with a lightning fast 12.85 second pitstop at Kansas Speedway on September 29th this weeks NAPCM Pit Crew of the Week Award goes to the #19 Dodge Dealers Crew. Congratulations #19 Dodge Dealers Crew on earning this week's NAPCM "Pit Crew Of The Week" award, sponsored by Toxabsorb www.toxabsorb.com), "Instant non-skid pit stall prep, creating grip for faster pit stops" and "Official Spill Response Agent of the National Association Of Pit Crew Members". Check out the latest Mechanix Wear "Pit Crew Of The Year" standings and latest, NEW NAPCM member benefits, available at the National Association Of Pit Crew Members website(www.napcm.com).(10-28-2002)

  • Evernham and F1: NASCAR team owner [#9 and #19, part owner #7] Ray Evernham wants an exchange of information with his Formula One counterparts. "I'm a fan of the technology, the cars and the speed, the way they do things," said Evernham, who owns the Dodge that Bill Elliott drove to victory in the Brickyard 400 last month. "Hopefully, we'll make our Winston Cup team better." Evernham visited the track [Indy where F1 is running thie weekend] Friday and met with McLaren-Mercedes about the possibility of sharing some of the technology. "We're going to invite them down," he said. "They look at us and understand that we're really, really pressed on rules. So they look at a high level of technology in a different arena. As we start to exchange information, there are things they can learn from us."(Daytona Beach News Journal/AP), also it was reported on Speed Channel's Trackside [great show] that Rick Hendrick was also at Indy for the F1 race and talking to some F1 teams.(9-28-2002)

  • Evernham, Elliott, Mayfield and Atwood in NJ..for fun: It was private playtime for Cup team owner Ray Evernham and his Cup drivers on Thursday [Sept 19th] at New Egypt Speedway, as Evernham, Bill Elliott, Jeremy Mayfield and Casey Atwood spent the day at the central Jersey half-mile, getting down 'n dirty at a specially scheduled Billy Pauch Driving School. "These guys are under a lot of pressure to perform weekly on the Winston Cup circuit and they need a chance to kick back and have some fun," Evernham said of the decision to treat his team racers to a day of driving dirt cars. "I tried to think of something to do for their birthdays, but none of us are golfin' or fishin' kind of guys. This is what they love to do," Evernham concluded, gesturing toward the arsenal of dirt-track equipment Pauch amassed for the occasion. Evernham's group, which was flown into a private airport in Toms River early in the morning, arrived at the speedway to find enough playtoys to make even the most diehard driver drool, from Sprint cars, to Late Models, to Modifieds and more. Pauch, the two-time New Egypt Speedway Modified champ from Frenchtown, NJ, initially gave his celebrity students a tour of the track, showing them the best line to run in his two-seater Late Model school car. Once acclimated, first Elliott, then Mayfield, Atwood and Evernham took turns racing a pair of Pauch's 358 CID school Sprinters, one a Maxim, the other a Gambler chassis. Evernham was a former regular at Wall Stadium's paved track and the old New Egypt asphalt quarter-mile in the 1970s and '80s, Ray has a single 1976 Modern Stock victory at New Egypt in the record books; he also raced to numerous top finishes driving Ruth and Jim Bauma's pavement Modifieds. At Evernham's invitation, the Baumas visited their famous ex-driver during the unpublicized closed-gate school session on Thursday.(Philly News)(9-27-2002)

  • Dodge motorsports diversity scholarship graduates: Dodge Motorsports announced that the graduating winners of the 2001-2002 Dodge Motorsports Diversity Scholarship program have each earned full-time positions with three Dodge NASCAR race teams. Two students will join Evernham Motorsports' #9 and #19 Dodge-sponsored Cup Series teams, and a third student will join the Ultra Motorsports #2 Dodge Ram team in the Truck Series. The Dodge Motorsports Diversity Program, in its second year of operation, aims to attract, recruit and train minorities for positions within the automotive and motorsports industry.
    The three scholarship graduates - Jason Flamer, 22, from Houston, Texas; Ramon Zambrano, 21, from Arlington, Virginia; and David Whippy, 21, from Mangilao, Guam - were selected among the first recipients of full scholarships awarded by the Dodge Motorsports Diversity Program in spring of 2001.. The scholarships were awarded to minority high school seniors or graduates, and provided full-tuition and housing for the 51-week NASCAR-approved training at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Houston, Texas. The students received training in a broad range of technical disciplines including diagnostic analysis and mechanical and electrical systems. Jason Flamer graduated from the scholarship program in last June and has already begun working with the #19 Dodge Dealers team of Evernham Motorsports out of its Statesville, NC shop.. He joined the team prior to the Brickyard 400 Winston Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 4. Currently, Flamer is responsible for assembling and tearing down. Jeremy Mayfield's #19 Dodge on a weekly basis. Ramon Zambrano graduated in August, but will report to the #9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid team for the first time on Monday. David Whippy expects to complete his coursework at UTI by October, and will begin working with the #2 Dodge truck team immediately after receiving his diploma. The Dodge Motorsports Diversity Program launched in the first quarter of 2001, providing a seat in the Bobby Hamilton-owned #8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge to African-American race car driver Willy T. Ribbs. Bill Lester acquired the seat of the #8 Dodge Ram for the 2002 season, and is in the midst of his first full-season in NASCAR Racing, ranking second in the CTS Rookie of the Year Standings. In July, Dodge announced eight more minority scholarship winners at Michigan. The 2002-2003 scholarship class will receive full tuition and board to the 57-week training session at the NASCAR Technical Institute campus in Mooresville, N.C.(Golin/Harris PR)(8-20-2002)

  • Changes at the #19 team: Evernham Motorsports today named Sammy Johns to the position of Test Team and Research and Development Coordinator for the organization's Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/Ts. Johns, previously the crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield in the #19 Dodge Dealers Dodge, will oversee the organization's ongoing commitment to delivering excellence on the track by preparing for the future. He will focus on the day-to-day management of Evernham Motorsports test teams and race track activities as well as research and development project coordination including chassis, aerodynamics, suspension, engine and future driver development programs. Johns, who was originally hired for this position in 2001, will work closely with Dodge Motorsports engineering as well as the Evernham Motorsports in-house engineering team headed by Dr. Eric Warren. Evernham Motorsports also announced that the organization is implementing a new management system for the #19 team under which a team manager, a chief mechanic and a rotating team of engineers will run the crew. Dave Skog assumes the role of team manager. Skog formerly served as car chief on the #19 Dodge Intrepid. Mike Kelley was serving as a mechanic as well the front tire carrier on race day for the #19 Dew Crew. Kelley now assumes the role of chief mechanic. He will continue as the team's front tire carrier as well. Ray Evernham, Dr. Eric Warren and Josh Brown will work with team engineers Derek Jones and Kenny Francis on all engineering aspects for the #19 team as well as the #9 team. Dr. Warren and Brown will assume more of an at-track role in order to work more closely with Evernham, Jones and Francis. These changes are effective immediately.(Evernham Motorsports PR), crew chief duties will be handled by a new management system, with a team manager, chief mechanic and a team of engineers..(7-11-2002)

  • Mayfield tests at Nashville UPDATE: #19-Jeremy Mayfield tested at Nashville Superspeedway on Tuesday and Wednesday and had this to say: "I think it's a great track, it's very quick, tons of grip and I plan to spread the word to other drivers. I think our Dodge team has learned a great deal testing here on this fantastic concrete track that we'll use the rest of the season. I definitely plan to return here to test. The facility is tops, the staff are some of the friendliest and best around anywhere. I think Nashville could do super with some kind of Cup event for sure. When I tell all the other Cup drivers how incredibly smooth this track is, they'll want to come and test here too I think. It's one of the smoothest, not slick, that I've ever tested on, it's truly a great place."(6-6-2002)
    UPDATE: Former Fairgrounds Speedway driver Jer-emy Mayfield practiced a Dodge R&D (research and development) Winston Cup car yesterday at Nashville Superspeedway. ''This is my first look at the track and I'm really impressed,'' Mayfield said. ''It's a good smooth racing surface and the rest of the facility looks great.'' Mayfield, a teammate of Nashville's Casey Atwood and veteran Bill Elliott with Evernham Motorsports, said all three teams ''are making good progress and we all get along great. There's no political stuff between any of the teams.''(Tennessean)(6-6-2002)

  • Streaky Stuff: Jeremy Mayfield will make career start No. 250 in the MBNA Platinum 400, and if Bill Elliott can finish in the top 10, it would be the 300th such finish of his career. No. 299 was Elliott’s ninth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.(Gaston Gazette)(6-1-2002)
    UPDATE: Mayfield made his 250th start and Elliott finished 2nd and got the 300th top ten of his career.(6-2-2002)

  • Evernham denies rumors: Reports that DaimlerChrysler officials are planning to field a Dodge development team in the Busch Series are untrue, according to Winston Cup flagship owner Ray Evernham and Wayne Jesel, co-owner of the only organization currently running full-time Dodges on NASCAR’s junior circuit. Although he says he’s not involved in any kind of program, Evernham says the idea of running young Dodge drivers in the Busch Series is a good one.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(5-9-2002)

  • Trickle to run for Evernham at Talladega UPDATE: Dick Trickle went with the Evernham Motorsports team last week to test a third Evernham Dodge, car #91 at the Talladega Superspeedway. They tested for two days and Trickle felt they found the information they needed for the upcoming race this month. Evernham Motorsports tested under a third number (#91), NASCAR rules state that if you test with a car number you must attempt to race at least one race with that car. Team Owner Ray Evernham spoke with Trickle this week and told him the tean has decided to take the #91 Dodge to Talladega and gave Trickle the first option to have the driving duties and Trickle plans to be going with the team as driver of the un-sponsored #91 Dodge. They have no plans for future races, but would like to test more this year with the #91 Dodge.(Dick Trickle Fanclub Newsletter)(4-3-2002)
    UPDATE: Evernham is adding a third Winston Cup team to his roster, beginning at Talladega, with veteran Dick Trickle running what Evernham calls his research-and-development car. "Every team needs an R&D team, and if we've got the cars and the driver, we might as well enter them in some races," Evernham says.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-8-2002)

  • Mayfield and Trickle test at Talladega for Evernham: #19-Jeremy Mayfield concluded a two-day test session at Talladega Superspeedway on Thursday. During the two-day test at Talladega, Mayfield was joined by veteran Dick Trickle in the #91 Dodge owned by Ray Evernham. “One reason we are here is to get our speedway program sorted out where it needs to be,” said Mayfield. “Dodge has certainly had a good year so far.”(Talladega Superspedway PR)(3-29-2002)

  • Trickle to test for Evernham: Dick Trickle was contacted recently by Ray Evernham/Evernham Motorsports [#'s 9 and 19, part owner of #7] to see if Trickle would be interested in testing a third car for them at Talladega. Trickle went last week and had his seat fitted into a car and will be testing with the Evernham teams this Wednesday & Thursday [Mar 27-28th] at Talladega.(Dick Trickle Fan Club Newsletter)(3-26-2002)

  • Atwood in the #19 for the Shootout? UPDATE Leffler in #7? Rumor has it that Casey Atwood [who now drives the #7 Sirius Dodge] will be in the #19 Dodge for the Bud Shootout, NASCAR's 70-lap non-points Budweiser Shootout event for 2001's Bud Pole winners on Feb. 10 at Daytona. Atwood he won his first career pole at Phoenix International Raceway last fall. Jeremy Mayfield who is the regular driver of the #19, after winning four poles in 2000, failed to win one in 2001 and is ineligible for the event.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(1-17-2002)
    UPDATE: Casey Atwood will compete in his first Budweiser Shootout in February. The 70-lap race, scheduled Feb. 10, has a record 23 drivers eligible. The 21-year-old Atwood got an invite after winning the pole at Phoenix last season. "I've always watched that race," said Atwood. "Most of the time it's all the best people in that race. It's a great honor for me." Atwood earned the pole in the #19 car, now driven by Jeremy Mayfield. Atwood now drives the #7 Dodge but will wheel the #19 once again that day.(Daytona Beach News Journal) AND hearing Jason Leffler, who won a Cup pole in 2001 and is not in the Cup series in 2002 but with the #2 Ultra Motorsports CTS team may drive the #7 Dodge in the race(1-18-2002)

    2001 News

  • Mayfield scheme? hearing (and no real surprise) that #19 Jeremy Mayfield will run a Mountain Dew scheme sometime in 2002, probably at the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington - like Atwood did in 2001(12-21-2001)

  • Mayfield and Aerosmith? UPDATE: hearing that Jeremy Mayfield will have an Aerosmith (rock group) paint job on the #19 Dodge at Las Vegas in 2002(11-21-2001)
    UPDATE: hearing this scheme/plans has been canceled(12-3-2001)

  • Evernham Announcement at Atlanta - UPDATE it's Official: scheduled for Friday, November 16th at 8:30am/et (11-14-2001)
    New Website: the Evernham Motorsports website: www.evernhammotorsports.com will launch at 8:40am/et on Friday, Nov 16th. Currently there is an image and some links to sponsors posted. Now has some info listed including a Jermey Mayfield link and bio, but no announcement there...yet
    UPDATE the announcment: Evernham Motorsports and Ultra Motorsports today announced the formation of a new partnership. This partnership agreement represents the continued growth strategy of the president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, Ray Evernham, and his Winston Cup organization, further expanding his quest for a championship. The agreement for 2002 outlines plans for Evernham Motorsports to field the #9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T with Bill Elliott as the driver as well as the #19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T with Jeremy Mayfield as the driver. Ultra Motorsports will field with the #7 Dodge Intrepid R/T with Casey Atwood as the driver, with a sponsor to be named later. The partnership, which joins Dodge's Winston Cup Series development partner with the manufacturer's lead Craftsman Truck Series team, involves support from team owner Ray Evernham and Evernham Motorsports for team owner Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports. This support includes the transition of rookie driver Casey Atwood to the #7 Dodge, production of engines for the #7 team, and support from Evernham Marketing Services for sponsorship development. Ray Evernham also will provide consultation and management of competition personnel. Ultra Motorsports will provide management of day-to-day operations of the No. 7 team, which will be based out of Ultra Motorsports current headquarters in Mooresville, NC. Dodge and the Dodge Dealers will continue their sponsorship of the #9 and #19 Dodge Intrepid R/Ts from Evernham Motorsports. The #7 car will be an additional Dodge Intrepid R/T competing in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series.(Evernham Motorsports Site)(11-16-2001)

  • hmm..a switch in the Mayfield to Evernham 'rumor' UPDATE 2: If things unfold according to plan, Jeremy Mayfield will drive an Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bill Elliott's teammate in 2002. Rookie Casey Atwood will also remain in an Intrepid, though it will be fielded by Ultra Motorsports [#7] with technical assistance from Ray Evernham(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-1-2001)
    UPDATE: Rumors still persist that Jeremy Mayfield will unseat [#19] Casey Atwood at Evernham Motorsports. Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith, who runs the #7 NationsRent Ford, is talking to Dodge about a car make switch for 2002, under the guidance of Evernham. If that happens, expect Atwood to move to the #7 and Mayfield to take over the #19(FoxSports)(11-2-2001)
    UPDATE 2 - Mayfield to join Evernham: Jeremy Mayfield will join Evernham Motorsports to drive the #19 Dodge in 2002, according to ESPN2's RPM2Night. Casey Atwood, current driver of the #19 ride, will move to Jim Smith's #7 Dodge. Team owner Ray Evernham also would buy a part of Smith's team, which is switching from Ford to Dodge for next season. An announcement is scheduled for Friday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's NAPA 500.(ESPN)(11-15-2001)

  • Atwoods Comments on the rumors: "I'm all right with everything that's going on," was all Atwood would say. "There really isn't a whole lot to talk about right now. I think everybody's been doing a great job and, uh ... Ray [Evernham is] just trying to make his team a better team. I'm not. I'm going to be with Evernham Motorsports, I don't know which way or which car I'll be driving, but that'll be discussed later. But I'll be driving for him and I plan on being with him for a long time."(CNN/SI) AND Jeremy Mayfield's move to the #19 Dodge and Casey Atwood's alignment with Jim Smith's #7 Dodge (it's a Ford until the end of the season) for 2002 likely will be announced this week. Atwood says he will still be involved with current owner Ray Evernham next year, which likely means Evernham and Smith will have some kind of partnership on the #7.(Sporting News)(11-12-2001)

  • More on Ultra Motorsports(#7) UPDATE more Atwood: “About the only thing nailed down is the #1 Mopar truck and Ted Musgrave,” [Ultra Motorsports owner Jim] Smith said of the storm of rumors that is swirling about his teams in two of NASCAR’s three national touring series. Smith said the plans for his second Dodge factory truck, whose primary sponsorship package with Team ASE will also remain unchanged with Jason Leffler the rumored driver, is “99 percent done.” “That should be done and signed any day now,” Smith said. “We are just trying to get some other issues finalized. Everything is agreed on, but until it’s signed it’s not a done deal.” “As far as NationsRent is concerned, we’re under a lawsuit,” Smith said. “They outright refuse to pay or to continue the program as we were contracted to do. They owe me a lot of money. It’s a nasty situation to the point I may not even have NationsRent on the car this weekend if they don’t pay some of what they owe me.”(NASCAR.com) AND [Casey] Atwood, meanwhile, is reportedly not interested in driving a Dodge for Ultra Motorsports, which is where current owner Ray Evernham would like Atwood to land. With Jeremy Mayfield expected to replace Atwood [in the #19 Dodge], a move to Ultra Motorsports would keep Atwood in the Dodge program.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-8-2001)
    UPDATE: ......Atwood, whose status in the #19 Dodges owned by Ray Evernham has been the subject of much conjecture in the past few weeks. The uncertainty stems from the likelihood that Evernham will add Jeremy Mayfield to his operation, perhaps with a swap of Atwood to an affiliate Dodge team for 2002. "I'll be driving for Ray Evernham in some way, shape or form," Atwood said. "I don't know exactly what's going on right now, but I'll be with him."(That's Racin') AND Atwood appears to be headed, once again, toward a ride next season with car owner Jim Smith, under a Dodge-backed switch, according to Dodge sources. Car owner Andy Petree says he'd hire Atwood, but Petree is still searching for a sponsor.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-10-2001)

  • hmm..a switch in the Mayfield to Evernham 'rumor' UPDATE 3 an announcement? NOPE: If things unfold according to plan, Jeremy Mayfield will drive an Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bill Elliott's teammate in 2002. Rookie Casey Atwood will also remain in an Intrepid, though it will be fielded by Ultra Motorsports [#7] with technical assistance from Ray Evernham(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-1-2001)
    UPDATE: Rumors still persist that Jeremy Mayfield will unseat [#19] Casey Atwood at Evernham Motorsports. Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith, who runs the #7 NationsRent Ford, is talking to Dodge about a car make switch for 2002, under the guidance of Evernham. If that happens, expect Atwood to move to the #7 and Mayfield to take over the #19(FoxSports)(11-2-2001)
    UPDATE 2: hearing an announcement on Mayfield's 2002 plans could come as early as Tuesday, Nov 6th - tomorrow(11-5-2001)
    UPDATE 3: ESPN2's RPM 2 Night reports that Ray Evernham said there was no announcement planned for today, has no word how that rumor got started and has nothing to announce(11-6-2001)

  • Atwood and Petree? or Pressley? One man [Andy] Petree has his eyes on is rookie Casey Atwood, who appears to be on the verge of being released by Ray Evernham [announcment TODAY? - see below]. Atwood - who, like Petree's other driver, Bobby Hamilton, comes from Nashville - was thrust into the Winston Cup world perhaps a year or two too early. After all, he just turned 21. But Atwood has shown considerable promise; he won the pole at Phoenix and contended for the win.(Winston Salem Journal)
    AND Steve Barkdoll, APR’s executive vice president/general manager, said that the team is still close to a deal, but that nothing’s been finalized yet. As far as a driver goes, the top candidate for the #33 car now appears to be Robert Pressley(Hendersonville Times News)(11-6-2001)

  • hmm..a switch in the Mayfield to Evernham 'rumor' UPDATE 2: If things unfold according to plan, Jeremy Mayfield will drive an Evernham Motorsports Dodge as Bill Elliott's teammate in 2002. Rookie Casey Atwood will also remain in an Intrepid, though it will be fielded by Ultra Motorsports [#7] with technical assistance from Ray Evernham(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(11-1-2001)
    UPDATE: Rumors still persist that Jeremy Mayfield will unseat [#19] Casey Atwood at Evernham Motorsports. Ultra Motorsports owner Jim Smith, who runs the #7 NationsRent Ford, is talking to Dodge about a car make switch for 2002, under the guidance of Evernham. If that happens, expect Atwood to move to the #7 and Mayfield to take over the #19(FoxSports)(11-2-2001)
    UPDATE 2: hearing an announcement on Mayfield's 2002 plans could come as early as Tuesday, Nov 6th - tomorrow(11-5-2001)

  • More Mayfield UPDATE 4 #7? at the Rock? Evernham NO to a 3rd team: Jeremy Mayfield expects to make his plans known within two weeks. Contrary to rumors that have been running wild, Mayfield has spent the past few weeks at his Mooresville home, according to a spokesman who has been in contact with Mayfield on a daily basis. A quick resolution of Mayfield’s status would logically indicate a deal that would put him in a Dodge for 2002, either a third Intrepid fielded by Ray Evernham or another car that would receive additional assistance from Evernham. Possible slots for Mayfield might include the #92 currently being driven by Stacy Compton or the #7, currently a Ford but expected to switch to Dodge in 2002.(Gaston Gazette)(10-20-2001)
    UPDATE: Jeremy Mayfield has not been in the garage since parting ways with the Roger Penske-owned team at the end of September but is quietly working on a deal. Mayfield should have an announcement in the next couple of weeks. He's expected to sign with the Jim Smith-owned team and the group transfer to Dodges, with Ray Evernham offering guidance to the program.(Richmond Times Dispatch) AND #7 team owner, Jimmy Smith, still is searching for a sponsor to continue his Winston Cup operation, which is expected to race Dodges in the future.(Sporting News)(10-22-2001)

    UPDATE 2: Jim Smith, however, has said he plans to switch to Intrepids for 2002. And at Talladega, Smith didn't deny he may be working on a deal to land Mayfield, one that may see him give up at least partial ownership in his team, most likely to Evernham. "There's a lot of stuff going on, but it's all just hearsay right now," Smith said Oct. 20. "I'm talking with everybody. ... There's some talk, there's some stuff (out there) and if it happens, it will be great. If it doesn't, we'll do the best we can." Smith said any talks he's engaged in are in the 'What if?' stage and aren't worth commenting on. He talked with Mayfield about taking over his Ultra Motorsports Ford following his departure from Penske Racing, but Mayfield opted to take some time off. There's now speculation Mayfield could return to the circuit at Rockingham, possibly with Smith's team.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(10-25-2001)
    UPDATE 3: hearing that Evernham went to Dodge and asked for more money for a third team for Mayfield and Dodge said NO, that they have and only want 10 Factory teams. No idea how this would effect the #7 team move to Dodge(10-26-2001)
    UPDATE 4: Car owner [#9, #19] Ray Evernham said he's talked with #7 car owner Jim Smith about the possibility of working together next season. Smith's team, Ultra Motorsports, runs Fords but could switch to Dodge, which are used by Evernham's two-car team with drivers Casey Atwood and Bill Elliott. "With the one-engine rule if I'm going to keep going, I've got to look at taking on another engine program to at least stay competitive and I have talked to Jim Smith, and I don't know what he's doing as far as Dodge is concerned," Evernham said. "I don't want to do a third Winston Cup team and will not do a third Winston Cup team, but if I can find a good technology partner to offset the costs of some of the development we have to do, I would be interested in doing that."(Roanoke Times)
    AND Jayski NOTES: The #7 has been planning to switch over to Dodge all season, and Dodge has encouraged it because of the truck teams of Jim Smith [#1 and #2]. Plus, there are serious questions regarding whether or not the #92 team will be back next season (but owner Mark Melling said the team will run in 2002). Heard Dodge is planning support in sheet metal, engines, parts and pieces, and is helping find additional sponsorship to Nations Rent - which has another year on its contract.(McDonald's?)(10-28-2001)

  • Atwood on the pole at Phoenix UPDATE on youngest: #19-Casey Atwood won his first career Bud Pole at Phoenix with a speed of 131.296mph, #43-John Andretti will be on the outside pole with a speed of 131.071. There have been 17 different Bud Pole winners in 2001 and there are now 22 drivers eligible for the 2002 Budweiser Shootout. Looks like Atwood was the 2nd ever youngest Cup driver to win a pole (21 years, 2 months, 1 day - the youngest supposedly is Donald Thompson at Atlanta - not AMS - 20years, 4 months, 6 days, on Nov 16, 1952: thanks Matt). #70-Rick Bogart was the only driver to miss the race, ran a lap og 126.671mph.(10-26-2001)
    UPDATE: Casey Atwood won his first career Winston Cup pole Friday at the age of 21 years, 2 months and 17 days, making him the youngest driver to ever win one for a race held on an asphalt track in NASCAR's top division and Atwood is the youngest to win a pole in the sport's "modern era,"(1972-present) but Donald Thompson was slightly younger at 20 years, 4 months and 6 days when he won the pole for a race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 1952. Lakewood Speedway was a dirt track(That's Racin')(10-27-2001)

  • Atwood Safe? There have been reports that Nashville rookie Casey Atwood [#19 Dodge] might be replaced by former Nashville Speedway driver Jeremy Mayfield next season, but Atwood's father, Terry, says he has been assured by team owner Ray Evernham that that will not happen. Evernham has dismissed the reports, but admitted that Mayfield would be an attractive driver. Mayfield is expected to make an announcement about his 2002 plans within the next two weeks.(Tennessean)(10-22-2001)

  • Mayfield in the #31? #7? Evernham? UPDATE:(maybe the Jayski Studabaker?) - A source close to Richard Childress said Sunday night that Mayfield is the lead candidate to take over the #31 Chevy. The major issue, according to the source, is sponsor Cingular, who apparently requested that Robby Gordon drive the car. Mayfield has been rumored in virtually every car on the circuit, including one rumor that has him in a Ray Evernham Dodge. Interestingly, a source close to Jim Smith's Ultra Motorsports team said he was told Mayfield would be in the #7 with McDonald's as sponsor.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(10-15-2001)
    UPDATE: hearing that Mayfield is NOT a top choice for Richard Childress and that Gordon is still the front runner for the #31 ride(10-16-2001)

  • Mayfield to Evernham? UPDATE 4 McDonalds as sponsor? to RCR?: hearing Jeremy Mayfield will be with Evernham Motorsports for 2002, not sure if it for one of the existing teams, #9 or #19 or a third team(10-3-2001)
    UPDATE: Sources are saying that Jeremy Mayfield get the chance behind the wheel of an Evernham Motorsports Dodge in 2002. Mayfield will sit out the next few weeks to attend to personal issues, but could be in a Dodge before the season's end. Although there has been speculation of Elliott's retirement, but he could not be reached for comment. Ray Evernham insists that in 2002 "Bill Elliott will be driving the No. 9 Dodge Intrepid and Casey Atwood will be driving the No. 19 Dodge Intrepid. PERIOD." But what about a third team at Evernham's?(Sporting News)(10-3-2001)
    UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham said Thursday that he'd like to see Jeremy Mayfield driving a Dodge next season, maybe even in one Evernham owns. Evernham said he has spoken to Mayfield, released Tuesday from Penske Racing. "Jeremy and I are friends and I think he's a good race car driver," Evernham said. "If he's going to drive something, I'd like to see him drive a Dodge next year. If the timing is right, it would be great to have Jeremy. ...If the timing isn't right, I'm not going to hurt what I already got going." Mayfield issued his first statement since Tuesday's announcement of his departure, saying he and the #12 team were disappointed in the way their season had been going. "The chemistry just wasn't right and I didn't think it could be fixed," he said. "I asked to be released at the end of the year...but it just seemed to make more sense to do it now if we were going to do it. ...I think there are opportunities out there, but I want to make sure the 'fit' is right next time."(That's Racin')
    AND ESPN2's RPM 2 Night reports that McDonald's could be the sponsor for Evernham's third possible team and Jermey Mayfield PLUS sources tell me that Mayfield should be in a third Evernham Dodge next season with a McDonald's sponsorship. Mayfield and Evernham have reached an agreement, and are putting the final paperwork together on it now.(10-5-2001)
    UPDATE 3: [Roger] Penske said he expects Childress to hire Mayfield. Childress and Mayfield have talked about doing a deal for the past two months, but Mayfield had been unable to get out of his contract with Penske. Childress said he won't announce his new driver until the November stop in Atlanta. Dodge's Ray Evernham is reported to be trying to sign him for next season too. And Ford officials are trying to find a place for Mayfield to land and stay within that camp, probably with some help from Robert Yates. Now comes word that Dale Earnhardt Inc. is also trying to hire Mayfield. DEI has also reportedly made overtures to Johnny Benson. The DEI moves come as Michael Waltrip's future with that operation appears increasingly shaky. The Evernham situation is intriguing. While Evernham said that no big changes are coming next season, that Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood will both be back, there are indications that over the season, Elliott's laid-back style of racing has been at odds with Evernham's high-intensity approach. According to one source, Elliott might be interested in opening a shop in Dawsonville and running next season as a "satellite" Evernham team. And there are still reports that McDonald's is trying to hook up again with Elliott as his sponsor.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-7-2001)
    UPDATE 4: still hearing Mayfield to Evernham but now that McDonald's will NOT be part of the deal and that McDonald's is re-evaulating their motorsports involvement and will not sponsor a Cup car in 2002 as a primary or associate sponsor(10-9-2001)

  • Evernham Motorsports Schemes: Evernham Motorsports, both the #9 and #19 cars will feature an agressive new paint scheme to help Dodge announce the promotion of its bold, new line of Dodge Ram Trucks and its new slogan, "Grab Life by the Horns."(Golin Harris PR), see an image on the Paint Scheme Gallery(8-15-2001)

  • #19 Crew Chief Change? UPDATE: hearing #19 Crew Chief Patrick Donahue and Evernham Motorsports has parted ways and that Sammy Johns will take over crew chief duties for driver Casey Atwood starting at Indy(8-1-2001)
    UPDATE: ESPN2's RPM 2Night reported that Donahue has left to pursue some BGN oppurtunities and that Johns has taken over the crew chief duties AND Patrick Donahue, crew chief for the #19 Dodges and Winston Cup rookie Casey Atwood since the start of the season, has left Evernham Motorsports to pursue other job opportunities in NASCAR's Grand National series, effective immediately.(That's Racin')(8-2-2001)

  • Evernham own Chassis: Ray Evernham says his team plans to build its own chassis in the future. That will happen after a new shop is built. Evernham says construction of a 42,000-square-foot building next to his race shop should begin in about two or three months(Racing Extra)(7-15-2001)

  • Hammer to Evernham? UPDATE: hearing former ST Motorsports crew chief (BGN #59) Phil Hammer is taking a position with Evernham Motorsports. Hammer used to work at Hendrick Motorsports with Evernham(6-8-2001)
    UPDATE - Evernham Motorsports Change: Gene Patient, Chief Fabricator at Evernham Motorsports has parted ways with the team. Forner Cup/BGN Crew Chief will take over the position. Patient is currently weighing out a few options before deciding where to go next(6-29-2001)

  • Announcement UPDATE Spiderman Schemes for Elliott/Atwood: There will be a web launch/announcement on www.4adodge.com today at 7:00pm/et and at the same time goracing.com will also be announcing a new special paint scheme with graphics and a press release(6-27-2001)...spiderman maybe?
    Spiderman?/REPOST: hearing the #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Casey Atwood Dodge's will run a Spiderman (the movie) paint scheme at Charlotte, not sure if it's in May or Oct(4-3-2001)
    and the UPDATE: found the web launch about the two spiderman cars at www.4adodge.com but no announcement, but it is about #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Casey Atwood driving Spiderman paint schemes at the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway on Oct 7th. See images of the cars on my Paint Scheme Gallery and/or get wallpapers at www.4adodge.com(6-28-2001)

  • Hammer to Evernham? hearing former ST Motorsports crew chief (BGN #59) Phil Hammer is taking a position with Evernham Motorsports. Hammer used to work at Hendrick Motorsports with Evernham(6-8-2001)

  • Atwood Sore: Rookie Casey Atwood was the second car out of the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday, when he wrecked on the frontstretch on Lap 51 and severely damaged his #19 Dodge. Atwood, who elected not to wear his HANS device this weekend, suffered neck pain and a headache. "I wore one at Talladega and California and it hurt my shoulder a little bit, just from being pulled down so tight, so I didn't wear one this weekend. I wish I would have been," Atwood said.(That's Racin')(5-28-2001)

  • Another Evernham Motorsports Change? UPDATE: hearing Ed Guzzo, VP and General Manager at Evernham Motorsports has left the team(5-17-2001)
    UPDATE: Eddie d'Hondt, team manager of Evernham's #9, was released Tuesday, and vp/general manager Ed Guzzo stood down from his position Thursday. Guzzo, a close associate of Evernham's since his days with Jeff Gordon's #24 team, remains with the organization for the time being, Evernham said. Evernham would not be specific about the circumstances around d'Hondt and Guzzo. "I had some hard decisions I had to make this week," he said. "Ed Guzzo, that was just a mutual decision on both of our parts. Actually, Ed is still employed by me. He's just taking a leave of absence.(SpeedVision)(5-19-2001)

  • Evernham Motorsports Changes: Team Manager Eddie D'Hondt and Evernham Motorsports have parted ways(PRN's Garage Pass) AND Eddie D'Hondt, team manager at Evernham Motorsports, will leave the team to pursue other opportunities. "Evernham Motorsports is restructuring its staff as it moves from a developmental program to ongoing motorsports operations," the team said in a statement. "As part of these changes, we are eliminating the position of team manager."(That's Racin')(5-16-2001)

  • Evernham's Crew Helps: Eight members of Ray Evernham’s Winston Cup operation have signed on to handle pit stops for rookie Richard Mitchell in the May 19 ARCA race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway(Gaston Gazette)(5-14-2001)
  • Rain/Wind Derails Michigan Test: After grabbing what little track time was available on Wednesday, April 11, for the first day of a two-day test at Michigan International Speedway, the Ray Evernham Motorsports Dodge team had hoped for an improvement in the rainy weather for the second day. Though the rain subsided, whipping winds greeted the team for Thursday, April 12, and forced them to re-think their testing efforts. Driver Casey Atwood got about two and a half hours of track time on Wednesday when rain ruled the day. His top speeds were clocked at over 202 mph on the straightaways. On Thursday, Atwood was hindered as a vicious wind made stepping on the pedal a bit dangerous. Evernham said his top speed the second day was 196 mph, “but that was with a 45 mile-an-hour cross wind.” Still, the test proved successful in logging miles on the car and getting Atwood more experience on the 2-mile oval where he’s started just two BGN races.(MIS Site)(4-17-2001)

  • Evernham Hires Pit Crew Coach: Ray Evernham now the owner of Evernham Motorsports, a first-year Dodge team for drivers for #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Casey Atwood has a new pit crew coach – Terra Flynn, a former classmate at Raritan High School in Hazlet, N.J., who recently completed a distinguished career as a Navy Seal. "When I was putting this deal together, I knew I needed someone to train and motivate our team," Evernham said. "I thought he would be really good if I could teach him the racing side." As the title implies, a pit crew coach recruits and trains the pit crew. Flynn has shared those duties with the more experienced Ed Watkins, who doubles as the jackman on the Atwood's #19 car.(Dallas Morning News)(4-12-2001)
    AND also see a story about this from a few weeks ago at Winners Magazine: High School Reunion - Ray Evernham’s New Pit Coach - Lessons From The Navy SEALS by Claire B. Lang(great shot of Ray Evernham)(4-13-2001)

  • Wind Tunnel stuff: hearing the #9 and #19 Dodge teams are testing at the Lockheed wind tunnel in Maretta, GA today and that the #96 McDonald's Ford was at the wind tunnel in Ottawa, Canada on Monday or Tuesday(4-4-2001)

  • Spiderman? hearing the #9-Bill Elliott and #19-Casey Atwood Dodge's will run a Spiderman (the movie) paint scheme at Charlotte, not sure if it's in May or Oct(4-3-2001)

  • Some Paint Scheme Rumors: #66-Blue Light Special; #9 Bill Elliott "Charlotte.Special"; #19 Casey Atwood "Charlotte.Special"; #31 Mike Skinner "Richmond 400 Special". For some past news and rumors, see my Paint Scheme News Page(3-24-2001)

  • #15 and DEI? UPDATE 2: have heard it was reported on Fox Sports Net show on Tuesday night that some crew members have left or were released from the #15 DEI team
    UPDATE: hearing Car Chief Mike Kelly and Front Tire Changer Tim Sheets are two of the three who left(3-21-2001)
    UPDATE 2: Three members of Michael Waltrip's team are no longer a part of the DEI operation. Car chief Mike Kelly, front-tire changer and tire specialist Tim Sheets and shop mechanic Steve Durne have left. Kelly now works with Casey Atwood's #19 team at Evernham Motorsports and Sheets is now with Morgan-McClure Motorsports, which fields the #4 Chevys(That's Racin')(3-24-2001)

  • Atwood to own a team: Casey Atwood will field a car in this season's Late Model division at Nashville Speedway. It will be driven by Robert Ray Baucom, who will be a rookie(Tennessean)(3-2-2001)

  • Dodge Clock: The infamous Dodge countdown clock was broken with a sledgehammer by Ray Evernham on Saturday morning at Daytona International Speedway. The clock was started at 500 days and was set to end with the start of today's 500. Evernham, who guided Dodge back into Winston Cup, got the jump on the calendar(Speed Magazine)(2-18-2001)

  • Evernham News? UPDATE: hearing that Evernham Motorsports engine builder, Ron Vacarro, has left the team(2-3-2001)
    UPDATE: from a Dodge/Evernham Teleconference Transcript: "We started a new engine shop this year, and Ron Vacarro did a great job helping me put that together. As we got closer to getting ready to race, Ron and I decided together that it would be best to make a change. Ron is going to be opening up his own business down in Georgia. We're going to go off in our own direction. Starting an engine shop and people say why do you want to start a team and you're going to do two teams and do development for Dodge and start an engine shop, too. I felt the only way to build a program that would be on a solid foundation two to three years from now or five years from now, if you don't do your own engines, sooner or later you're going to have to stop and do them. We decided to bite the bullet now and start our own engine program, knowing we'd have to fight hard and we are. I've got to tell you honestly, I'm very, very proud of the people that are over there doing that program. They have done a great, great job. They've not only done a great job getting plenty of engines done for us, they've done a great job making parts and pieces. You'll see a lot of Evernham Performance parts and pieces on other peoples engines, so I'm very proud of them. I feel like the job Dodge paid us to do last year was help develop a car and an engine where for all of their teams, and I feel like we've done that. If we go to Daytona and there are other Dodge teams that are faster than mine, I think that proves that. Actually it was a mutual parting of the ways, and that happened about two or three weeks ago. We haven't actually replaced him (Vaccaro) yet. I think Bill Davis' group is looking really good. I'm very proud of them. They've been very strong, and they've done a great job."(2-4-2001)

  • Dodge tests at the Rock: #19-Casey Atwood tested at North Carolina Speedway on Wednesday, looking to find qualifying speed. Atwood was on hand at the 1.017-mile oval with #92-Dodge driver, Stacy Compton in the second of what will be four days of testing for Dodge riders at the track. Atwood ran as fast as 153.188mph but hopes to get to the upper 155mph range before leaving. Compton ran for the second straight day at Rockingham Wednesday and still feels that his Melling Racing team has work to do(SpeedVision)(2-1-2001)

    2000 and before News

  • #19 and Mountain Dew? UPDATE 4: hearing Mountain Dew, a Pepsi soda product, may be the sponsor of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge that Casey Atwood will drive in 2001. Motorola may also stick around as a major associate(10-3-2000)
    UPDATE: now hearing Mountain Dew will be part of a rotating sponsorship package of some sort, not sure what other companies or brands may be involved(10-4-2000)
    UPDATE 2: from what I understand, there will some sort of rotating sponsorship between the seven original Dodge teams, Evernham Motorsports(#'s 9 and 19), Bill Davis Racing(#22 and #93) and Petty Enterprises(#'s 43,44,45), sounds pretty unique
    UPDATE 3: as known, many of the new Dodge drivers are Coca Cola drivers, how this will affect them or how it may work is unknown. It may only include some of the sponsors and some of the drivers. Anyhow, something unique seems to be happening in regards to sponsors with some of the Dodge teams(10-5-2000)
    UPDATE 4: Pepsi-Cola Company, makers of Mountain Dew, announced a multiyear agreement with Evernham Motorsports to sponsor the over-the-wall crew of Atwood's #19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T Winston Cup race team. The crew will be known as the "Dew Crew." Mountain Dew also picks up associate sponsorship of Atwood's Dodge Intrepid R/T. The car will race in a special Mountain Dew-branded paint scheme for one race in 2001. The last time Mountain Dew was this involved in NASCAR, it was the lead sponsor on Darrell Waltrip's Winston Cup Champion car in 1981 and 1982.(in part from a Pepsi PR)(1-12-2001)

  • Walker to drive for Evernham: Tyler Walker was announced as signing a deal with Evernham Motorsports to run a full season in the USAC Silver Crown Series. Walker will run the lone Mopar engine in the Silver Crown ranks and will partner with long-time sprint-car ace Johnny Vance in the effort(SpeedVision)(1-12-2001)

  • Evernhams New Digs: Evernham Motorsports has moved into the Statesville, N.C., shop formerly owned by Bill Elliott, the driver of Ray Evernham's #9 team(Winston Cup Scene)(1-11-2001)

  • Evernham Associate Sponsor: Bill Elliott's and Casey Atwood's Dodges, will carry Stihl as associate sponsors next season(AJC)(11-20-2000)

  • Evernham Crew Chiefs: Ray Evernham announced Tuesday that Mike Ford would remain Bill Elliott 's crew chief next season when Elliott joins Evernham's team. Patrick Donahue will be Casey Atwood's crew chief. Elliott will drive the #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge and Atwood will drive the #19 Dodge, sponsor unknown(Roanoke Times)(11-8-2000)

  • #19 Mountain Dew? UPDATE 3: hearing Mountain Dew, a Pepsi soda product, may be the sponsor of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge that Casey Atwood will drive in 2001. Motorola may also stick around as a major associate(10-3-2000)
    UPDATE: now hearing Mountain Dew will be part of a rotating sponsorship package of some sort, not sure what other companies or brands may be involved(10-4-2000)
    UPDATE 2: from what I understand, there will some sort of roatating sponsorship between the seven original Dodge teams, Evernham Motorsports(#'s 9 and 19), Bill Davis Racing(#22 and #93) and Petty Enterprises(#'s 43,44,45), sounds pretty unique
    UPDATE 3: as known, many of the new Dodge drivers are Coca Cola drivers, how this will affect them or how it may work is unknow. It may only include some of the sponsors and some of the drivers. Anyhow, something unique seems to be happening in reqards to sponsors with some of the Dodge teams, time will tell(10-5-2000)

  • I want my MTV: Casey Atwood along with Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the subject of an upcoming MTV documentary that focuses on what it's like to be a hot young NASCAR star(Tennessean)(9-22-2000)

  • Atwood Cup Announcment: Casey Atwood and Ray Evernham plan to announce today the Motorola sponsorship of Atwood’s car for the Sept. 9 race at Richmond(Times-Dispatch). NOTE: this was shown on RPM 2Night mid-week, see story on the #19 Team News and Links page, also have an image in the Paint Schemes Gallery(8-26-2000)

  • Atwood's Cup Debut UPDATE 3: Casey Atwood will attempt to make his Winston Cup debut on Sept 9th at Richmond. Atwood who will drive Ray Evernham's #19 Dodge in 2001 will drive a Elliott Ford as the Dodges will not run until 2001(Tennessean)(7-25-2000)
    UPDATE: there are tentative plans for Atwood to drive a Cup car at Martinsville on Oct.1 and at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov.12.(Roanoke Times)(7-26-2000)
    UPDATE 2: Casey Atwood, who will drive a Dodge owned by Ray Evernham in the 2001 Winston Cup season, will try to get a head start on that by driving three races this year in Fords owned by his future teammate, Bill Elliott. Atwood will attempt to make the races at Richmond, Martinsville and Homestead(That's Racin')(8-21-2000)
    UPDATE: it was announced on RPM 2Night that Atwood's sponsor for the three races will be Motarola. See an image of the paint scheme for the #19 Ford on my Paint Scheme Gallery. And in part from a PR: Motorola, the "Official Communications Company of NASCAR," announced it will be the primary sponsor of Evernham Motorsports with driver Casey Atwood in three Cup races this year, marking the simultaneous debuts of Ray Evernham as a team owner and Atwood as a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. The #19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports Ford will compete at Richmond, Martinsville and Homestead-Miami. Atwood, who will turn 20 on Friday, will pilot a Ford Taurus establishing the groundwork for the 2001 Dodge team, since the Dodge chassis will not begin its re-entry into NASCAR competition until the Daytona 500 in February 2001. Atwood will test the Motorola car at Richmond Aug. 28-29 in preparation for the Race at Richmond. Earlier this year, Motorola announced its long-term sponsorship of NASCAR as "Official Communications Company" including status as official cellular phone, pager, two-way radio and cable modem of NASCAR(Cotter Group PR) AND see a transcript of the announcement on RPM 2Night at Desiree's Ray Evernham Page(8-23-2000)

  • Evernham hire: Chad Knaus has been reunited with his old boss, Ray Evernham, in hopes of making Dodge a winner when it returns to NASCAR Winston Cup in 2001. Chad Knaus, 28, who worked for Ray Evernham and Hendrick Motorsports from 1993 through the 1997 season on Jeff Gordon's original "Rainbow Warriors" pit crew. He left the team after the 1997 season. He wanted a shot at being a Winston Cup crew chief and he felt that wouldn't happen as long as Evernham stayed with Gordon. Knaus has been hired as a crew/car chief for one of Evernham's Dodge teams. Supposedly the drivers are in place, but Knaus could not say who they are(in the article), one will be a veteran and one a rookie in 2001(Rockford(IL) Register Star)(12-23-1999)

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