Jeremy Mayfield said Friday he wishes owner Ray Evernham was more involved. Credit: Autostock

Evernham taken aback by distraction whispers

Mayfield's return to team will be discussed later, owner says

JOLIET, Ill. -- Ray Evernham admits the separation from his wife became a distraction during the second half of the 2005 Nextel Cup season.

But the owner of Evernham Motorsports says the growth of his company, not his personal life, is the reason he's spending less time at Nextel Cup events than at any time during his career.

	Jeremy Mayfield is 32nd in points entering the Chicagoland race. Credit: Autostock
	MAYFIELD FRUSTRATED Jeremy Mayfield said Friday that he'd like to see team owner Ray Evernham at the racetrack a bit more. He thinks some consultation and support may help his struggling No. 19 team.  •   Complete story, click here Leilani ReportsLeilani explores the leadership roles at Evernham Motorsports Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"My personal life is my personal life, so I won't talk about that," Evernham said before Sunday's Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. "But I can tell you that nothing distracts me from my purpose. This is what I do 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"There are people that do it that are married; there are people that do it that have relationships. ... I've taken on so much more that I'm almost taken aback by the fact that people think I'm distracted."

Evernham's commitment came under fire on Friday when driver Jeremy Mayfield, who made the Chase for the Nextel Cup the past two years, questioned why his owner hadn't spent more time trying to help his team struggling 32nd in points.

Evernham missed the last two Cup races at Daytona and Sonoma to attend the Truck Series races with developmental driver Erin Crocker.

Evernham and Mayfield spoke by phone after Mayfield's statements became public, and addressed the media on Sunday in hopes of defusing controversy.

But the two stopped short of saying Mayfield, who has been rumored as a candidate to move to Toyota despite having a year and two option years left on his contract, would be with the team beyond this season.

"We're going to talk about that," Evernham said. "We're concentrating on this year, on getting this thing fixed. We don't have to talk about that option until August or September.

"Right now we want to fix this. I can't be 100 percent certain I'm going to be sitting here. Bottom line, we're not talking about not being there."

Mayfield said frustration over the season led to many of his comments.

"[Ray] and I are great friends and will be great friends no matter what happens in the future," he said. "We're both frustrated. Like I said the other day, it could be worse. I remember when everybody was talking about how [Ray] was being too involved in everything, micro-managing."

Evernham reminded that in the past year and a half Evernham Motorsports has grown from two Cup teams to three Cup teams, a Busch team and a Truck team. He said there are plans to add a fourth Cup team over the next couple of years and that will take him more away from the day-to-day operations.

"Rick Hendrick has won five or six championships," Evernham said of his former boss at Hendrick Motorsports. "Is he here at every race? Is Jack [Roush] at his shop every day? They're not. They put good people in place like I have.

"If these guys cannot win a championship and win races under the systems I put in place, then I haven't done a good job."

Evernham said the company has grown too large for him to be as hands-on as he was when he started it six years ago because of commitments to sponsors and other partnerships.

"If I haven't given them enough to work with and they can't do it, if I have to be here the whole time the company is not going to grow, and we're all going to lose opportunities," he said.

"Truth is you will see me less and less, but that does not mean I have taken my focus away from performance. It's directly the opposite. I don't know how to grow the company and challenge the Roushes and Hendricks and be here every weekend."

The 9 and the 19 have had completely opposite seasons, as Kasey Kahne has soared while Jeremy Mayfield has struggled. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers Jeremy Mayfield in 2006 Race Start Finish Status Daytona 26 36 running California 21 22 running Las Vegas 24 25 running Atlanta 20 41 running Bristol 10 16 running Martinsville 23 26 engine Texas 34 31 running Phoenix 28 26 running Talladega 36 13 running Richmond 38 32 running Darlington 30 38 running Charlotte 2 15 running Dover 2 18 running Pocono 26 23 running Michigan 18 36 running Sonoma 32 22 running Daytona 42 36 running Average 24.2 26.8

Evernham defended his time with Crocker and the Truck program, stating that he'd missed only two Cup races. He said plans to be at Daytona were ruined because the Truck race ran late and the Daytona airport was closed early because Vice President Dick Cheney was at the event.

"I think I'm doing pretty good balance wise," he said.

While Mayfield has struggled, Kasey Kahne has a series-high four wins and is fourth in points. Scott Riggs, who missed the opener at Daytona, has fought back to 23rd in points.

"Bottom line, no matter what you do, you don't seem to make anyone happy," Evernham said. "You're either micro-managing or not managing enough. Truth is, Evernham Motorsports is having the best year it's ever had."

Evernham, who won three Cup titles as Jeff Gordon's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, admitted it's not as much fun being at the track and not being as physically involved as before.

"I love to work on the car," he said. "I love to make the calls on the chassis. That's what I do. When you have to stand back, it's not a lot of fun to hang around, especially on a Friday and Saturday.

"My role has changed. I'm not Ray Evernham the crew chief, mechanic."

Evernham said the fun now is in developing people and systems to run the business.

"I still love to be at the racetrack, but Friday and Saturday, when you're used to throwing springs and shocks around and making calls and all of sudden you're standing there not doing much, Sundays aren't a lot of fun," he said.

But his absence, Evernham said, doesn't mean he's lost focus.

"I don't know how many other businessmen would be accused of being distracted if their company had grown twice its size in a year and a half and is having the best year they ever had," he said. "I'm kind of blown away by that."