-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Sprint Cup
CUP: Ray Evernham Q&A
Former crew chief Ray Evernham weighs in on Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick...
Ray Evernham built the team now known as Richard Petty Motorsports from scratch in 2000. (Photo: Getty Images)
Few people in the Sprint Cup garage know the sport of NASCAR better than Ray Evernham.
He won three Cup championships as a crew chief for Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports. He started his own Cup team and, with the backing Dodge, turned it into a winning operation before selling a majority interest to George Gillett. He owns his own race track and is an analyst for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage.
Evernham weighed in on several current topics with reporters Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where he took part in a program on the evolution of the pit stop.
Here are excerpts from some of Evernham’s comments:
Question: Going into the Chase, who is hot and who is cold?
A: There’s no way in the world you’re going to get me to come off that Jimmie [Johnson] is still the favorite because I think that team still has got a ton of depth. They have been through it so many times. Two weeks ago, we were wow, it’s going to be Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress. Kevin didn’t run good at Bristol this week, so everybody has forgotten about him already. This changes week-to-week.
I think Kevin and Childress will be a factor. I wouldn’t be surprised if this momentum [of winning at Bristol] helps Kyle [Busch] be a factor. I tell you, I’ve spent time with the kid, I’ve talked to him, I think he’s matured, I really do. This is a kid that is on a mission to prove that he’s one of the greatest in the sport.
I’m still going to say Johnson is the favorite, but he is going to get challenged from Harvick and possibly from Kyle Busch. And you can never, ever, ever count out Jeff Gordon because he can put consistency together. He has got to find a little more speed, but he can put those consistent runs together.
Q: Can you compare Jeff Gordon’s talent and Kyle Busch’s talent early in their careers?
A: I think Jeff had more of a focused talent, where Kyle is just so raw talented. It seems like he can drive anything. He just drives anything good. He tested an off-road truck, and I heard that in three laps he was as fast as anybody out there. Jeff was more of a focused talent. When he focused on the Nationwide car, he was learning and he tried really hard to figure that out. And when we came to Cup, we didn’t have it easy our first couple of years. We wrecked a lot of stuff.
Kyle knows and probably is a lot sharper with a car than Jeff was. Kyle knows his car. Think about what he did [last week], communication with three separate crew chiefs in three completely separate types of race vehicles. Wins all three races, and pulls all that information together and helps. You’re dealing with different personalities. That truck is a different animal than the Nationwide car and the Nationwide car is a different animal [than Cup], different wheelbases, different center of gravities, different horsepower. Kyle is really good technically where Jeff was more focused on the driving.
Q: What does it say that Kyle is only 25?
A: They’re going to get younger and younger. Rusty [Wallace] got mad at me the other night because he said something and I said, ‘Who would you hire?’ And he said, ‘I’d hire Tony Stewart.’ I said, ‘Tony is almost 40.’ [He said], ‘That don’t matter.’ And I said, ‘Yeah it does. Look at your own record.’
Regardless of what you want to say, guys’ careers, the majority of races are won before the guy is 40. That’s just the way it is. There is nothing wrong with that. I see guys every day racing these Sprint cars and things like that and I’m thinking to myself, ‘There’s no way in the world I would do that.’ ... I think that you’re going to see the evolution becoming younger and younger.
We were talking about Jeff Gordon, oh my God, he was 21 and then he was 24 when he won, and at that time he was the second-youngest guy to win. Bobby Hillin was a little bit younger. Now you’ve got [Joey] Logano, I could be wrong, but I think he still goes to intermediate school or something. Jeff was a kid at 24. I just think the sport is evolving to where you’re going to see younger and younger drivers coming in because you don’t have to have that book of setups anymore. Guys have got so good at setting these cars up and all the technology for helping you develop a car, you can put a driver in that can go fast.
He won three Cup championships as a crew chief for Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports. He started his own Cup team and, with the backing Dodge, turned it into a winning operation before selling a majority interest to George Gillett. He owns his own race track and is an analyst for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage.
Evernham weighed in on several current topics with reporters Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where he took part in a program on the evolution of the pit stop.
Here are excerpts from some of Evernham’s comments:
Question: Going into the Chase, who is hot and who is cold?
A: There’s no way in the world you’re going to get me to come off that Jimmie [Johnson] is still the favorite because I think that team still has got a ton of depth. They have been through it so many times. Two weeks ago, we were wow, it’s going to be Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress. Kevin didn’t run good at Bristol this week, so everybody has forgotten about him already. This changes week-to-week.
I think Kevin and Childress will be a factor. I wouldn’t be surprised if this momentum [of winning at Bristol] helps Kyle [Busch] be a factor. I tell you, I’ve spent time with the kid, I’ve talked to him, I think he’s matured, I really do. This is a kid that is on a mission to prove that he’s one of the greatest in the sport.
I’m still going to say Johnson is the favorite, but he is going to get challenged from Harvick and possibly from Kyle Busch. And you can never, ever, ever count out Jeff Gordon because he can put consistency together. He has got to find a little more speed, but he can put those consistent runs together.
My SPEED is devoted to the passionate fans who celebrate motorcycles, motorsports and the automotive lifestyle.
Q: Can you compare Jeff Gordon’s talent and Kyle Busch’s talent early in their careers?
A: I think Jeff had more of a focused talent, where Kyle is just so raw talented. It seems like he can drive anything. He just drives anything good. He tested an off-road truck, and I heard that in three laps he was as fast as anybody out there. Jeff was more of a focused talent. When he focused on the Nationwide car, he was learning and he tried really hard to figure that out. And when we came to Cup, we didn’t have it easy our first couple of years. We wrecked a lot of stuff.
Kyle knows and probably is a lot sharper with a car than Jeff was. Kyle knows his car. Think about what he did [last week], communication with three separate crew chiefs in three completely separate types of race vehicles. Wins all three races, and pulls all that information together and helps. You’re dealing with different personalities. That truck is a different animal than the Nationwide car and the Nationwide car is a different animal [than Cup], different wheelbases, different center of gravities, different horsepower. Kyle is really good technically where Jeff was more focused on the driving.
Q: What does it say that Kyle is only 25?
A: They’re going to get younger and younger. Rusty [Wallace] got mad at me the other night because he said something and I said, ‘Who would you hire?’ And he said, ‘I’d hire Tony Stewart.’ I said, ‘Tony is almost 40.’ [He said], ‘That don’t matter.’ And I said, ‘Yeah it does. Look at your own record.’
Regardless of what you want to say, guys’ careers, the majority of races are won before the guy is 40. That’s just the way it is. There is nothing wrong with that. I see guys every day racing these Sprint cars and things like that and I’m thinking to myself, ‘There’s no way in the world I would do that.’ ... I think that you’re going to see the evolution becoming younger and younger.
We were talking about Jeff Gordon, oh my God, he was 21 and then he was 24 when he won, and at that time he was the second-youngest guy to win. Bobby Hillin was a little bit younger. Now you’ve got [Joey] Logano, I could be wrong, but I think he still goes to intermediate school or something. Jeff was a kid at 24. I just think the sport is evolving to where you’re going to see younger and younger drivers coming in because you don’t have to have that book of setups anymore. Guys have got so good at setting these cars up and all the technology for helping you develop a car, you can put a driver in that can go fast.
Shake and Bake: Recent Posts
-
Last Lap: Kyle Busch Makes History At Charlotte Motor Speedway »
-
Charlotte Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith Dishes Out the Goods »
-
NASCAR Teams Lend Helping Hand To Oklahoma Tornado Victims »
-
Singer Chelsea Bain's Dad Loves Her Music, Doesn't Love Her Choice Of Clothing »
-
Mr. E Would Rather Watch Soap Operas & Teletubbies Than 4 Hours Of Single-File Racing (Video) »
-
Krash Kab Invades Darlington With Jimmy Spencer And Monica Palumbo (Video) »
-
Sebastian Vettel's Monaco GP Helmet Has A Nearly Naked Pinup Girl »
-
Last Lap: Despite Struggles, Danica Patrick Unlikely To Return To IndyCar »
2013 All Star Race
LATEST HEADLINES: NASCAR
-
NNS: Kyle Busch Scores Again
Kyle Busch registers his sixth Nationwide win of the season…… -
CUP: Saturday Charlotte Notebook (UPDATE 10)
Kyle Busch won the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway... -
CUP: France – Schedule Good As It Is
NASCAR chairman Brian France says he prefers fall race to stay in… -
CUP: Keselowski Still Confident Despite Slump
Brad Keselowski is seventh in points heading into the Coca-Cola 600…… -
HAMMOND: 600-Mile Race Will Tax Drivers, Equipment
I expect we will see a lot of green-flag runs Sunday, making for… -
CUP: Menards Signs Renewal With RCR
Multi-year partnership renewal was announced today... -
CUP: Man On A Mission
Denny Hamlin going all out in pursuit of a shot at the championship…… - More News
