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)
