Paul Wolfe will run the first 22 Busch Series races of 2005 for Evernham Motorsports. Credit: Autostock

Evernham tabs Wolfe to pilot Busch ride in '05

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Paul Wolfe may not be the next Jeff Gordon, but he's Ray Evernham's next protege.

Evernham announced Friday at Darlington Raceway that Wolfe will be Evernham Motorsports' primary Busch Series driver for 2005, competing in at least 22 races next year as part of the "Hungry Drivers" program.

Ray Evernham Credit: Autostock

Unilever Foods, though several of its brands, will back the No. 6 Dodge next season.

Former Busch Series driver Elton Sawyer will be the team director -- Evernham's term for crew chief -- for Wolfe.

Evernham said Wolfe would run the first 22 races, but the schedule has yet to be finalized. Evernham wouldn't say who the other drivers would be, though he said a second car was possible later in the season.

"We're not thinking anything like, 'championship,'" Evernham said. "But I can tell you that if Paul is doing well, a rookie-of-the-year candidate and is somewhere in the top 10, 15 and challenging for wins, I'm not going to pull him out of the car."

Wolfe, a former Busch North Series driver, has five Busch starts in his short career, with a best finish of 12th at New Hampshire in July.

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Wolfe was part of the "Hungry Drivers" program with Tommy Baldwin Racing this year, sharing the No. 6 with Tracy Hines, Mark McFarland and Scott Lynch. TBR and the program was sold to Evernham Motorsports, with Wolfe winning the seat.

"He probably had the least amount of experience, but he seems to have the most amount of potential," Evernham said. "He's been fast for his limited experience, he's a good-looking kid, speaks well, and obviously uses Jeremy's barber, so he's a good fit for us."

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Wolfe's short-cropped haircut is similar to one of Evernham's Nextel Cup drivers, Jeremy Mayfield.

Wolfe, 27, moved to North Carolina from Milford, N.Y. in 1996, getting a job as a fabricator with Joe Gibbs Racing. Driving Late Models part-time, Wolfe eventually moved to the Busch North Series in 2000.

"I'm going to make the best of it," Wolfe said. "There's no reason that towards the end of the season that we can't be contending for some wins.

"For them to have faith in my ability to bring me back in 2005 is really exciting. I promise, I won't let you down. It's definitely an honor and a great opportunity for myself."