Thank you for all the email, but we are not yet aware of what role Ray Evernham will be playing for ESPN next season as an announcer. The recent news that Evernham will indeed sell his remaining interest in GEM and retire from NASCAR was expected.
As we mentioned in (click here) this column, Evernham was a surprise addition to the ESPN line-up in 2008 and the variety of roles he was assigned this season was clearly an audition for future opportunities.
Evernham has been in the broadcast booth as an analyst, worked on the Monday NASCAR Now roundtable show, provided NASCAR commentary for ESPNEWS and also most recently was a panelist in the Infield Pit Studio for the Cup Series events.
We will update his status with ESPN when news comes along. The comment section will remain open, but please post comments about Evernham's personal life elsewhere. Our interest is who he might replace on the ESPN team or if he will be added as an Infield Pit Studio panelist once again in 2009.
Click on the title to read the full story:
Evernham Leaving GEM and NASCAR (examiner.com)
East Lincoln Speedway Could Be Next For Evernham (Charlotte Observer)
Ray Evernham Leaving NASCAR (Bleacher Report)
Evernham To Retire (NASCAR.com)
20 comments:
I have always liked Ray and felt that Jeff Gordon was never the same after he left Hendrick Motorsports and always have enjoyed him in the booth and really hope that ESPN/ABC will bring him along and at least replace Rusty or Brad because of his even demeanor on the telecasts as well as his depth of technical knowledge of not only the sport of auto racing but his knowldege of the cars as well. I have enjoyed listening to him on any of the broadcasts that they have had him on and look forward to seeing him more in 2009.
Ditto! I hope Ray does stay on ESPN as I enjoy listening to him and yes please let him replace Rusty and/or Brad - wonderful idea!
Ray had/has issues off track that some fans do not like. But he knows his stuff and is good on TV.
ESPN can get rid of Brad, Rusty and Tim, Ray can replace all 3 and from a TV standpoint we would be a lot happier.
Ray can make both the hard core long term fan and the newer fan understand the whys and the hows of what is going in a race and with the cars.
While he is not folksy like Andy Petrie, I feel Ray is a better technical analyst then Andy.
No matter how he is used Ray is an asset to the broadcast. I look forward to seeing more of him next year.
Maybe in the infield booth with Dr Punch while AB, DJ and Andy do the race upstairs? We can dream right?
Something tells me however that if Ray is "retiring" from racing, he will not want to travel to the tracks every weekend. I doubt he would be a full-time fixture in the booth.
If I had to guess, I would guess Everham would stay on at ESPN.
I can fully understand why he would want out of ownership. This is one of the winningest men in our sport, and suddenely he finds himself in a losing organization that is sucking money down a black hole because they cannot win. No wonder he wants out. Ownership seems like a headache for the Gibbs, and they are successful. I can't imagine how tough it must be with GEM when it seems little goes right.
I bet for Everham, ESPN is actually a relaxing enjoyable job. I bet he wouldn't say that about being a team owner. So I expect him to stay on ESPN.
Just my prediction.
Well, think about it. If Evernham just comes on for the Cup races, that is only seventeen weekends in the summer and fall.
Not a bad deal.
JD
He's has a lousy presence. If he shows up as an ESPN commentator next year I won't watch. Nascar is doing less and less to hold my attention as time goes by, this will be the nail in the coffin.
I agree with anon 12:09pm. He could replace those three and save ESPN money. A win-win for all.
Ray has come the closest to keeping us in the strategy loop. Andy just doesn't have time. I really enjoy it when he puts his crew chief on and I hope to see a lot more of him next season.
I agree with Evernham replacing Wallace, Dougherty and Brewer. One of the problems with the ESPN coverage is too many voices during the race. Have him with Punch in the studio and during the race have him follow the different strategies of the teams. The Cup series has evolved to a point much like F1 where race strategy is often the difference in who wins.
I have really enjoyed and been fascinated by many of Ray's comments. He has made several comments I had never thought of and, in my view, his repeated references to statistics and probabilities reflects an increased sophistication in race strategy and management since Larry Mac and Andy P retired - which I don't mean in any way as a criticism of Larry Mac or Andy P. I know he has baggage and has made mistakes, but I am sure there is much that fans do not know (or have a right to know) about what went on.
I do suspect that he will be much more visible next season on ESPN, but I doubt anyone will be dropped.
Mr Daly
There is a point that appears to have been missed in all of the coverage about Ray Evernham, and it is this.
The retirement of Evernham from NASCAR is perhaps the most ominous barometer of the health of NASCAR.
Ray Evernham is the smartest, most revolutionary mechanical engineer to grace NASCAR since Gary Nelson was a crew chief. For thos who don't remember, Gary Nelson was so good at "cheating" and not getting caught, that NASCAR finally hired him to head up competition and oversee rules compliance.
I've heard that he was made the scapegoat for the disatrous COT project, but that is rumor, not fact.
Truth is that for a superstar like Evernham to leave the sport, then no one is safe inside NASCAR, unless your last name is the same as a European country.
get ready for Cup fields of les than 38 cars, stands that are 30% empty, and fewer and fewer tv hours of coverage.
Bray Kroter
I find Evernham's commentary tedious and dull. I would much rather see a more current person like Doug Richert giving the technical input.
I have made no secret that I do not enjoy Mr. Evernham. This has nothing to do with his personal life.
I do hope that he will not be placed in the booth. His monotone speech and bland personality are boring to this viewer.
My wish for him is to buy a race track and ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after (off of my TV). :)
I heard Evernham (while discussing the Baja deal last year) say he got to play with shocks and mechanical stuff that's off limits in Nascar now. He basically said Nascar wasn't fun anymore - not for him. He's an innovator, and being straightjacketed by increasingly heavy fines and suspensions doesn't allow him to play to his strengths.
He'll have a lot more fun with a dirt track. Go for it, keep your day job with ESPN, and tell everyone on NN what fun it is to interact with young drivers and no Nascar rulebook six feet deep.
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