New Egypt Speedway, July 30, 2005 2005 July 31
Last night Ray Evernham showed up at New Egypt Speedway and raced a DIRT big block modified. During the heats he just ran around the back, but he actually raced his way into the twin twenty features in the consi.
In the first 20 he ran good but there was very few cautions and he pulled in as soon as the leaders caught up to him. The second twenty he didn’t race as he was driving Rick Grosso’s backup car, and Grosso’s regular car broke in the first feature so he ran the backup in the second. Ray didn’t do bad for someone with very little dirt racing experience (Ray raced the asphalt tracks in NJ and the rest of the NE before becoming a crew chief). He was interviewed during intermission and his best line was about the #43 car he banged into. e said he hasn’t raced on dirt so long he thought it was Tom Hager in the car and he was afraid the Tom was going to punch him for trying to wreck him. For those who know have heard of Tom Hager, this is something that very well could have happened years ago, and Tom is by no means a small person.
The two features were won by Kyle Strickler and Keith Hoffman.
Anyway, the main reason for the information about Ray is while being interviewed by the announcer brought up Danica Patrick* and Ray was asked about Erin Crocker. Evernham said that they should be announcing a deal that will have Erin race 5 Busch races this year and they are very close to coming up with sponsorship that will allow her to run the whole season in Busch next year.
My 2005 racing stats after the July 30′th race at New Egypt Speedway:
Races: 30
Tracks: 19 (9 new)
States: 13 (3 new)
* The attractive female Indy Car driver who has been getting so much attention lately, who, by the way, has never won an automobile race at any level.