Evernham Motorsports

Evernham Motorsports

Company type	Private
Industry	Motorsport
Founded	2000
Founder	Ray Evernham
Fate	Merged with Petty Enterprises to form Richard Petty Motorsports (2009)
Headquarters	United States
Area served	NASCAR Cup Series
Key people	Ray Evernham (Founder, former CEO), George Gillett (former majority owner)
Products	NASCAR stock car racing teams and operations

Evernham Motorsports was a professional American stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. Established in 2000 by former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Ray Evernham, the team began full-time competition as a two-car outfit in 2001, later expanding through partnerships with Ultra Motorsports and Valvoline. In 2007, following the acquisition of a controlling interest by former Montreal Canadiens and Liverpool F.C. owner George Gillett, the organization was rebranded as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The team eventually merged with Petty Enterprises in 2009, resulting in the formation of Richard Petty Motorsports.

Team history

The inception of Evernham Motorsports took place in 2000 under the leadership of Ray Evernham, who had previously secured three championships with Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports as a crew chief. As both owner and team manager, Evernham spearheaded Dodge’s return to NASCAR’s premier series on behalf of Daimler Chrysler, overseeing the development of the Dodge Intrepid R/T race car that debuted in 2001. The team operated with factory support and Dodge sponsorship, initially utilizing the former Bill Elliott Racing facilities.

In August 2007, businessman George N. Gillett Jr. purchased a majority share of the team, prompting a name change to Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM). While Evernham maintained considerable ownership and continued as CEO, his focus shifted toward racing operations; meanwhile, Gillett’s family assumed control over business affairs. GEM brought on financial leadership, including former LendingTree chairman Tom Reddin, who succeeded Evernham as CEO.

Early in 2008, GEM entered into a technical and marketing partnership with independent driver Robby Gordon, intending to acquire Robby Gordon Motorsports for $23.5 million. The arrangement included a four-year driving contract worth $12 million for Gordon; however, the deal ultimately fell through, resulting in GEM filing a lawsuit against Gordon for breach of contract.

For the 2009 season, GEM signed drivers A. J. Allmendinger and Reed Sorenson but encountered internal disputes after releasing Elliott Sadler, who threatened legal action to retain his seat. Facing economic pressures, GEM merged with struggling Dodge team Petty Enterprises in January 2009, expanding to a four-car operation and rebranding as Richard Petty Motorsports. Evernham was excluded from merger discussions and retained only minority ownership alongside Richard Petty.

Car No. 7 history

On November 16, 2001, Ultra Motorsports formed a joint venture with Evernham Motorsports that involved switching from Ford to Dodge Intrepid vehicles. Casey Atwood, who had previously driven Evernham’s No. 19 car, took over the No. 7 entry for the 2002 season. This collaboration, known as Ultra-Evernham Motorsports, divided responsibilities between Ultra owner Jim Smith handling day-to-day operations and Evernham managing technical and competitive elements. Ray Evernham described managing this arrangement as "doing two and a half teams." In January 2002, Sirius Satellite Radio became the primary sponsor for the No. 7 car.

Atwood experienced difficulties during his sophomore year behind the wheel, averaging a finishing position of 29.4 with a best result of 11th place. The struggles were attributed to reliance on used Evernham equipment combined with Atwood’s inconsistent performance. The partnership dissolved after Smith dismissed Atwood with two races remaining; Jason Leffler from Ultra Motorsports’ Truck Series served as interim driver. In 2003, Jimmy Spencer assumed driving duties for the No. 7 car as Ultra Motorsports returned to competing independently with Dodge entries.

Car No. 7 performance

Year	Driver	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	Owners	Pts
2002	Casey Atwood	7	Dodge	DAY 35	CAR 39	LVS 41	ATL 32	DAR 26	BRI 18	TEX 35	MAR 38	TAL 26	CAL 28	RCH 22	CLT 17	DOV 14	POC 11	MCH 39	SON 21	DAY 20	CHI 28	NHA 36	POC 28	IND 38	GLN 27	MCH 42	BRI 18	DAR 28	RCH 24	NHA 34	DOV 32
Protection One 400	KAN 42
2002 EA Sports 500	TAL 34
2002 UAW-GM Quality 500	CLT 30
Old Dominion 500	MAR 21
NAPA 500	ATL 38
Pop Secret 400	CAR 29								35th	2621

History of Car No. 9

Bill Elliott (2001–2003)

The No. 9 vehicle made its first appearance at the 2001 Daytona 500 coinciding with Dodge’s re-entry into NASCAR. After a lengthy career as both a driver and team owner, 1988 Winston Cup Series champion Bill Elliott joined Evernham Racing, reclaiming the No. 9 number he had previously driven for Melling Racing. Elliott captured the pole position at the 2001 Daytona 500 and concluded the race in fifth place. He achieved his first victory in seven years at Homestead-Miami Speedway and wrapped up the season ranked 15th in the championship standings. In the following year, 2002, Elliott secured two wins and improved to 13th in points. His final career triumph occurred at Rockingham Speedway in the fall of 2003; that season he finished ninth overall before retiring from full-time competition to dedicate his efforts to the team's research and development program.

Kasey Kahne (2004–2008)

Transitioning from open-wheel racing and the Busch Series, rookie Kasey Kahne took over driving duties in 2004 after departing Ford’s development program to join Evernham’s Dodge operation. With Tommy Baldwin Jr. as crew chief, Kahne distinguished himself among a talented rookie group by earning three second-place finishes early on and accumulating five runner-up results in total. Additionally, he claimed four pole positions and achieved fourteen Top-10 finishes, ultimately winning NASCAR Rookie of the Year by a margin exceeding 100 points and securing 13th place in the overall standings.

In 2005, Kahne triumphed at the spring Richmond event but dropped to 23rd in the points classification. Later that year, Evernham implemented a crew chief swap between teams to enhance competitiveness; as a result, Kahne inherited much of Jeremy Mayfield’s team personnel. This strategic move proved effective during the 2006 season when Kahne captured six victories—including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600—tied for most poles with six, qualified for his inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup, and ended the year eighth in points.

On September 18, 2007, Budweiser was announced as the primary sponsor for the No. 9 car beginning in 2008, replacing Dodge Dealers/Mopar/UAW sponsorship that had been in place since 2001. With Budweiser’s support, Kahne secured two wins and finished 14th in the championship that year.

Car No. 9 performance summary

Year	Driver	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	Owners Points position	Points total
2001	Bill Elliott	9	Dodge	DAY 5	CAR 23	LVS 14	ATL 16	DAR 23	BRI 17	TEX 14	MAR 14	TAL 32	CAL 14	RCH 37	CLT 26	DOV 40	MCH 9	POC 27	SON 9	DAY 35	CHI 10	NHA 21	POC 4	IND 8 ... (Additional detailed race results available upon request)

Car No. 10 Background

Scott Riggs (2006–2007)

In 2006, Scott Riggs transitioned with his Valvoline sponsorship from the struggling MB2 Motorsports team. Valvoline backed 22 events and held an ownership interest through Senior Vice President James Rocco, leading to the team's branding as Valvoline-Evernham Motorsports. Riggs came close to securing victories at Charlotte, Talladega, and Texas but concluded the season 20th in points despite missing the Daytona 500. The following year, 2007, saw a significant downturn in results; Riggs failed to qualify for six events, recorded five DNFs, and achieved only a single Top 10 finish. He was dismissed with two races remaining and replaced by former Champ car competitor Patrick Carpentier, who had previously filled in at Watkins Glen.

Patrick Carpentier (2007–2008)

At 36 years old, Carpentier assumed full-time driving duties in 2008 within a rookie cohort of open-wheel veterans striving to emulate Juan Pablo Montoya's achievements. This group also featured IndyCar champions Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr., alongside CART and F1 titleholder Jacques Villeneuve. As Valvoline scaled back its involvement and Stanley Tools shifted sponsorship to the No. 19 entry, GEM secured identity protection company LifeLock as a primary sponsor for eight races, marking a notable NASCAR investment. Other sponsors included Charter Communications and Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper. Although Carpentier earned the pole position at Loudon, his overall performance was underwhelming—he failed to finish in the Top 10, missed five races including the Daytona 500, and was outside the Top 35 in points when released after Kansas. He was succeeded by second-year driver A. J. Allmendinger, recently let go by Red Bull Racing, who delivered three Top 15 finishes across five starts, outperforming his teammates. Allmendinger was slated to take over the No. 19 ride full-time from Elliott Sadler, but this plan was disrupted due to Sadler’s lawsuit against the team and sponsor withdrawals following the addition of a third driver, Reed Sorenson.

Car No. 10 Performance

Year	Driver	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	Owners	Points
2006	Scott Riggs	10	Dodge	DAY DNQ	CAL 19	LVS 28	ATL 11	BRI 41	MAR 10	TEX 7	PHO 38	TAL 9	RCH 14	DAR 31	CLT 13	DOV 20	POC 8	MCH 29	SON 27	DAY 20	CHI 15	NHA 10	POC 22	IND 21	GLN 23	MCH 14	BRI 4	CAL 17	RCH 10	NHA 35	DOV 34	KAN 34	TAL < small >19 < / small >	style = " background : # DFFFDF ; " > CLT < br >< small >17 < / small >	style = " background : # CFCFFF ; " > MAR < br >< small >30 < / small >	style = " background : # CFCFFF ; " > ATL < br >< small >22 < / small >						20th	3619
(continued for subsequent years) ...

Car No. 19 Overview

Casey Atwood (2000–2001)

The No. 19 vehicle represented Evernham Motorsports' initial entry into the Cup series, debuting at the 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 held at Richmond International Raceway. This Ford, sponsored by Motorola, was piloted by 20-year-old Busch Series competitor Casey Atwood. In its first race, the car secured a 19th-place finish, with Atwood concluding the shortened season ranked tenth at Homestead.

For the full 2001 season, Evernham fielded the No. 19 as a full-time entry with Atwood behind the wheel, working alongside teammate Bill Elliott in the No. 9 car. This season marked Dodge's return to NASCAR, with backing from Dodge Dealers. Despite a sluggish start, Atwood earned a pole position at Phoenix International Raceway and came close to victory at Homestead before yielding to Elliott. Ultimately, Atwood narrowly lost out on rookie of the year honors to Kevin Harvick, who posted stronger overall performance.

Jeremy Mayfield (2002–2006)

Ahead of the 2002 season, Evernham replaced Atwood with Jeremy Mayfield, a driver who had previously achieved three wins with Penske Racing but was recently released by that team. Mayfield faced a difficult first year, managing four top-ten finishes and ending up 26th in points standings. His performance improved over time, highlighted by a victory at Richmond in 2004 and qualifying for the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup. In 2005, he secured another win and again made the Chase.

Following an early crash in the 2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, which caused the team to lose its top-35 owner points exemption, Evernham opted to replace Mayfield with Bill Elliott, citing unsatisfactory results. Mayfield later suggested that his decline in performance and eventual dismissal were connected to Evernham's focus on development driver Erin Crocker and their personal involvement.

Elliott Sadler (2006–2008)

On August 16, 2006, after parting ways with Robert Yates Racing, Elliott Sadler was appointed as the driver of the No. 19 car for the remainder of that season and for all of 2007. Sadler showed improved performances including a sixth-place finish at New Hampshire and wrapped up the year 22nd in driver points. Although the team ranked 34th in owner points, it secured guaranteed starting spots for early races in 2007. During that year, Sadler achieved two top-ten finishes and placed 25th in overall points.

In November 2007, Best Buy signed on as a primary sponsor for fifteen events during the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season; Stanley and McDonald's also joined as sponsors. Sadler extended his contract for two additional years in May but was replaced by A. J. Allmendinger for the 2009 campaign amid sponsorship uncertainties and internal shifts, including Ray Evernham removing his personal items from the team's race shop. Sadler filed a breach of contract suit against GEM but reached a settlement soon after and returned to drive the No. 19 car in 2009 while Allmendinger remained part of the organization.

Car No. 19 Performance

Year	Driver	No.	Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	Owners Points Standing	Points Total
2000	Casey Atwood	19	Ford	DAY	CAR	LVS	ATL	DAR	BRI	TEX	MAR	TAL	CAL	RCH	CLT	DOV	MCH	POC	SON	DAY	NHA	POC	IND	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH 19	NHA	DOV	MAR 25	CLT	TAL	CAR	PHO	HOM 10	ATL			54th	328
2001			Dodge	style="background:#DFFFDF;" |DAY 20	style="background:#DFFFDF;" |CAR 18	style="background:#CFCFFF;" |LVS 24	style="background:#FFCFCF;" |ATL DNQ	style="background:#CFCFFF;" |DAR 26	style="background:#DFFFDF;" |BRI 20	(remaining races with finishes ranging from top-10 to DNQ) ...	26th	3132
(subsequent years and drivers follow similar tabular format)

R&D Car Background

2002–2007

The vehicle designated as No. 98 initially appeared in 2002 under the number 91, piloted by three different drivers: Dick Trickle attempted to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway but did not make the field; Hank Parker Jr. competed at Rockingham Speedway with backing from USG Corporation; and Casey Atwood took the wheel at Homestead-Miami Speedway, carrying Mountain Dew sponsorship following his departure from the No. 7 car. The car returned in 2003 to race at Pocono Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Atwood driving a Mountain Dew Live Wire-branded Dodge at Pocono and running unsponsored at Indianapolis.

In 2004, Bill Elliott transitioned from full-time to part-time driving duties for the No. 91, participating in events at Las Vegas, Texas, and Indianapolis. During that year, Elliott also entered three races in a No. 98 Dodge under his own Bill Elliott Racing team, utilizing Evernham Racing equipment and Mach 1 Racing owner points to circumvent sponsor conflicts, as Evernham's No. 9 and No. 19 entries were both sponsored by Mountain Dew.

Elliott continued part-time in 2005, competing in nine races including Fontana, Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte, Michigan, and Indianapolis. His sponsorship portfolio featured UAW, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Stanley Tools, Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper, and Visteon.

Performance of Car No. 91

Year	Driver	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36		Pts
2002	Dick Trickle	91	Dodge	DAY	CAR	LVS	ATL	DAR	BRI	TEX	MAR	TAL DNQ	CAL	RCH	CLT	DOV	POC	MCH	SON	DAY	CHI	NHA	POC	IND	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	NHA	DOV	KAN	TAL	CLT	MAR	ATL				66th	111
	Hank Parker Jr.																																				CAR 33	PHO
	Casey Atwood																																						HOM 37
2003				DAY	CAR	LVS	ATL	DAR	BRI	TEX	TAL	MAR	CAL	RCH	CLT	DOV	POC 40	MCH	SON	DAY	CHI	NHA	POC	IND 31	GLN	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	NHA	DOV	TAL	KAN	CLT	MAR	ATL	PHO	CAR	HOM	61st	113
2004	rowspan=2:Bill Elliott			DAY	CAR	LVS 20	ATL	DAR	BRI	TEX 36	MAR	TAL	CAL	RCH	CLT	DOV	POC	MCH	SON	DAY	CHI	NHA	POC	[[2004 Brickyard 400 IND 9 ]] -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Car No. 9 history Tommy Baldwin Racing (2002–2004) The No. 9 Ultimate Chargers team originally competed as the No. 6 Pepsi-backed Dodge Intrepid under Tommy Baldwin Racing, making its first appearance in 2002 at Michigan with Wally Dallenbach Jr., who finished 14th. That season, Dallenbach secured two top-ten results while sharing driving responsibilities with Damon Lusk, who participated in a limited schedule in 2003 but did not achieve any top-10 finishes. In 2004, Unilever launched the Hungry Drivers initiative aimed at grooming emerging talent for a full-time NASCAR role. Four drivers—Scott Lynch, Mark McFarland, Tracy Hines, and Paul Wolfe—were each allotted three races to demonstrate their capabilities. After recording two top-20 finishes, including a 12th place at New Hampshire, Wolfe earned the No. 6 Busch Series seat for the 2005 season. Evernham Motorsports (2005–2008) Evernham Motorsports took over Tommy Baldwin Racing in October 2004 and inherited the Hungry Drivers program. Wolfe began the 2005 season but was released after four races due to underperformance. The No. 6 car was mainly driven by Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield, with Kahne capturing the team’s inaugural victory at Kansas in October. Additional drivers included Mike Wallace, Tracy Hines, Bill Elliott, Casey Atwood, and Erin Crocker, who made her Busch Series debut at Richmond. In 2006, following a number swap with Roush Racing, Evernham transitioned to the No. 9 car; Unilever expanded its sponsorship under the Ultimate Chargers brand. Primary drivers that year were Kahne, Mayfield, and Scott Riggs, with Boris Said and Crocker sharing driving duties. Kahne secured two wins at Las Vegas and Fontana. The following year, Kahne won races at Charlotte and Bristol; other contributors included Elliott Sadler, Riggs, Said, and Chase Miller. During 2008, Unilever maintained sponsorship alongside AutoValue/Bumper-to-Bumper and Ingersoll Rand. Kahne, Sadler, Patrick Carpentier, and Miller all took turns behind the wheel but did not achieve any victories—the first such occurrence since the program’s inception—though Kahne finished second twice at Bristol and Carpentier earned a runner-up spot at Montreal. Later that year, Unilever shifted its backing to JR Motorsports’ No. 5 entry. As a result, the team scaled back to a part-time schedule in 2009 and reduced its workforce by approximately 65 employees, including personnel from the engine shop, reflecting a strategic contraction following sponsorship loss. Car No. 19 history Evernham No. 79 (2003, 2005) The team debuted in 2003 with Jeremy Mayfield piloting the No. 79 Dodge Intrepid sponsored by Mountain Dew, finishing fourth in their only race that year. The operation returned in 2005 as a secondary Busch Series team backed by Trus Joist and Auto Value sponsorships. Kasey Kahne and Mayfield split driving duties across three events, achieving a best finish of fourth at Richmond. Kahne also placed twelfth at New Hampshire while Mayfield’s top result was 29th at Charlotte. Although the team did not compete in 2006, some No. 79 chassis were utilized by Erin Crocker during her initial racing appearances. Evernham No. 19 (2007–2008) At the conclusion of the 2007 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Patrick Carpentier made his second Busch Series start driving the No. 19 car sponsored by Stanley Tools. In 2008, Chase Miller participated in select Nationwide Series events behind the wheel of the No. 19 as a secondary GEM entry supported by Cellco Partnerships (a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone). The team was disbanded after Braun-Petty acquired its assets. Casey Atwood (2002) In 2002, Casey Atwood captured a victory in the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono Raceway behind the wheel of a Dodge No. 19 car, having secured the pole position for the race. Erin Crocker (2005–2007) Erin Crocker made her ARCA Racing Series debut in 2005 piloting a No. 98 Dodge at Nashville Superspeedway, where she earned the pole and led laps before finishing 12th. That season, she participated in seven additional ARCA events, earning another pole at Kentucky Speedway and achieving five top-five finishes. In 2006, Crocker moved up to compete full-time in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, supported by General Mills brands Cheerios and Betty Crocker. While she secured a pole at Kentucky and three top-ten results in ARCA that year, her best finishes in the Truck Series were two 16th-place results, culminating in a 25th place points standing. The loss of General Mills sponsorship resulted in the shutdown of the Truck team after 2006. Returning to ARCA in 2007 for twelve races, with Mac Tools sponsoring five of those events, Crocker earned poles at both Daytona and Kentucky and recorded six top-five finishes along with eight top-ten placements, demonstrating her sustained competitiveness within the series. External links Richard Petty Motorsports (Official website) Ray Evernham owner statistics at Racing-Reference Gillett Evernham Motorsports owner statistics at Racing-Reference