Evernham announces partnership

After nearly six months of negotiations, Evernham and Gillett confirmed the deal which is set to open new opportunities for both, as Evernham will be able to focus more on the competition side of the company, while counting on the expertise of Gillett and his companies on the business side.

Gillett owns the Montreal Canadiens National Hockey League (NHL) team and co-owns the Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League.

Gillett's other business interests include the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, and Gillett Entertainment Group (GEG), producers of sporting and entertainment events in numerous venues throughout Canada and the United States.

"It's very exciting for me to deliver to sponsors and fans the opportunity to align with a worldwide sports leader," said Evernham, CEO of the new partnership. "With the business acumen of the Gillett family and its sports brands, we've greatly expanded our reach.

"This will allow me to focus on our racing operations and team performance, while the Gillett family will focus on our business operations. It certainly allows us to capitalize on our strengths and position GEM for long-term success both on and off the track."

Evernham currently operates three teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler and Scott Riggs, plus one Busch Series team and another in the ARCA RE/MAX Series for female driver Erin Crocker.

"Racing is in my blood," said Gillett, chairman of Booth Creek Management Corporation (BCMC). "It's not often you get to partner with a leader with Ray's reputation, talent and championship legacy."

Evernham follows in the footsteps of Jack Roush, who entered into a partnership earlier this year with Boston Red Sox owners to form Roush Fenway Racing. Also a few weeks ago, Dale Earnhardt Inc announced they were merging with Ginn Racing, a NASCAR team owned by land developer Bobby Ginn.

Ray Evernham, who still owns a stake of his team, started Evernham Motorsports in 2000 after winning three Nextel Cup titles and several races serving as crew chief for Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports.