Crocker seeks new start to help restore credibility

INDIANAPOLIS -- Erin Crocker wants to restore her credibility as a driver. To do that, she might have to start all over again.

The former sprint-car standout, whose move into NASCAR stalled after she began dating team owner Ray Evernham last year, is looking for another ride so she can try and rekindle the promise she showed in becoming the first female driver to win a World of Outlaws race. Evernham, who spoke publicly about the relationship for the first time Friday, said the best way for Crocker to do that is to move to another team.

Not giving up

It's been a struggle for female drivers in NASCAR but that hasn't stopped Erin Crocker, who wants to be the first to find her way to the Cup Series.

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"That's something that we had both talked about. I think at this point, to earn myself credibility again and to have another fair shot and prove what I can do on the racetrack, I need to run for another organization," Crocker said Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

"I've had an incredible time at Evernham Motorsports, to race for one of the top Nextel Cup teams no matter how, what or when. I earned my way there on merit. I won a World of Outlaws race and was chosen by Ford Motor Company in the beginning, and ended up going with Dodge and with Ray. I think at this point, I want to earn that credibility back. I want to earn some more respect and go off on my own and do what I came here to do."

Crocker currently competes part-time in an Evernham Motorsports Dodge in the ARCA series, where she has four top-five finishes in seven starts this season, and 10 top-10s in 20 starts since 2005. But those results have been overshadowed by happenings off the track -- she lost car sponsor Betty Crocker when parent company General Mills decided to devote more resources to the Petty Enterprises team, and she's been surrounded by innuendo about her relationship with Evernham, 23 years her senior.

Evernham admitted Friday that his relationship with Crocker hurt the career of a driver once considered the standard-bearer for women in racing.

"If I say to somebody, 'I think she's got talent, you should sponsor her,' my credibility is not good because of the personal relationship," he said. "I believe in her. We're trying to support her through her ARCA program. She has a lot of things going on, and hopefully something will open for her. She's talked to some Busch teams and [Craftsman] Truck teams. Again, I feel like she's even a role model for female drivers. She can get the job done. The best thing for us to do, personally and professionally, is to help her go with another race team."

Speculation over the nature of their relationship was difficult for both sides to avoid. "There was some negative media stuff. You try to say you can ignore that and do your thing on the racetrack, but it gets to you," Crocker said.

"We did our part to not let it affect our performance," Evernham added. "I think what happened is, a lot of stuff that was written and a lot of stuff that was said and reported probably had people forming opinions that were probably not true. I don't know how you do things differently. I thought we were very professional with everything that we did, and continue to be. But people are going to draw their opinions from what the media reports."

Compounding that was the fact that in some instances, Crocker seemed rushed up the career ladder. Her short-lived 2005 attempt to move into the Busch circuit, accompanied by a big promotional splash from Betty Crocker, was "somewhat of a disaster," she says. In 25 Craftsman Truck starts last year, she failed to crack the top 10 in what Evernham now admits wasn't the best of equipment.

It led to a long season of lost confidence and self-doubt.

"I had kind of a rough winter," Crocker said. "All my life I've excelled in things to some extent, whether it was college lacrosse or out of college racing the Outlaws or making the Knoxville Nationals, or winning a World of Outlaws race and coming up to NASCAR and running well in ARCA my first year. Last year was the first year when everything went wrong. I shouldn't say that, I had some decent races ... there were some good moments. But it was kind of like a see-how-strong-you-are winter. See if you can climb back out of it. It probably took me the longest to climb out of it than when I've ever had something knock me down before."

Now, running a limited ARCA schedule, she's trying to fill in the empty weeks -- working as a radio pit reporter, exploring the idea of doing television, trying to stay fit. And hoping that some team owner will give her a chance.

"I feel good about my driving. I just want things to be positive again. I want to earn that credibility as a driver that I had when I got here," she said. "... I still feel like I can make a difference and make my name in this sport."