Ray Evernham is partnering with Boris Said to develop his road-course program. Credit: Autostock

Said to join Evernham as road-course mentor

Ingersoll Rand to sponsor EMS car at Mexico City, Watkins Glen

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Evernham Motorsports and Ingersoll Rand announced today the expansion of their partnership to include sponsorship of an Evernham Motorsports road-course development program for the 2006 season.

Boris Said has one top-five and four top-10s in the Cup Series. Credit: Autostock

The new program extends the long-standing relationship that Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, has enjoyed with Ingersoll Rand, and allows the organization to further develop its road-course performance by tapping road-racing veteran Boris Said to serve not only as a driver, but also as a coach.

"Our goal is to build a championship race team and to do that you have to run well on the road courses," Evernham said. "You can't take a mulligan at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen.

"Boris presented us with an excellent opportunity to improve our road-course program by having him work with our teams on the cars as well as with our drivers. He has years of road-course racing experience and has had success in NASCAR on the road courses."

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Said will pilot the No. 9 Ingersoll Rand Dodge Charger in the Busch Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on March 5. He also will act as a technical consultant on the development of road-course cars and serve as a driver coach to the Evernham Motorsports stable of drivers.

"Working with Evernham Motorsports is an incredible opportunity for me," Said commented. "My thanks to Ingersoll Rand for making this happen. The race in Mexico is a one-of-a-kind event that I did not want to miss out on. Last year I had a strong top-five run there, but this season, with the type of equipment Evernham Motorsports brings to the track, I know we can contend for the win.

"I also look forward to a continued relationship with Evernham where I can help out their road-course program and maybe give the other guys some tips on how to turn right."

Ingersoll Rand will also serve as the primary sponsor on a fourth entry in the Nextel Cup Series for Evernham Motorsports at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 13. The driver of the No. 98 Ingersoll Rand Dodge Charger will be announced at a later date.

"Ingersoll Rand has been a partner at EMS since Day One, and we have many years of success together," Evernham said. "They have supported us on pit road with great air tools since the beginning, and now this is an opportunity for them to be out front as a primary sponsor."

In addition to the designation as the official air tools and compressors of Evernham Motorsports, Ingersoll Rand also will be the title sponsor of the pit training facility at Evernham Motorsports and will be an associate sponsor of the No. 9 Dodge Charger in the Busch Series for the duration of the season.

"Ingersoll Rand is proud of our affiliation with Ray Evernham, and we are pleased to sponsor the EMS road-course development program," said Marc Dufour, president of Americas for Ingersoll Rand's Industrial Technologies Sector. "Boris Said is a proven champion who provides Ingersoll Rand with a great opportunity to showcase its brands as part of a winning team."