Former 400-Winning Crew Chief Evernham Still Cultivating Deep Love for IMS
July 21, 2016 | By Phillip B. Wilson
Before Ray Evernham became known in NASCAR as a Sprint Cup Series-winning crew chief, he loved open-wheel racing.
While visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month for the SVRA Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, Evernham shared his affinity for collecting old Indy cars. And then he shared more than that -- how he would still love to race a car in the Indianapolis 500.
“We’ve had some serious conversations with people about getting more involved with the Indy circuit,” Evernham said. “To compete in the Indy 500 as a competitor is something that I’ve not crossed off my bucket list and said it’s too late for me to do that. I don’t mean as a driver, obviously.
“Everybody says, ‘Will you be a crew chief again?’ I can look you in the eye and tell you I will absolutely never sit on the box again in a NASCAR event. But that doesn’t rule out the Indy stuff.”
Now semi-retired from NASCAR except for working 14 races as a consultant for team owner Rick Hendrick, Evernham enjoys finding old Indy cars to add to his collection.
That includes the 1965 Brawner Hawk No. 12 Ford that Mario Andretti drove to a third-place Indy 500 finish to win Rookie of the Year honors. Another is the 1969 Eagle that Dan Gurney drove to a second-place finish behind Andretti in the 1969 Indy 500.
“There’s just something about the ‘60s vintage rear-engine Indy cars that I just love,” Evernham said.
He later bought a 1984 March/Cosworth No. 4 Calumet Farms car that George Snider drove to an 11th place finish in the Indy 500.
When five-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon returned to IMS to drive the Indy 500 pace car last year, he texted Evernham, with whom Gordon had celebrated three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles.
“Guess where I am?” Gordon texted.
Evernham texted, “‘Oh really? Guess where I am?’ Because I was here, too.
“I love this place. When we were here for the ‘500,’ I ran around at about 6 in the morning on the infield and you can’t help but get chills. This place has got its own spirit. I’ve always respected it and appreciated it and when you come here it’s a different feeling.”
Evernham, 58, gushed about the chance to return to IMS for the vintage racing. Retirement won’t keep him away from racing.
“I’m not the kind of guy who can just go sit on a beach,” he said.
“I love cars and I love car people. I don’t ever see myself not wanting to do it. I don’t look at this like work. What would the quiet life be for me? If I didn’t have stuff like this, I love my family, but this is me. For me, this is the quiet life. I’m not under pressure building a NASCAR team, worrying about points and sponsors and doing all of that. I’m here having a lot of fun with people that I like driving a race car without expectations. The day that I stop doing this is the day that I think you’re all going to be saying your final goodbye to me. I can’t picture a life without some sort of motorsports in it.”
In his younger days, he drove and eventually landed a job testing IROC cars for legendary Indy car owner Roger Penske.
“I went to Roger Penske’s because I wanted to work on it and ultimately drive Indy cars,” Evernham said. “I ran modifieds and sprints and midgets and things like that, trying to get my way there.
“I just went there and asked for a job. I just begged them and begged them and begged them to let me drive the car. I used to shake the IROC cars down for George Follmer and Dave Marcis. I learned a lot from those guys. That’s where Bill (Elliott) and I first met. They used to let me do a lot of testing there, but unfortunately Roger never let me drive his Indy car. Maybe he was doing me a favor. But I always loved the Indy cars.”
He eventually moved down South to get involved in stock car racing, but his passion for Indy cars has never died.
“Just to come to Indy, I’m always here,” he said. “Any excuse to come here is something that’s no problem to get me to come back.
“I’m having fun doing the vintage stuff. I’m tracking down some old Indy cars. I’m trying to do one or two of those (vintage races) a year. I’ve gotten into the vintage California hot rods lately and the Bonneville cars. I’m really interested in the history of post-war cars.”
Evernham recalled his previous visit to the IMS Media Center press conference room, since renamed after the late Chris Economaki. The visit was in 2002, after his driver Bill Elliott won the Brickyard 400.
“The last time we sat together in this room was a pretty special day,” he said. “We won it twice with Jeff as a crew chief, and as owner it’s a much different deal. We built that team from the ground up and Bill and I were partners on that from the get-go.
“I’ve got some (highlights) that are hard to pick from, the first win here with Jeff, the first championship, but that 2002 Brickyard win is right there for a lot of reasons. Bill and I are good friends and we’ve stayed good friends. That was a tough deal that we put together in a hurry and he helped build a lot of it.”
Evernham admits he misses the intensity of NASCAR on Race Day.
“I do. I miss Sunday,” he said. “I miss being at the track, working on the car and getting it going and then I miss Sunday calling the race. That was before all the tech and 52 different engineers, that was driver, crew chief and some communication with your tire guy and pit crew.
“That competition, trying to keep track of what are you going to do if the caution comes out, what adjustments to make, trying to read the race track and outguess the other 42 crew chiefs on pit road, that’s the part of it I miss the most, on that Sunday, that adrenaline of being in the middle of the game.”
So maybe, just maybe, he’ll one day fulfill that bucket-list dream to be involved with an Indy 500 entry.
“This has been a special place,” Evernham said. “I never got to race an Indy car here, but I did get to come here and win. Some of the most incredible moments in my career, winning that first Brickyard (with Gordon) or winning with Bill, you go back to those Victory Lane shots. Rarely am I without words or expression. I’m just blank there because you can’t believe when it happens.
“You go to Victory Lane here and it’s a different feeling because you really can’t believe it. It takes a little while to soak it in and understand you just won at Indy.”