Browne steps down as director of No. 19 team

STATESVILLE, N.C. -- Josh Browne on Tuesday resigned as director of the No. 19 team for Evernham Motorsports.

Scott McDougall, former director of Evernham's No. 98 Truck/ARCA team, will take over as director of Elliott Sadler's team on an interim basis.

"As we look to make vital improvements across our entire program, we are reviewing the allocation of personnel and resources within the organization," team owner Ray Evernham said.

"Josh is better suited to help the organization as a whole from an engineering perspective and our efforts in that area. I commend Josh for his decision and being a team player."

Browne will return to the organization's engineering department effective immediately.

When Sadler announced his decision to join Evernham during the 2006 season, he said one of the reasons for the move was the emphasis placed on engineering and technical support for his teams.

Browne, who has his masters in mechanical engineering, was promoted to team director of the No. 19 team to coincide with the arrival of Sadler in August for the final 14 races of the season. The duo got off to a quick start, claiming the team's first top-10 finish of the season in their first outing together at Michigan.

This year, the season began with a sixth-place finish at Daytona but has not yielded a top-10 finish in the past 16 races. Sadler's average finish is 23.1 and he is 22nd in points.