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"We go to the track to win, not to just race. A lot of people go to race, we don't go to race, we go to win. If we don't win, it's not because we didn't try, but you have to try to win." - Ray Evernham
Please Note
This page was designed primarily to cover Evernham Motorsports and Casey Atwood for the three races of 2000. For the latest information on Evernham and Dodge, please click here. Thanks.
Ray Evernham's Christmas List
Ray Evernham sent his list in to the man in the North Pole, and while it
didn't include the typical PlayStation and Razor scooter topping most lists
this year, it did include a few unusual items. What did Ray ask for?
Full Story
The Dodge Report: A Regular Update from the Dodge Garage
A regular update on the Dodge NASCAR Winston Cup Program from team owner and
development leader Ray Evernham.
Full Story
Evernham Chooses Valvoline
Evernham Motorsports today announced it has chosen Valvoline as a technical partner for its two-car Dodge sponsored NASCAR Winston Cup racing program beginning next season.
Full Story
Casey Atwood and Motorola Team Finish Tenth at Homestead
Motorola and Evernham Motorsports' relationship
came to a very happy ending as the No. 19 Motorola team finished 10th in the
Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race. Driver Casey Atwood's impressive finish came after a long and exhausting weekend where he prepared for both his third NASCAR Winston Cup Series race and the season finale NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division race.
Full Story
Homestead Post-Race Quotes
CASEY ATWOOD --19-- Motorola Taurus (Finished 10th) -- ARE YOU LIKE A KID AT CHRISTMAS WAITING FOR NEXT YEAR? "I really can't. This has really gotten me ready and excited to get to Daytona next year. We've got some good things going on -- a lot of good cars being built. These guys, I love working with them. We're all young, young guys. It's gonna be a young team and it's gonna take a while to get going, but in a few years I think we're gonna be tough." HOW MUCH MORE RELAXED NOW THAN AT RICHMOND? "A lot more. That first race, a lot of things were happening. We weren't really fast and there was a chance we wouldn't make it and I was really nervous about it, but the more races you run the more you grow out of that and that's what's happened. It was the same way with any division I've ever run. When I was in late models I got nervous, when I came to Busch I was nervous, the same here. The only thing that made it not as bad here was that I raced with some of these guys a lot in the Busch Series, so that made it a little bit better."
RAY EVERNHAM, Car Owner --19-- Motorola Taurus -- "It was a great day for this team and for Casey Atwood. There were a lot of Motorola people here and to start in the top 10 and finish in the top 10 in Winston Cup racing is pretty good. We've run only three races this year and he drove a great race today. The guys had a good day in the pits. We had about a 10th-place car and got 10th, so it was real nice." DID YOU RUN THE FULL RANGE OF EMOTIONS THIS WEEKEND? "Probably not quite the emotions that Joe Gibbs and Bobby Labonte and Jimmy Makar are feeling, but I certainly know what that feels like and I want to say congratulations to those guys." IS THAT THE KIND OF CONSISTENCY YOU NEED? "Absolutely. Joe built that team with Jimmy Makar and they've built is step-by-step, block-by-block, and they've done it right. They've got consistency week after week and they're fast on top of that. They're a good strong contender and they deserved to win the championship for sure."
Atwood Starts Fifth at Homestead
"I knew we were gonna be a little bit
better with this cloud cover, but I'm real happy with that," said Casey Atwood. "I'm really
excited for everybody. This is only our third race together -- a rookie
driver -- and it's a new team, but Ray has worked hard for us and so has
everybody on the team. It's gonna be a good start for us, probably our best
start yet, so we'll see what we can do Sunday."
Homestead Qualifying Notes and Quotes
Quotes:
Casey Atwood:
"We got really lucky with the cloud cover during qualifying. A lot of the
guys that went out before me didn't have that. We've got a great car and I'm
just looking to finish better than 19th, my best finish in Winston Cup."
Atwood scored his 19th-place finish at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
Ray Evernham:
"I am really happy. I honestly didn't expect for us to qualify in the top
five. We have made a lot of progress in these three races, and we were able
to pick up from practice to qualifying today, which we haven't been able to
do in the past."
Notes:
In the 1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division race at
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Atwood scored the pole and finished 14th.
Atwood will be working double time this weekend, as he races in both
the NASCAR Busch Series race and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series race.
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Pennzoil 400 Notes |
| | Pos | Time | Speed |
|
Practice 1
|
12
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34.968
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154.427
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Qualifying
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5
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34.678
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155.718
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Practice 2
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14
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36.090
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149.625
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Happy Hour
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15
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36.090
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149.626
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Atwood or Evernham: Who is the True Homestead Rookie?
A yellow stripe designating rookie status will adorn
the back of the No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports car, but driver Casey
Atwood has chalked up more experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway than his
team owner and crew chief Ray Evernham.
Full Story
Dodge Engine Receives NASCAR Approval
Dodge Motorsports today reached
another milestone in its return to Winston Cup Racing with the approval by
NASCAR of the engine for its Dodge Intrepid R/T race car.
Full Story
Dodge Makes Historic First Laps at Chicagoland Speedway
The stars and cars of NASCAR Winston Cup and the Indy Racing Northern Light Series took the historic first laps at Chicagoland Speedway today, officially marking a new era of racing in the Chicago Metropolitan area. NASCAR Winston Cup driver, John Andretti drove the #19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T while Scott Sharp turned laps on the 1.5 mile oval in his #8 Delphi Automotive Systems Indy Racing Northern Light Series car.
Full Story
Images from the First Laps Event
Dodge Marks One-Year Anniversary of Winston Cup Launch with Inaugural Speedway Test at Talladega
The Dodge Intrepid R/T, which is set to
race in the Daytona 500 in just 124 days, conducted its first test of the
new race car on the high-banked Talladega Superspeedway. "The car felt good out there," said Bill Elliott, who holds the fastest lap record at the Talladega Superspeedway. "We're really just seeing what the engine likes and learning about the car, but so far it handles great."
Full Story
The Dodge Report: A Regular Update from the Dodge Garage
A few comments from Ray Evernham, team owner of Evernham Motorsports and
lead developer of the Dodge Intrepid R/T NASCAR Winston Cup racecar.
Full Story
Atwood Comes Home 25th at Martinsville
After cutting the left rear tire and
going three laps down early in the NAPA AutoCare 500, Casey Atwood and the
No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports team battled back to a 25th-place
finish.
Full Story
Qualifying Quotes
"We slowed down a little bit from
practice," said Casey Atwood. "I would have liked to have been a little faster, but, hopefully,
that'll get us in. That's pretty decent. Like I say, we ran a lot faster
than that in practice. Maybe the track has slowed down, so maybe everybody
else will slow down too." IS THIS A TOUGH TRACK TO TRY AND MAKE YOUR SECOND
CUP RACE? "It's a rough track, but I like tracks like this. I grew up on
short places like this and it was my choice to come here. We didn't have to
come here, but I like the track. We've been running good all day. I don't
know what happened there. Maybe the track slowed down, but the car felt the
same so I don't know."
Motorola/Atwood Qualifying Notes and Quotes
Quotes:
Casey Atwood:
"I am a little disappointed because when I got out there I was sure we had
a top-five car. I did all I could do, but considering that I've never
raced here before, I'm happy with a top-25."
Ray Evernham:
"To get better, we're just going to have to figure it out. We were just too
conservative and we need to find out what Casey's limit is. But overall, I
think it's pretty good because before we tested at Martinsville, Casey
didn't even know how to get here!"
After only 23 of the 48 cars had finished qualifying, Evernham was
confident in Atwood securing a position in the first qualifying round when
he said, "Let's get the car ready to race."
Notes:
* The Sept. 9 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond (Va.) International
Raceway was Casey Atwood's first of three NASCAR Winston Cup Series races
that he will race this year with the No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports
team. He qualified 35th and finished 19th.
* This is Atwood's first race at Martinsville Speedway. Next year, Atwood
will face three tracks currently on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule
where he has never raced (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway,
Sears Point Raceway) in addition to Chicagoland and Kansas City Speedway
which were added for 2001.
Martinsville Notes
Atwood made his NWC debut three weeks ago at Richmond and finished
19thHe's back this weekend with the same car he drove at RIRThe car
was built specifically for Atwood to run three races this year before
embarking on his rookie season in 2001Atwood is scheduled to run at
Homestead in November for his final event of the season.
|
NAPA AutoCare 500 Notes |
| | Pos | Time | Speed |
|
Practice 1
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5
|
19.883
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95.237
|
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Qualifying
|
22
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20.023
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94.571
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Practice 2
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33
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20.343
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93.083
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Happy Hour
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37
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20.435
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92.665
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Evernham Talks Martinsville Strategy
After wowing the NASCAR community
with a 19th-place finish at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway Sept. 9,
the No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports team heads to Martinsville
Speedway with renewed intensity and a fresh strategy.
Full Story
Atwood / Evernham Motorsports Photos
Check out the images from Evernham Motorsports and Casey Atwood's and Winston Cup debut at Richmond International Raceway.
RIR Photos
Atwood Finishes 19th in First Cup Race
"Pull your belt on tight and good luck,"
were the last words Ray Evernham spoke to Casey Atwood before the green
flag dropped at the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International
Raceway. Atwood finished in the top 20 after starting in 35th place. The
400-lap NASCAR Winston Cup Series race went quickly, with only seven
cautions throughout the evening's race.
Full Story
Atwood Richmond Quotes
"I've just got to thank Ray, Motorola, everybody on this team for giving me the opportunity," said Atwood. "It's gonna be great. We've got a lot of learning to do. That was my first race and I feel like that was pretty good. I think we're gonna be good one day, it's just gonna take a little bit of time. We made good adjustments on the car all night. We just started off a little loose and it got us a little behind at the beginning, but at the end we were running fine. We were running in the top 10 and that's all we can ask for."
HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU DID AGAINST THIS TYPE OF COMPETITION? "I thought it was good. I was having a ball. I was a little worried about the extra laps I had to run against the Busch races. It's twice the laps and I was a little worried, but I was having a great time racing against Bobby. I started right behind Bobby Hamilton and he's one of my heroes. I think he fell out or something, but I just had a great deal racing with everybody I grew up watching. I can't wait to do it tomorrow."
Qualifying Quotes
"That's what we ran in practice, but
it looks like everybody has speeded up a lot," said Atwood. "We just never could get it
the way we wanted to in the middle of the corner, but we'll see where it
stacks us up and see if we can do better tomorrow."
HOW DOES THIS COMPARE
TO THE BUSCH CARS? "It's not too bad. I mean, the cars are not harder to
drive, I just put a lot of pressure on myself -- just coming out here and
wanted to run good and do the best we can. It's just the pressure I put on
myself is the only big deal."
Richmond Notes
Antioch, Tennessee resident Casey Atwood will pull double duty at the Richmond International Raceway this weekend, competing in the Friday's Autolite Fram 250 NASCAR Busch Series event and Saturday's Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event. Saturday's race marks the 20-year-old driver's first start in NASCAR's premier division. Atwood, who drives the No. 27 Castrol GTX Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the Busch Series in 2000, will compete full-time in the Winston Cup Series in 2001.
Atwood will make his NWC debut in a car his team built specially for this weekend's race.Plans also call for Atwood to run a Ford at Martinsville and Homestead before embarking on his rookie season in 2001The team will be running engines prepared by Ernie Elliott.The team tested this piece and car owner Ray Evernham said it went OK, but the team was hoping for a little more speed.
Casey Atwood is currently ninth in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings, 93 points behind eighth position.
The Autolite Fram 250 at Richmond International Raceway marks Casey Atwood's 70th career NASCAR Busch Series start.
Casey Atwood has one top 10 finish in four starts at Richmond
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Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 Notes |
| | Pos | Time | Speed |
|
Practice 1
|
19
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21.860
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123.513
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Practice 2
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41
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22.056
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122.416
|
|
Qualifying
|
35
|
21.850
|
123.570
|
|
Practice 3
|
32
|
22.599
|
119.474
|
|
Happy Hour
|
30
|
22.502
|
119.989
|
Evernham: Ready to Go Racing
It's been almost a year since Ray Evernham walked away from his duties as crew chief for Jeff Gordon and the 24 team. Evernham was looking for a challenge and he found it, leading Dodge's return to the Winston Cup series in 2001. Evernham spoke with Race 2 Win on his readiness to return to the track.
Full Story
Atwood Debuts at Night
The sun sets at 7:26 p.m. Saturday, Sept.
9 -- four minutes before Casey Atwood will debut as the driver for the No.
19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports team in his first NASCAR Winston Cup
Series race.
Full Story
Evernham Returns at Richmond
It will be exactly 350 days since the last
time Ray Evernham slid on his famous disguise of headset, hat and
sunglasses to go to work at a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race. On the
evening of Sept. 9, Evernham will officially return to the track as the
owner of the No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports team at Richmond (Va.)
International Raceway.
Full Story
Dodge Intrepid R/T Receives NASCAR Approval
Dodge Motorsports today reached a significant milestone in its return to Winston Cup racing with the announcement that NASCAR has approved the body templates for its Dodge Winston Cup Intrepid R/T race car.
Full Story
Motorola and Evernham Motorsports Take to the Track
Motorola announced it will be the primary sponsor of Evernham Motorsports with driver Casey Atwood in three NASCAR Winston Cup Series races this year, marking the simultaneous debuts of Ray Evernham as a team owner and Atwood as a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. The No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports Ford will compete at Richmond (Va.) International Speedway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Full Story
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