Evernham wants to get back to racing side of sport (cont'd)

He said that he has gotten away from that recently, and admitted that he believes it has much to do with the struggles his three Dodge race teams have endured this Nextel Cup season. Heading into the season's 12th race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway this Sunday, Evernham's three race teams have yet to win a race this season and none would make the Chase if it were to begin today.

Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Dodge owned by Evernham, is 17th in the driver point standings but has been losing ground of late. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 car that won a series-high six races just last season, is 30th and hasn't finished in the top 10 since placing seventh in the season-opening Daytona 500. And Scott Riggs, driver of the No. 10 car, is 37th in points.

Kahne won both races at Lowe's Motor Speedway last season -- the Coca-Cola 600 last May and the Bank of America 500 this past fall. But the Bank of America 500 effort in October was the last time an Evernham-owned car reached Victory Lane.

Evernham blames mostly himself.

"I think the past year has been very, very busy for me both professionally and personally, and I got probably a little bit too far away from my cars -- and that's what I enjoy. I enjoy the cars and I enjoy the guys and that's where I need to be," he said.

He strongly believes that Gillett, 68, is the man to help him get there. Evernham insisted that the recent announcement that parent company DaimlerChrysler will sell Chrysler Group, which oversees the Dodge manufacturer's racing program, to private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management for $7.4 billion, has not muddied the negotiation waters with Gillett.

"I was with corporate two days before the deal was announced and actually, I had one of the best meetings I've ever had up there at corporate, or let's say the best in a long time. I think this is going to be good. I think [Chrysler CEO] Tom LaSorda has got a handle on what NASCAR needs. I think they're going to reallocate some funds and put 'em in the right place," Evernham said.

"I believe these people that are buying this understand the importance of NASCAR. Certainly if they don't, they'll get educated on it. We'll have to wait and see if all that stuff happens, but the bottom line is I think they know what they need to do and I think they're doing it. And this company coming in may allow them to have a little bit more freedom than what they've had. As far as everything that I've been told, NASCAR is very important to Dodge."

Perhaps more importantly, Evernham said he believes that Gillett's decision to partner up with him is not necessarily that dependent on what Dodge is going to do with its racing program.

"He's aware of what's going on. Eventually a NASCAR team is going to grow to not be dependent on the manufacturer," Evernham said. "The teams are getting bigger and bigger with technology. We need manufacturers, certainly, in the sport -- but I think everybody has to know that Detroit, right now, has got to worry about rebuilding everything. So to be able to count on manufacturers spending tons and tons of money [in racing] is going to be tough.

"I know George already is a Dodge dealer and has a great relationship with them. But I don't think Dodge being sold has really any input on what George is doing." (Continued)