2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

2006 

SPECIAL 

RACING 

ISSUE 

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

www.uawdcx.com 

MAYFIELD 

MEANS BUSINESS 

UP CLOSE WITH 

KASEY KAHNE 

PLUS: NASCAR’S 

FAMILY VALUES 

PETTY 

TALKS 

CHARGER 

PAGE 12 

FULL 

CHARGE 

AHEAD

Winning Together 

TOP TO BOTTOM: GETTY IMAGES (2); BILL SCHWAB 

YOUNG GUNS AND NASCAR LEGENDS 

Kasey Kahne (top), 

Richard Petty (center), 

Ralph Gilles (bottom) 

WELCOME TO THE PROUD PAST AND PROMISING FUTURE of the 

UAW and DaimlerChrysler on the racetracks and Main Streets 

of America. 

We are showcasing our union-management partnership’s 

commitment to NASCAR competition in 2006 by publishing 

this sixth annual Special Racing Issue of Tomorrow. Both the 

company and UAW members benefit from our association with 

Nextel Cup, Evernham Motorsports and the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler 400, which has become one of the 

premier events on the Cup circuit (see page 6). 

This is an opportunity for us to thank NASCAR 

fans for their support of Dodge as the current generation 

of Chargers builds on the legacy of a previous 

era of Dodge racing muscle. For revealing insights 

into NASCAR’s elite series then and now, see the 

comments on page 12 by Richard Petty and Buddy 

Baker, who led the pack in the Charger’s glory days of the 1970s. 

We also thank motorsports fans for their loyalty to our products of 

today. The success of the Charger’s bold street version and other pacesetting 

Dodge models bodes well for the future of the Chrysler Group 

and our employees in today’s fiercely competitive automotive market. 

On the track, the 2006 season holds great promise for our partnership 

with Ray Evernham (see page 18). Jeremy Mayfield, who pilots 

the No. 19 Charger co-sponsored by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

National Training Center, has matured into one of the Nextel Cup 

Series’ most consistent top performers. Kasey Kahne, in the No. 9 

Charger co-sponsored by the NTC, has demonstrated the God-given talent most NASCAR 

pundits predict will make him a frequent visitor to Victory Lane. As much as any of the 

young guns, Kasey represents the promising future of NASCAR. 

Speaking of young guns, we have some of our own in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

family, including Ralph Gilles. His meteoric rise has elevated this 35-year-old 

automotive stylist to celebrity status inside and outside the industry (see page 15). 

As lead designer on the Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger, co-sponsored by the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center, Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300, 

Gilles has earned widespread acclaim and respect. Black Enterprise magazine recently 

named him to its “Hot List: America’s Most Powerful Players Under 40.” 

With the NTC’s NASCAR Exhibit (see page 27) on display at selected Nextel Cup 

races, we’re pleased to share our pride in all Chrysler Group products and the workers 

who build them. We invite you to explore the exhibit or a dealer showroom in your 

hometown and see for yourself why we’re charged up about our future. 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

Joint Activities Board 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313.567.3300 

Fax: 313.567.4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 


THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

operates under the auspices of the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

Joint Activities Board. 

RON RUSSELL 

Communications Administrator 

BOB ERICKSON 

Communications Specialist 

TANISHA PEREZ 

Senior Staff Writer 

MICHAEL BULLER 

Editor 

KAREN ENGLISH 

Executive Editor 

MEGHAN LITTLE 

Senior Managing Editor 

DAVID PLUNKETT 

Copy Editor 

JAMEE FARINELLA 

Art Director 

JAIME JANKOWSKI 

Production Manager 

MARK EGAN 

Account Supervisor 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uawdcx.com

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

Volume 10 • Number 1 


Special Issue: Racing 2006 

Features 

12 

Chargers, Then & Now 

COVER 

STORY 

The Dodge Charger’s inspiring legacy, combined with 

the talent of the Charger’s modern driving team, 

is powering a comeback for this racing legend. 

By Dennis McCafferty 

8 

18 

24 

Racing to Win 

For the Evernham Motorsports team, perseverance 

and determination — and an appetite for speed — are the 

name of the game. 

By Jim Morrison 

All in the Family 

Behind every great driver is a closely knit community 

of his nearest and dearest boosters. 

By Bob Woods 

10 

Departments 

2 Winning Together 

Sizing up the future 

of Dodge racing 

4 Start Your Engines 

Two from the road; changing 

NASCAR rules; the Viper’s new 

venom; feeling “head strong” 

6 UAW-DC 400 

Growing bigger and better 

8 Our Fans 

A fan goes to the races; one 

truck driver’s dream job; 

making winners at the Junior 

Achievement Grand Prix; 

Wild Wheels on parade 

27 Pride on Display 

NTC exhibit showcases 

Chrysler Group excellence — 

and Dodge racing power. 

18 

The legend: Richard Petty’s 

No. 43 Dodge Charger 

COVER: GETTY IMAGES 

24 

Tomorrow is produced five times a year by The Pohly Company, 99 Bedford Street, Floor 5, Boston, MA 02111, 800.383.0888, www.pohlyco.com, on behalf of the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. Copyright 2006 by UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in 

part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Engines 

YOUR 

www.uawdcx.comStart 

4 

THE DAY BEFORE TOMORROW: 

2006 NEXTEL CUP 

RULES CHANGES 

Don’t look for too many new Nextel Cup 

rules this season. Why? Because in 2007 

NASCAR will debut its Car of 

Tomorrow, replacing current Nextel 

Cup designs with a single “uni-template.” 

The move will make Nextel 

Cup a true “spec” series in which all 

bodies, regardless of make and 

model, will have a common shape. 

At the outset of last season, talk 

centered on how NASCAR’s new 

gear rule, spoiler changes and 

impound procedure would affect competition. 

There’s less to discuss in 2006, but 

the few changes will be precedent setting. 

The most important new directive limits 

teams to a maximum of four cars, effective this 

season. That means multi-car “power teams” 

will have to jettison one or more drivers. And 

NASCAR has decreed that teams can test at 

only six specified tracks. New shock gas– 

pressure restrictions have also been imposed, 

along with a new rear shock absorber rule. 

— Eric Tegler 

WHERE THE ACTION IS 

TRACKS THAT HOST NASCAR’S 36 ANNUAL NEXTEL CUP RACES 

Track Length/miles Shape Track Length/miles Shape 

Atlanta Motor Speedway 1.54 Oval 

Bristol Motor Speedway .53 Oval 

California Speedway 2 D-Shaped 

Oval 

Chicagoland Speedway 1 Oval 

Daytona International 2.5 Tri-Oval 

Speedway 

Dover International Speedway 1 Oval 

Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5 Oval 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5 Quad-Oval 

Infineon Raceway 

1.95 Road Course 

Kansas Speedway 1.5 Tri-Oval 

Las Vegas Motor Speedway 1.5 Oval 

HEAD FIRST 

NASCAR requires each driver to wear a helmet, 

and most wear one of two types: a full-face helmet, 

which covers down to the chin, or an 

open-face helmet, which covers only 

the head. Each is designed to 

ward off debris and to minimize 

impact by displacing 

energy over the entire surface. 

To do that, helmets 

have layers that function 

in distinct ways. 

The outer shell is 

formed on a nickel base 

covered in a layer of gelcoat. 

Next comes a layer 

of resin — a special mixture 

of glass, carbon and other materials — 

that hardens to form the shiny outer surface. 

Then there’s a layer of energy-absorbing foam 

that lines the top of the helmet. The fitted layer 

closest to the driver is usually made of a flameretardant 

material that will not melt. Finally, 

before it gets the glamorous paint job you see 

on the track, each helmet is tested to make 

sure that it can withstand 300 times the force 

of gravity. 

— Carrie Frederick 

Lowe’s Motor Speedway 1.5 Quad-Oval 

Martinsville Speedway .53 Oval 

Michigan International 2 D-Shaped 

Speedway 

Oval 

New Hampshire 1.06 Oval 

International Speedway 

Phoenix International 1 Oval 

Raceway 

Pocono Raceway 2.5 Tri-Oval 

Richmond International .75 D-Shaped 

Raceway 

Oval 

Talladega Superspeedway 2.66 Tri-Oval 

Texas Motor Speedway 1.5 Quad-Oval 

Watkins Glen International 2.45 Road Course 

GETTY IMAGES

DODGE 

TAKES TWO 

Dodge roared into the motorsports spotlight 

in 2005 by capturing two major championships. 

Ted Musgrave took home his first NASCAR 

Craftsman Truck Series title in the No. 1 Ultra 

Motorsports Mopar Dodge Ram. The win was 

also the first for team owner Jim Smith, one of 

the series founders. 

Also setting the pace last year was 

Gary Scelzi, who piloted the Mopar/Oakley 

Dodge Stratus R/T to the National Hot Rod 

Association’s Powerade Funny Car crown. 

The victory drove Dodge into the funny car 

record books for the first time since 1983. 

Test Your 

NASCAR Knowledge 

1. What color strip across the rear of a racecar 

signifies a rookie driver? 

2. The Charger was the first NASCAR racer to 

use what aerodynamic feature? 

3. What full-time farmer won the first modern-era 

Winston Cup Series with a Dodge Charger? 

4. The No. 88 Charger, which Buddy Baker drove 

at a record 200 mph in a closed-lap course, 

was often taken on what other kind of drive? 

5. What is the official pace car of the 

2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series? 

6. What state has earned the nickname “NASCAR Valley”? 

— Saunders Robinson 

ANSWERS: 1. YELLOW; 2. A SPOILER; 3. RAY ELDER; 4. TEST-DRIVES FOR 

JOURNALISTS; 5. DODGE CHARGER; 6. NORTH CAROLINA (75 PERCENT OF ALL 

AMERICAN MOTORSPORTS EMPLOYEES WORK IN THE STATE) 

LIFE WITH A SNAKE 

Behind the wheel of the 

2006 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe 

“Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should 

pretend to be venomous.” Those words, from 

an ancient Indian philosopher, referred to politicians. 

But they remind me of Dodge’s Viper 

SRT10 Coupe. On the racetrack it is definitely 

potent, but I wondered what it would be like on the 

street. Would it be poisonous or merely pretend? 

The Viper Coupe builds on the solid foundation of 

the SRT10 Roadster. The fixed roof adds 15–20 

pounds but increases chassis stiffness. Combine that 

with a taut suspension, and you might expect the Viper 

to ride poorly on the street. It doesn’t. Yes, you notice 

subtle road surface variations, but the ride is never 

harsh. The steering is quick and nicely weighted, the 

six-speed Tremec gearbox and clutch work better than 

I expected in traffic, and visibility is good for such a 

low-slung beast. Nothing too poisonous there. 

And yet, there is venom. With 510 horsepower and 

535 pounds per foot of torque on tap (90 percent 

available above 1,500 rpm), how could it be otherwise? 

The power tempts you every time you push the 

starter button. Curves beckon. The Viper’s sheer 

muscularity intimidates many fellow drivers. Still, 

challengers give you the nod at every stoplight. 

This is one car that demands respect. Aside from 

antilock brakes, it offers no other electronic nannying. 

It takes discipline to drive this snake on the 

street. That’s a big part of the satisfaction it provides. 

The V10 engine roars, and crowds gather when you 

park. There’s simply no need to pretend. 

— Eric Tegler 

TOMORROW SPECIAL RACING 2006 5

UAW-DC 400 

ON THE MOVE 

The UAW-DC 400 and LVMS just keep getting better 

Las Vegas has always been 

known for doing things 

big, and the Las Vegas Motor 

Speedway (LVMS) 

takes that heritage to heart as host of 

the annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

400, the third stop on the NASCAR 

Nextel Cup tour. 

In fact, NASCAR Weekend at LVMS 

is the racing venue’s most popular annual 

attraction, and the UAW-DC 400 is 

the weekend’s main event. The race 

takes place the weekend of March 10– 

12 this year, kicking off the speedway’s 

10th-anniversary season and marking 

the ninth consecutive year that the NAS- 

CAR event has ranked as Nevada’s bestattended 

annual sports weekend. 

Spectating in Style 

One look at the tremendous crowds 

that turn out all three days will tell you 

that NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas 

has become one of the most significant 

events on the motorsports calendar. 

“With the construction of the Richard 

Petty Terrace, we expect to see this 

event continue to grow for years to 

come,” says Chris Powell, general 

manager of LVMS. 

The new Richard Petty Terrace 

adds 17,000 seats for spectators 

above Grandstand Section 1, adjacent 

to Turn 1 of the 1.5-mile track. 

Seats in the new section, named in 

honor of seven-time NASCAR champion 

Richard Petty, provide fans with 

a clear view of the pit road and the 

cars leaving the pits. The terrace also 

features its own restrooms and concession 

stands. 

Adding the Richard Petty Terrace 

was a logical next step for the speedway, 

Powell notes. “Las Vegas is the fastestgrowing 

community in the country,” he 

says. “The growth of Las Vegas and the 

demand for tickets at Las Vegas Motor 

Speedway are remarkably similar. The 

decision to build the new spectator section 

reflects both that growth and the 

tremendous energy around motorsports 

here in southern Nevada.” 

NASCAR Weekend at LVMS 

Commemorating Champions 

Naming the new structure for the 

racing legend who is widely acknowledged 

as NASCAR’s king was not a 

difficult task, according to Powell. 

He talked it over with O. Bruton 

Smith, chair of Speedway Motorsports 

Inc., the parent company of 

LVMS, and the two agreed there was 

only one choice. 

“There are only two seven-time 

NASCAR champions, and our existing 

Dale Earnhardt Terrace is already 

named for one of them,” Powell explains. 

“With the addition of the Richard 

Petty Terrace, our speedway will 

now have grandstands named in 

honor of both champions.” 

NASCAR Weekend at 

Las Vegas Motor Speedway 

is the racing venue’s most 

popular attraction, and the 

UAW-DC 400 is its main event. 


Fans attending the UAW-DC 400 at 

LVMS can also experience another 

tribute paid to Dale Earnhardt if they 

stop by Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. 

Last August, the museum unveiled a 

first-of-its-kind, $200,000 life-size 

wax figure of the legendary driver. 

Earnhardt is the first auto racing legend 

to have a wax figure in the museum’s 

“Speed” attraction. Decked out 

in an official driving uniform with his 

trademark cap, jacket and sunglasses, 

he’s depicted with his arms raised in 

triumph, standing in a setting that was 

very familiar to him: Victory Lane. 

Earnhardt visited that spot 76 times in 

his NASCAR career. 

While the debut of the Richard 

Petty Terrace completes the Las Vegas 

Motor Speedway’s biggest recent 

construction project, Powell notes 

that the speedway is constantly 

making improvements. ■ 

— Michael J. McDermott 

LVMS LANDS ROLE 

IN WILL FERRELL 

RACING MOVIE 

In High, Wide and Handsome, a Will Ferrell comedy scheduled for 

release this summer, Ferrell’s character, Ricky Bobby, races for the 

checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In reality, the racing 

scenes were filmed at tracks in Charlotte, N.C.; Rockingham, N.C.; 

and Talladega, Ala., but that doesn’t make the movie any less 

appealing for NASCAR fans. Ricky is a go-for-broke stock car driver 

who finishes first or not at all. The fireworks start when the team 

owner brings in a French Formula One driver who quickly becomes 

Ricky’s biggest rival. 

GETTY IMAGES 

SPECIAL PAINT SCHEMES 

A HIT WITH FANS 

Fans of Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Dodge Charger, 

co-sponsored by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center, had something extra to look forward to 

when they went to the track during the 2005 NASCAR 

Nextel Cup season. Like other cars on the Evernham 

Motorsports team, No. 9 showed up decked out in a variety 

of different paint schemes at different races. A hit with 

fans, the practice continues during the 2006 season. 

One of the most popular paint schemes for Kahne’s ride 

last year made its debut in August at Indianapolis Motor 

Speedway 

for the 

Allstate 400. 

Predominantly 

white, with two red racing 

stripes running the length of the car, it 

was a “reverse” color design based on Kahne’s 

trademark red hat. At the Dickies 500 in November, the 

car’s paint scheme featured the new Dodge Mega Cab — the 

“World’s Biggest Cab” — in a black and red design. 


Our Fans 

ONE RACE AND 

SHE WAS HOOKED 

For Marsha Stephenson, there’s everything to love about NASCAR 

Marsha Stephenson 

has a case of true 

NASCAR love, and 

she thinks it was 

meant to be. “I worked at the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center’s exhibit at Talladega (see 

page 27) one year, and that’s when it 

happened,” she says. “I was hooked 

— and I’ve been going to the races 

ever since.” 

For about eight years now, Stephenson 

and NASCAR have been a steady 

There’s nothing better than 

NASCAR for Marsha Stephenson. 

thing. “It feels like a vacation, going to 

the track,” explains the UAW Local 110 

member and 22-year DaimlerChrysler 

veteran. “I love all of it — the cars, the 

drivers, the sound of the motors. I used 

to watch it on TV, but being there in 

person is the best.” 

Her favorite part of a NASCAR race 

is the anticipation. “I really like the prerace 

introduction, when they take the 

drivers around the track in a truck, 

waving at the crowd,” says Stephenson, 

who rides a Harley-Davidson 

I love all of it — the cars, 

the drivers, the sound 

of the motors. I used 

to watch it on TV, but 

being there in 

“person is the best. 

“ 

when she feels like taking a spin herself. 

Stephenson likes to spot her favorite 

driver on the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

NTC co-sponsored Evernham team, 

Kasey Kahne, but she makes no apologies 

for having a second hands-down 

pick in the non-Evernham category: 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Thanks to her NAS- 

CAR memorabilia collection, which 

includes two life-size, standup posters 

of Dale Jr., she can have him by her side 

any time she wants. 

Her enthusiasm for NASCAR may 

be recent, but Stephenson’s interest in 

motorsports is nothing new. “I grew up 

near Decatur, Ala., and my father used to 

race dirt track there,” recalls the St. Louis 

South Assembly Plant worker. “So I 

would go watch him drive in the mud, 

and I guess it stayed with me.” 

Indeed it did. Stephenson’s fondness 

for racing takes her to the track 

in Talladega, Ala., twice a year. That 

became a long-distance commitment 

when she moved to St. Louis last year 

from Huntsville, Ala. She’s also been 

in the bleachers at Bristol Motor 

Speedway in Tennessee and Gateway 

International Raceway in St. Louis. 

In fact, Stephenson says the best 

thing about living in St. Louis is that 

she’s closer to more racetracks, including 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 

Chicagoland Speedway, Texas Motor 

Speedway and Kansas Speedway. 

“There’s less distance now between me 

and all those tracks,” she says, ticking 

off the locations. “And that’s very good 

news for me, because there’s nothing 

like going to the races.” ■ 

— S.C. Biemesderfer 

MARK KATZMAN 


WHAT CAN 

YOU HEMI? 

At the Chrysler Group, car shows put passion on parade 

Our Fans 

Older workers built the 

past, but new workers 

build the future.” That’s 

how one retired Chrysler 

Group employee responded when 

asked about the Wild Wheels@Work 

car show. Across the country, companyor 

UAW-sponsored events like Wild 

Wheels@Work bring the connection 

between the vintage vehicles of the past 

and the innovations of the future to life. 

Now in its eighth year, the show 

attracts thousands to DaimlerChrysler 

headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. At 

the show last July, visitors were impressed 

by six creations inspired by a companysponsored 

competition — What Can 

You Hemi? — that asked enthusiasts to 

submit plans for imaginative contraptions 

powered by the Hemi V-8. Marcus 

Braun of Vancouver, B.C., won with his 

Hemi-powered tricycle, which was displayed 

along with a Hemi Zamboni, 

Hemi paper shredder, Hemi snowblower, 

“Hemi-go-round” and the Daimler- 

Chrysler Hemi “Grille” that handled 

240 hot dogs at a time. 

Show participation is open to Chrysler 

Group workers and retirees, and the 

2005 gathering drew more than 350 

vehicles — the most ever. An area was 

dedicated to the Charger, including vintage 

Chargers, the current Daytona R/T, 

the Charger SRT8, police-package Chargers 

and a brace of Nextel Cup Chargers. 

“Because the show is employee 

driven, it’s huge,” says Kathy Giles, 

Wild Wheels @ Work coordinator. Andy 

Slifco, an electrician and UAW 412 

member, showed off his 1970 Dodge 

Challenger RTSE. “It’s obvious there’s 

a lot of emotion at the show,” he says. 

“A lot of people come to work and 

work on cars, then go home and work 

on them. It’s in their blood.” 

The 20,000 attendees of the 16th 

annual Kokomo Cruz-In in Kokomo, 

Ind., showed their love of vehicles too. 

Hosted by the Kokomo Transmission 

Plant, with support from UAW Locals 

685, 1166 and 1302, the 2005 Cruz-In 

was open to company and noncompany 

viewers. Some 700 vehicles were 

on display, showcasing American automakers 

from 1916 to the present. Proceeds 

benefited needy children. 

Vintage horsepower was the draw at 

last year’s Chrysler Employee Motorsport 

Association (CEMA) Charity Car 

Top: Vintage beauties at 

the 2005 CEMA show; 

Bottom: Hemi trike at the 

2005 Wild Wheels@Work. 

Show, which benefited the Children’s 

Leukemia Foundation and took place 

on the grounds of the Walter P. Chrysler 

Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. (see 

story on page 17). Car buffs watched 

Hemi engine father Tom Hoover fire up 

the vintage Hemi 392 V-8 in the High & 

Mighty II, a re-creation of the legendary 

1949 Plymouth Business Coupe dragster 

that won the 1959 National Hot 

Rod Association championship. The 

2006 event, on June 10, celebrates the 

40th anniversary of the Charger. CEMA 

gatherings are another chance for workers 

to share both their passion for cars 

and their pride in Chrysler’s legacy of 

engineering innovation. ■ — Eric Tegler 


Our Fans 

DREAM JOB FOR 

A NASCAR FAN 

UAW member Gary Alred loves going to work 

Gary Alred is living his dream. 

We go wherever 

there’s a race — 

Dover, Talladega, 

Daytona and, 

“of course, Vegas. 

“ 

If you’re a lifetime NASCAR fan 

— and a UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

truck driver — what would 

you say is your dream job? Gary 

Alred has the answer: his job. 

Since August 2005, the UAW member 

has been assigned to the UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center’s NASCAR Exhibit (see page 27). 

That means if it’s NASCAR season, his 

job changes from hauling auto parts for 

DaimlerChrysler Transport in Detroit to 

hauling the NTC’s racing exhibit. “We 

go wherever there’s a race — Dover, Talladega, 

Daytona and, of course, Vegas,” 

explains Alred, who put in for the special 

NASCAR duty last year. 

His NASCAR assignment is more 

than the perfect job for Alred. It’s also 

making him very popular at home, 

where his wife, Jill, is a loyal race 

watcher as well. “Every Sunday, my 

wife has to watch NASCAR or record 

it,” Alred says. “That’s just how it is. I 

know better than to make any plans 

on a Sunday.” 

In fact, following NASCAR has officially 

become a tradition in the Alred 

clan. “My dad was a racecar 

fan — any kind of racing,” 

Alred recalls. “He 

used to take me to the track 

at Waterford Hills [Mich.], 

and I’ve been watching the 

races ever since. And now 

my son is a big fan too.” 

Talking racing comes 

naturally to Alred, so it’s 

no surprise that meeting the 

fans is one of his favorite 

things about working at the 

races. “The fans really enjoy 

the exhibit,” says Alred, a 

UAW Local 212 member and 

DaimlerChrysler Transport 

driver since 1977. “They pose 

next to the cars and we take 

their picture, then give them a 

free snapshot. It’s fun.” 

In fact, the only time 

you’ll ever see Alred leave 

his post is during his favorite 

part of the NASCAR ritual: 

the flyover. “When we 

hear the national anthem, 

we stop for a minute and watch the 

flyover,” explains Alred. “Then we 

close the exhibit down and go watch 

the race.” 

And what does Alred say is the best 

perk of his job, aside from going to the 

races? The NASCAR hats, T-shirts and 

jackets? The travel? “It’s the truck,” he 

says, referring to his top-of-the-line 

Freightliner Coronado. “It’s red to 

match the NASCAR displays we haul, 

and a really nice ride. I suppose I’m just 

a driver at heart.” ■ — S.C. Biemesderfer 

DWIGHT CENDROWSKI 


RACING FOR 

THE FUTURE 

Toledo’s Junior Achievement Grand Prix makes winners 

Our Fans 

The crowd roars as squealing 

tires and burning 

rubber signal the first 

turn of the Grand Prix. 

Driver John Zimmerman’s concentration 

is complete as he jockeys for a winning 

position. He’s got only 5.5 horsepower 

under the hood, his top speed is 

about 33 mph and he’s prohibited from 

changing the gear ratio or otherwise 

tweaking his machine. But everyone 

else is driving under the same rules, and 

Zimmerman knows that regardless of 

who wins the race, he and his team have 

already helped make winners of a generation 

of future business leaders. 

Zimmerman, a UAW Local 12 member 

and repairman and team leader at 

Chrysler Group’s Toledo Jeep Assembly 

Complex, is participating in the Junior 

Achievement Grand Prix, the 

go-kart race now in its seventh season. 

The fund-raising event is staged by Junior 

Achievement of Northwestern 

Ohio and has been supported by the 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center as title sponsor. 

Junior Achievement uses proceeds 

from the race to provide hands-on experiences, 

both in and out of the classroom, 

that help young people understand and 

value free enterprise. This year alone, the 

Grand Prix will enable Junior Achievement 

to reach 22,000 northwestern 

Ohio students in all grades. 

Chrysler Group’s Toledo Machining 

Plant and Toledo Jeep Assembly 

each enter two karts in the championship, 

which includes two practice 

races in June and July and culminates 

in a Saturday Race Day in August at 

Owens Corning World Headquarters 

in downtown Toledo. 

“It takes more time than most people 

realize, but it’s for a good cause, 

and it’s meant to be a fun activity that 

keeps everybody competitive,” says 

Mike Robinson, a UAW Local 1435 

member and quality engineer who is 

crew chief for one of the Toledo Machining 

karts and a member of the 

Grand Prix race committee. “The first 

The Junior Achievement Grand Prix 

offers cause for celebration. 

time I drove one,” he adds, “I was 

amazed at the workout these little 

karts can give a person.” 

“They don’t look like they’ll go that 

fast,” agrees Zimmerman, who drives 

for one of the Jeep Assembly teams. 

“But when you’re three inches off the 

ground, it feels like 70 or 80 miles an 

hour, and when you’re out there with 

the rest of the teams, believe me, it’s 

fast.” ■ — Molly Rose Teuke 


THEN 

A RACING 

LEGEND 

ROARS BACK 

By Dennis McCafferty 

Flashback to 40 years ago: The glory era of the Dodge Charger 

officially begins, as Earl Balmer drives the No. 3 car to the Charger’s 

first-ever NASCAR win in Daytona on Feb. 25, 1966. Just four years 

later, racing great Buddy Baker becomes the first driver to crack 200 

mph in his No. 88 Charger. Then on Nov. 20, 1977, Neil Bonnett passes 

fellow Charger driver and racing legend Richard Petty — the King — 

with five laps to go, at Ontario, driving his No. 5 Dodge to victory. It’s 

the last win for the Dodge Charger in its first racing era. 

GETTY IMAGES 


&NOW 

Past and present: Richard Petty 

(left), and his legendary Charger 

helped pave the track for today’s 

Charger and Jeremy Mayfield. 


Richard Petty raced to victory in 1974 and 1975 in the 

No. 43 (top); Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge Charger (bottom). 

NASCAR CHARGERS HEAD TO HEAD 

1970s Chargers 

Current Charger 

Engine 7-L Hemi V-8, cast iron 5.9-L Magnum V-8, 

block and cylinder heads Mopar cast iron block 

and aluminum heads 

Horsepower 550 horsepower 800+horsepower 

Top Speed 200 mph at Talladega 200 mph at Las Vegas 

Superspeedway 

Motor Speedway 

Weight 3,660 pounds (approx.) 3,400 pounds 

Length 206 inches 203 inches 

Wheelbase 115 inches 110 inches 

Flash forward to 2005: The Dodge 

Charger is back, and gearing up to build 

on the legacy. Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey 

Kahne lead the team, rounded out by the 

Dodge Charger stable of drivers Ryan 

Newman, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Petty, 

Sterling Marlin, Casey Mears, Jamie 

McMurray, Jeff Green and Travis Kvapil. 

Kahne shows flashes of stardom as he 

pilots his No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW 

Dodge Charger to two consecutive poles 

and a win at Richmond in May. Jeremy 

Mayfield, Kahne’s hard-charging teammate 

in the No. 19 Dodge, co-sponsored 

by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center, claims victory at 

Michigan International Speedway in 

August, his fifth career NASCAR Cup 

Series win. Mayfield takes ninth place in 

the Chase, his second consecutive Top- 

10 finish. Capping his storied NASCAR 

career, Rusty Wallace drives his No. 2 

Miller Lite Dodge Charger to the eighth 

spot in the Chase. 

DEEP RACING ROOTS 

Much of the commitment to pushing 

the limits in today’s Chargers stems 

from the car’s history. “When I hear 

the word ‘Charger,’ I think of Richard 

Petty and all those races he won,” 

Mayfield says. “If I can do half of what 

he did in the Charger, I’ll be all right.” 

Note to Jeremy: You’re doing better 

than “all right.” Mayfield and the other 

Dodge drivers and teams are ushering in 

a new era of Charger greatness. Since 

DaimlerChrysler announced that it was 

bringing the Dodge Charger back to 

NASCAR for the 2005 season, the 

excitement has been building. Want a 

little “something old, something new”? 

The Dodge Charger remains all that and 

more. The new car shows off the details 

that make it a Dodge: bold styling, signature 

grille and powerful performance. 

But it took its design cues from the new 

Charger production vehicle with its 

crosshair front grille, bold rear fascia 

and signature rear-side windows. 

The look retains the original design of 

Petty’s No. 43 STP Charger that dominated 

racing in the 1970s. And, of course, 

the name remains the same. “We never 

called it a Dodge,” says Petty. “We called 

it a Charger. The Charger sounds like 

racing to me.” 

The Dodge Charger’s racing history 

is storied. It was the first NASCAR 

racecar with a spoiler. It won a championship 

with David Pearson in 1966, 

then in 1970 with Bobby Isaac. Then 

Petty came along and won in 1974 and 

1975. “When I came to Dodge in the 

late 1960s, it was all about the muscle 

cars,” recalls John Fernandez, director 

of Dodge Motorsports Operations. 

FACING PAGE: BILL SCHWAB 


“Now, the muscle Charger is coming 

back. It just makes sense to get back to 

our heritage and bring the Charger 

back to NASCAR.” 

A HERITAGE 

OF EXCELLENCE 

In the showroom, Dodge fans can get 

an SRT8 version of the Charger that 

takes the optional 5.7-liter Hemi and 

upgrades it to a 6.1. Then there are 

great wheels, tires, wings and other 

options Dodge owners love. “They get 

a car that reflects the muscle that’s on 

the track,” says Fernandez. “It’s a real 

performance machine.” 

On the track, Chargers remain true 

to their racing roots — but with a whole 

new world of technological precision. 

“Racing engineering has come a long 

way, and the Chargers reflect that,” 

Fernandez says. “They pack more pure 

speed, with incredible aerodynamics 

and the development of chassis and tire 

sophistication.” 

Of course, Buddy Baker knows all 

about the fast part. His speed record of 

200.447 mph at Talladega on March 24, 

1970, ignited unprecedented buzz about 

the Dodge Charger. It remains a milestone 

in NASCAR history. “One of the 

first laps was 199.8 mph,” says Baker. 

“And that was just warming up.” 

The record-breaking No. 88 had 

modest beginnings. It began as a loaner 

vehicle, available to journalists looking 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 

Ralph Gilles, lead designer 

for the 2006 Charger. 

Ralph Gilles is a lot like the cars he 

creates — confident, daring and a bit 

risqué. As lead designer for the 2006 

Dodge Charger, he dusted off a racing 

gem with a legendary NASCAR past 

that has everybody talking — on and off 

the racetrack. 

“Design has to be polarizing,” says 

Gilles. “To come up with vanilla is 

generic. But controversy, well executed, 

can work in your favor.” 

The 35-year-old Canadian-born 

designer has been polishing the 

Chrysler Group’s power image since 

his arrival in 1992. Credited with 

also leading the design on the Dodge 

Magnum and the Chrysler 300 

sedan, the wunderkind of Studio 3 at 

the DaimlerChrysler Technology 

Center is fearless in making creative 

statements. 

Gilles boasts that the design of the 

Charger is full of character and flavor — 

with an in-your-face attitude that only 

an American car can get away with. 

He’s referring to the distinguishing 

features like the “fender kick-up” at 

the side windows, the bold rear-fender 

detail and the furrow-browed front 

nose that accents the Charger’s 

aggressive posture. 

“We asked ourselves, ‘Are the lights 

too angry’? If we get uncomfortable 

during design, that’s a good thing,” he 

says. “But that’s why I love 

this job, because we don’t 

shy away from risk-taking.” 

Sketching over old cars 

as a kid, Gilles had visions 

of future greatness. His 

parents were concerned 

that he spent too much time 

drawing and not enough 

thinking about a “real” 

career. But even while living 

in his parent’s basement 

with no job, Gilles was 

DESIGNER SETS 

FAST PACE 

set on designing Chrysler cars. 

“I fell in love with the Viper,” he says. 

“I saw this company committing a lot of 

capital to a new building and a new 

image, and I knew that design was still 

a very powerful tool for this company.” 

After graduating from Detroit’s 

College for Creative Studies, Gilles 

landed his dream job at Chrysler and 

watched his stock skyrocket as he 

became one of the top designers in the 

auto industry. 

Gilles’ achievements as an African 

American in a field dominated by white 

designers are noteworthy, but he 

downplays race as a barrier to his 

success. He prefers to let his track 

record speak for itself. 

“The doors aren’t closed to African 

American designers,” says Gilles. “It’s 

just the consciousness is not there. 

Sometimes it does help (being an 

African American). It makes people 

listen differently mainly because 

they’re intrigued. In hindsight, it has 

been more of a benefit.” 

Despite the kudos Gilles has gained 

for his three prize vehicles, he is quick 

to point to the combined efforts of his 

team of designers and engineers. 

“I’m just one member of a really 

great team. In high school, it was easy 

being the best. You come here, and 

everybody’s good.” 

Currently, Gilles is settling in to a 

new challenge — truck design. His 

latest creation is under a tight lid, but 

judging by his Charger credentials, 

NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series 

better watch out. A new racing icon 

might be waiting in the wings. 

— Tanisha Perez 

Read more about Ralph Gilles on 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler NTC 

Web site at www.uawdcx.com/ 

publications/tomorrow.cfm. 


to test-drive a racecar. It was stolen once 

in California and found stripped on milk 

crates. The Dodge engineering team 

hauled it back to Michigan, where it was 

reborn as a test car. It’s now on display 

at the International Motorsports Hall 

of Fame and Museum at Talladega 

Superspeedway. 

The breakthrough success of the 

winged cars couldn’t have happened 

without similar Dodge spark and 

teamwork — or without embracing a 

calculated risk in pursuit of innovation. 

The result was a landmark win 

for driver Richard Brickhouse. His 

No. 99 Nichels Engineering Dodge 

Charger Daytona took the inaugural 

event at Alabama International Motor 

Speedway on Sept. 14, 1969. As with 

Charger teams today, teamwork and 

unity from top to bottom bred success. 

Ray Fox Sr., for example, was a Dodge 

mechanic who contributed to 140 Grand 

National victories in the 1960s and ’70s. 

He once built an engine overnight for a 

race on the old Daytona Beach course. 

“Some of the guys didn’t want to get paid 

for what they did,” he recalls. “They 

helped because they wanted to have 

something to do with racing.” 

THE GLORY DAYS 

Ask Petty about the initial glory period 

of the Dodge Charger, and he’s not 

bashful about ranking the Charger as 

his No. 1 racecar. He’s described it as a 

universal car, one that could drive well 

anywhere — road course, short track or 

CHARGER MILESTONES 

Championships in Dodge Chargers: David Pearson (1966–67); 

Buddy Baker (1967–68, 1970–73); Ray Elder (1971–72); Sam 

McQuagg (1966); Bobby Isaac (1968–1972); Richard Petty (1973–77); 

LeeRoy Yarbrough (1966–67); Charlie Glotzbach (1968, 1970); 

Dave Marcis (1975–76); Bobby Allison (1967, 1969–71); 

Richard Brickhouse (1969); Neil Bonnett (1977) 

Earl Balmer drives the No. 3 car to the first-ever NASCAR win in a Dodge 

Charger on Feb. 25, 1966, at Daytona. 

Richard Brickhouse’s No. 99 Nichels Engineering Dodge Charger 

Daytona is the first “winged” stock car to win a NASCAR race on 

Sept. 14, 1969, the inaugural event at Alabama International 

Motor Speedway. 

The Dodge Charger Daytona wins its first NASCAR Grand National race 

at Talladega in September 1969. It also wins at Texas International 

Speedway that year. The next year, it wins at Atlanta, Michigan and 

Darlington. Ironically, it never wins at its namesake track, Daytona. 

Buddy Baker is the first driver to officially crack 200 mph in a closedcourse 

lap, hitting 200.447 mph at Talladega on March 24, 1970, in the 

No. 88 Dodge Charger. 

Driver Ray Elder wins the first-ever Winston Cup Series event with a 

Dodge Charger, at the Riverside International Raceway road course in 

California on Jan. 10, 1971. (Back then, Riverside held the first 

event, not Daytona.) Elder — who was a full-time farmer and only 

raced part-time — is one of three Dodge drivers to win on-road 

courses, the others being Petty and Bobby Allison. 

Neil Bonnett, driving the No. 5 Dodge, earns the last win of the first 

Charger era on Nov. 20, 1977, passing Petty with five laps to go. 

superspeedway. But Petty also reveals 

that it was more than simply about a car. 

He fondly recalls the sense of community 

the Dodge Charger inspired — not 

simply among drivers and crews, but 

also fans. There was a high level of passion 

for the Chargers and the teams that 

got the best out of them. And drivers 

back then had more time to get to know 

fans and other teams. 

“When we first started, most 

NASCAR people stayed in one or two 

motels,” Petty explains. “Now there are 

so many people that they don’t really 

congregate outside the racetrack. On 

the other hand, the sport has gained a 

lot. A big crowd back then was 5,000 or 

6,000. Now, you have 100,000 fans.” 

Even back then, Charger victories 

translated to fame and fortune. The 

paychecks may not have been what 

they are today but, says Petty, they were 

still pretty good. “We won more races. 

We won more money,” he says. “We 

were doing more with cars than anyone 

else at that particular time.” 

As for the drivers themselves, were 

they better back then? While not passing 

judgment, Petty extends his admiration 

for today’s drivers, a sentiment 

echoed by Fernandez. “They were as 

skilled then as they are now,” says the 

Dodge Motorsports official. “The difference 

is that there are so many good 

to great drivers out there competing 

today — more than 40 on a Nextel 

Cup track every single race.” 

With so much talent in the mix, what 

makes today’s teams rise to the top is 

teamwork. “Richard Petty would win by 

entire laps,” says Fernandez. “But today 

a few seconds will cover much of the field. 

With just a 14-second pit stop, you’ll lose 

too much position. And in the garage 

there’s less room for error. The team 

really has to produce a car that’s ready to 

race when it’s loaded in the hauler. With 

Charger, teamwork from start to finish is 

more critical today than ever.” ■ 

Dodge Motorsports’ Bill Hamilton 

contributed to this report. 


AN 

AMERICAN 

AUTOMOTIVE 

HERITAGE 

Experience a proud legacy 

at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum 

Chrysler’s heritage of innovation and engineering 

excellence is so remarkable that an entire museum 

is devoted to it. In fact, the Walter P. Chrysler 

Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich., is the only fullfledged 

museum maintained by an active North 

American automaker. 

For starters, step into “Boss Chrysler’s Garage” to get a 

close-up look at record-setting racing vehicles and dream 

machines like these: 

The 2001 Dodge Intrepid used as a test car for Daimler- 

Chrysler’s return to the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit 

Al Ekstrand’s 1966 “Lawman,” the company’s first 

Hemi-powered Dodge Charger 

The Dodge Stratus racecar that won the championship 

in the North American Touring Car Series 

The 2000 Dodge Viper that won the 24 Hour of 

Daytona in the American Lemans Series 

Make it to the museum before August 20, 2006, to see 

Hot Rods and Cool Mods, a special exhibition featuring 

more than two dozen exquisitely crafted, exotic vehicles 

that showcase the past, present and future of customization. 

The collection of hot rods, rat rods, resto-rods, 

tuners and “blinged” vehicles salutes the Chrysler designs 

that have inspired personalization and also pays tribute to 

the creativity of Mopar enthusiasts and the many imaginative 

ways they’ve changed their vehicles over the years. 

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is a showcase for 

automotive legends. The Hot Rods and Cool Mods 

exhibit, pictured here, spotlights customization. 

For more information about the three-story, 55,000- 

square foot museum — including location, hours and 

admission — go to www.chryslerheritage.com. 


The No. 9 Dodge Charger 

likes life in the fast lane. 

RACING TO 

WIN 

Challenges 

strengthen the 

Evernham team 

STORY BY JIM MORRISON 

PHOTOS BY DORSEY PATRICK 

A BLOWN TIRE. A CAUTION AT JUST THE WRONG TIME. Those were the kinds 

of bad breaks that bedeviled Jeremy Mayfield, Kasey Kahne and the Dodge Dealers/ 

UAW Dodge Charger Evernham Motorsports team during the 2005 NASCAR Nextel 

Cup campaign. But looking ahead to the 2006 season, the resourceful racers learned 

from every challenge, making adjustments ranging from engineering tweaks to complete 

team revamps. Most important, they’ve shown they have what it takes to hang 

in and win. 


Driven to Succeed 

What Mayfield and Kahne had in 2005 

was enough to each win a race. It was 

the first time team owner Ray Evernham 

ushered both his cars, co-sponsored by 

the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National 

Training Center, to Victory Lane in the 

same season. Kahne took his first Nextel 

Cup Series victory in May at Richmond 

International Raceway, running 

a flawless race. He started from the pole 

and led 242 laps, including the final 106 

of the 400-lap race. 

Meanwhile, Mayfield took his fifth 

career win by cagily pitting for fuel late 

in the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan 

International Speedway in August. 

But for Evernham, the first year running 

the Dodge Charger proved challenging, 

especially when it came to 

balancing the car on the long tracks 

and handling in traffic. That’s why he 

revamped the team leadership for 

2006. Team Director Kenny Francis, 

who helped Mayfield get into the 

Chase twice, moved with Car Director 

Mike Shiplett to Kahne’s 

No. 9. Chris Andrews, who directed 

Bill Elliott’s part-time No. 

91 Dodge Charger, moved in as 

team director for Mayfield, with 

Kirk Almquist as car director and 

Tim Malinovsky as engineer. 

The new structure is one Evernham 

expects will foster better collective 

thinking and intellectual 

innovation. And it 

proved promising during 

a trial run in the last 

race of 2005 at Homestead, 

Fla. “We had both 

cars running with a 

chance of finishing in the 

Top 10,” says Evernham. 

“One car did.” 

Kahne and Mayfield see 

the change as setting them 

up for championship runs 

in 2006. “With the end of last year like 

it was, I don’t know if I would have 

been as pumped up as I am now without 

Ray promoting more of the team 

aspect,” says Mayfield. “Now I feel 

Evernham Motorsports is stronger 

than it’s ever been, and all because of 

last season.” 

Adding to that strength is Scott Riggs, 

driving the No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley 

Tools Dodge Charger for at least 

22 races in his third Nextel Cup 

season. Riggs began in motocross 

and didn’t move to four wheels 

until he entered the Mini Stock 

Division at age 17. Then he won 

12 times in three seasons. 

In 2001, Riggs moved up to the 

Craftsman Truck Series, winning 

five times. In the Busch Series the 

next year, he won twice and had 

13 Top-10 finishes on his way to 

Rookie of the Year honors. “My 

father always said that he felt like 

Not even a blown tire can 

discourage the Evernham team. 

the bigger the race track, the better I 

would do,” Riggs says. 

The Bahama, N.C., native had four 

Top-10 finishes in 2005, including a first 

pole at Martinsville and second place at 

Michigan International Speedway. “We 

look forward to getting him in the winner’s 

circle this season,” says Evernham. 


WHAT MAYFIELD AND 

KAHNE HAD IN 2005 

WAS ENOUGH TO EACH 

WIN A RACE, THE FIRST 

TIME TEAM OWNER 

RAY EVERNHAM HAD 

USHERED BOTH HIS 

CARS TO VICTORY LANE 

IN THE SAME SEASON. 


Evernham Motorsports fielded these 

two Dodge racers in the last race of 

the 2005 season at Homestead, Fla. 

Evernham drivers like Riggs will 

continue to benefit from the experience 

of 1988 Winston Cup Champion 

Bill Elliott. Driving part-time 

now, Elliott is still a big contributor. 

Since the 2004 season, “Awesome 

Bill” has been supporting research 

and development and coaching. 

This season also finds the cars 

with a new look. Mayfield’s car 

sports the Dodge trademark in red 

on the hood and roof and the 

UAW insignia on the sides, but 

carries black doors and fenders 

with red numbers on the side; 

Kahne’s shows off white doors 

and fenders with black numbers. 

2005 Lessons Learned 

While Evernham’s 2005 season was 

disappointing overall, there were highlights 

and opportunities. Mayfield’s 

win and a sixth-place finish in the September 

race at Richmond qualified him 

for the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR 

Nextel Cup for the second consecutive 

year. “I’m proud of this team for making 

the Chase twice in a row,” Mayfield 

says. “That’s cool.” 

‘‘ 

IS HIS TEAMS UP 

THAT’S WHERE 

RAY EVERNHAM DOES 

A GREAT JOB. HE SAYS 

ALL HE WANTS TO 

DO IS WIN RACES, 

ALL HE WANTS TO SEE 

‘‘ 

FRONT. HE’S MAKING 

SURE THEY’RE MUCH 

BETTER IN 2006. 

KASEY KAHNE 

What wasn’t cool was the bad luck 

at the track and the difficulty setting up 

the Charger in the garage that plagued 

Mayfield throughout the Chase. The 

Charger nose proved problematic, 

earning the blame for a disappointing 

performance in traffic and at the 1.5- 

and 2-mile tracks. With the Intrepid in 

2004, Dodges led more laps and won 

one more race. Near the end of 2005, 

Dodge tried unsuccessfully to get NAS- 

CAR to agree to run the 2005 Dodge 

Charger with an Intrepid-like nose. 

But Dodge was allowed to run three 

Intrepids in the season’s last race at 

Homestead. Evernham spent the 

off-season tweaking the structure. 

This season, Mayfield hopes better 

preparation will head off problems. 

“As long as we don’t leave 

anything on the table when we leave 

the shop,” he says, “we should be 

able to win a championship.” 

Kahne, who was never in the 

hunt for the Chase in 2005, says, 

“The biggest thing I need to do this 

season to get into the Chase is give 

better feedback to the crew.” 

For Kahne and Mayfield, there 

was a lot to do in the off-season. “That’s 

where Ray Evernham does a great job,” 

says Kahne. “He says all he wants to do 

is win races, all he wants to see is his 

teams up front. He’s making sure 

they’re much better in 2006.” 

Evernham emphatically seconds 

that. “Until I’ve got a car in the Top 5 

every week,” he says, “I’m not going to 

be happy. We are in this to win the 

championship.” ■ 


JEREMY MAYFIELD 

PHOTO TO COME 

Don’t be fooled by the easygoing smile. 

There’s nothing — nothing — easygoing 

about Jeremy Mayfield when he gets behind 

the wheel, whether it’s the wheel of a street 

car, the remote control car he races on a dirt 

track at home or the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/ 

UAW Dodge Charger. 

Mayfield, who turns 37 this season, 

grew up with speed, riding a motorcycle 

when he was just 4 years old growing up 

in Owensboro, Ky. He quickly moved 

up the ranks, running four Cup races in 

1994, then landing a full-time ride with 

NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough the 

following year. 

He was a young gun before there were 

young guns like his teammate Kasey 

Kahne. Roger Penske saw Mayfield’s talent 

and signed him to drive the No. 12 car, 

which he piloted to a seventh-place finish 

in the 1998 Winston Cup Championship 

after leading the points standings early in 

the season. 

After leaving 

Penske in 2001 

following disappointing 

seasons, Mayfield 

joined Evernham 

Motorsports the following 

year, but it wasn’t 

until 2004 that he 

turned around his career 

and became a Top-10 

driver. He credits Ray 

Evernham. “I had to learn 

how to trust in how he was 

leading,” Mayfield says. 

“For a while, I didn’t see the 

results I wanted fast enough. 

‘Why can’t we do this? Why 

can’t we do that?’ That’s just 

Top-10 driver Jeremy Mayfield 

my personality and that’s what has gotten me 

in trouble in the past. I just had to stop and 

take a step back. I said, ‘OK, let’s go along 

with the plan and see what’s going on here.’” 

The gains were dramatic. After finishing 

26th in 2002 and 19th in 2003, Mayfield 

finished 10th in the 2004 Nextel Cup Chase 

and ninth in 2005. 

Getting into the Top 10 wasn’t enough for 

Mayfield this time. “Everyone looks at us like 

we’re not getting the job done, but we are,” 

he says. Problems late in the 2005 season at 

Martinsville prevented a higher finish. “We 

can’t control the fluke things that have been 

happening to us. That’s the way that it is.” 

What’s clear is that with consecutive 

shots in the Chase, 2006 may be the year 

Mayfield and Evernham build on what 

they’ve learned and make that longexpected 

run for the Cup title. ■ 


KASEY KAHNE 

At KlubKahne.com, the main man pops in 

from time to time to say hello — and 

thanks. It’s another example of how fan 

darling Kasey Kahne, the hot driver with the 

movie-star looks, is maturing into his role as 

NASCAR matinee idol. 

“I want to thank all of you who were able to 

come out to our Klub Kahne Picnic Charlotte 

Edition,” he wrote last fall. “It was tons of fun 

and I really enjoyed meeting everyone. My 

mom was really worried about the weather but 

everything went off without a hitch.” 

Typical Kahne. A modest thank you and, 

of course, a nod to mom. Though he is in 

only his third Nextel Cup season, demand 

for Kahne’s apparel and memorabilia 

runs head-to-head with that for 

established stars like Jeff 

Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In 

fact, the red No. 9 Dodge Dealers/ 

UAW Dodge Charger cap was such 

a fan favorite that Evernham 

offered a “reverse” color design 

based on Kahne’s paint job at the 

Brickyard 400 last year. The car, cosponsored 

by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

National Training Center, featured a 

predominantly white design with two 

red racing stripes across the length 

of the top. It brought good luck to 

Kahne, who led the race for a time 

and finished second. 

Kahne is one of a new generation 

of NASCAR drivers who have 

a legion of female fans. He was 

even named one of People 

magazine’s “50 Hottest Bachelors” 

in 2004. He once dated a 

woman who first came to his 

attention when USA Today ran 

a story about how she was a 

big fan. There is no shortage of women who’d 

love the same chance, including the admirer 

who made her intentions clear with a T-shirt 

emblazoned with “Mrs. Kasey Kahne.” 

Kahne seems to take his celebrity in stride. 

He listens to George Strait, and his favorite 

meal is chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. 

But his popularity with the female fans makes 

for some interesting moments, especially at 

signing sessions. Kahne has a clear sense of 

what’s proper, though, and he doesn’t cross 

any line. “Some girls will just walk up to you 

and give you a kiss on the cheek and whisper 

something in your ear,” he says. “You get a lot 

of things you wouldn’t expect.” ■ 

A victorious Kasey Kahne 


RISING RACING STARS 

GETTY IMAGES 

Evernham Motorsports keeps its focus on 

the next race, the next engineering feat — 

and the next great driver. The team’s driver 

development program is committed both to 

giving a leg-up to promising young talent and 

to advancing diversity in NASCAR. 

Evernham’s program reflects NASCAR’s 

commitment to developing talent in 

minorities across the sport. NASCAR’s 

Drive for Diversity initiative, launched in 

2004, offers opportunities for minority 

drivers and crew members. The program 

also has an internship component and 

funding for scholarships, the NASCAR 

college tour and Philadelphia’s Urban 

Youth Racing School. 

Evernham is among the many teams 

that are serious about their own diversity 

programs. Erin Crocker, Evernham’s first 

female driver, is one of the Evernham 

program’s up-and-comers. 

At age 7, she started racing quarter 

midgets in her native Connecticut. In 1999 

she took Rookie of the Year honors in the 

Eastern Limited Sprints. Crocker’s trajectory 

continued straight up, even as she was 

working toward her engineering degree at 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New 

York, which she completed in 2003. 

That same year, she was named Nationals 

Rookie of the Year in the World of Outlaws 

Series and 410 Rookie of the Year after a 

strong campaign, and competed at World of 

Outlaws and the All-Star Circuit of Champions 

events. So far, she’s the only woman to have 

won a World of Outlaws Sprint car feature in a 

combined stock car–open wheel program. 

And Crocker is hardly slowing down. 

She has signed with General Mills, her 

first major full-time sponsor, running 

with Cheerios and — appropriately 

enough — the Betty Crocker brands. 

For Crocker, 2006 offers a chance to gain 

experience in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck 

Series and the ARCA RE/MAX Series and dip 

her toes into the NASCAR Busch Series. 

But she’s not losing sight of her goal of 

moving to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 

one day. What’s more, the boss is in her 

corner. “Ray [Evernham] says that he has a 

lot of confidence in me,” Crocker says. 

For his part, Evernham figures Crocker’s 

2006 Truck Series schedule gives her a 

strong foundation for future success. 

“Erin’s not having raced on pavement a 

lot and not having raced traffic, we felt this 

would be a better way to get more experience 

racing without having all the pressure,” 

Evernham says. 

“I look at it in a positive way,” says 

Crocker, who is always ready for the next 

race, no matter what the ride. ■ 

Evernham Motorsports’ first 

woman driver, Erin Crocker 


Family 

MATTERS 

Just before he climbs in his No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW 

Dodge Charger for the start of another thrilling NASCAR 

Nextel Cup race, Jeremy Mayfield performs two rituals. 

“I always give Shana a kiss before I put my helmet on,” 

says the veteran driver for Evernham Motorsports, referring 

to his wife, “and the last thing we do is say a little 

prayer. Then I get into the car and go.” 

That type of support helps a lot of 

drivers go. NASCAR prides itself on 

being a family sport, certainly for fans, 

but also for the heroes they cheer. Generations 

of dads and moms, wives and 

husbands, kids and kinfolk have 

flocked to the racetracks and gathered 

round the TV together. In the same 

way, family support has encouraged 

the speed demons behind the wheel, be 

it a spouse’s traditional good-luck kiss 

or a parent’s permission to become a 

racecar driver in the first place. 

So as much as Mayfield relies on his 

race team to keep his Dodge Charger, 

co-sponsored by the UAW-Daimler- 

Chrysler National Training Center, 

running in tip-top shape week in and 

week out, he needs Shana too. “She’s 

‘‘ 

the one who deals 

with me when we 

have bad days,” 

says Mayfield, who 

joined the Cup circuit 

in 1993 and 

competed in the 

Top 10 in the Chase 

for the Nextel Cup 

the past two seasons. 

“She helps me 

stay balanced.” 

The couple met 

I MAY NOT BE 

PHYSICALLY 

DRIVING 

A RACECAR… 

BUT EMOTIONALLY 

I’M ENTRENCHED 

IN THIS AND 

‘‘ 

I GET UP AND 

DOWN TOO. 

SHANA MAYFIELD 

in the garage area at 

Darlington Raceway 

in 1999 and were married in 

2003. Shana is trackside every weekend 

and readily accepts her balancing 

role. “I may not be physically driving 

a racecar for four hours, but emotionally 

I’m entrenched in this, and I get up 

and down too,” she says. “If it’s a great 

day, we celebrate it together. But if it’s 

a bad day, I remind him of how blessed 

we are to at least be in this, and that 

things can only get better.” 

NASCAR’s family friendliness plays 

out beyond the matrimonial 

stage, starring 

parents, siblings 

and relatives. For 

Kasey Kahne, pilot 

of the No. 9 Charger, 

“my cousin Kole 

is my spotter every 

weekend,” he says. 

“My brother Kale 

drives the motor 

coach and does all 

the practice spot- 



Evernham drivers get 

unconditional support through 

the long NASCAR season 

BY BOB WOODS 

GETTY IMAGES 

Kasey Kahne with his father, Kelly 

(left), and Jeremy Mayfield and his 

wife, Shana, (right). 


A RACE 

TO GIVE 

DODGE DRIVERS AND THE ENTIRE NASCAR 

FAMILY EMBRACE GOOD CAUSES 

Kyle Petty (top) is a driving force 

behind Victory Junction Gang Camp. 

The success of Dodge racing teams adds up to 

more than victories on the track. They’re a 

winning combination when it comes to giving 

back as well. Dodge driver Kyle Petty’s vision 

— and that of his wife, Pattie, and late son, 

Adam — was the impetus behind the Victory 

Junction Gang camp, which is at the heart of 

charitable giving throughout NASCAR. In its 

two summers of operation, the camp, in 

Randleman, N.C, has hosted more than 

1,300 children who are coping with 

serious diseases. 

Donations from drivers, owners, 

team members, NASCAR and the 

community at large keep the camp 

going. That includes the Dodge 

contingent. When Jeremy and Shana 

Mayfield got married in January 2003, 

they asked guests to give donations to 

the camp in lieu of wedding gifts. Ryan 

Newman has participated in NASCARnival night at the camp, when drivers 

come out for popcorn, hot-air balloon rides and games with the kids. 

Richard Petty knows one thing for sure: There’s no way that a phenomenon 

like Victory Junction could have grown as rapidly as it has before 

NASCAR’s massive popularity and revenue surge of the past five years. “It 

started off just being a local camp for folks in North and South Carolina and 

Virginia,” says Petty. “Now, it’s a national camp.” 

NASCAR supports more than 100 other charities annually. One of the 

most extensive efforts is Dodge team owner Ray Evernham’s Charity 

Chopper, a fund-raiser comprising several events and an online auction of 

one-of-a-kind items. Proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

In 2005, NASCAR’s largest annual fund-raising event, NASCAR Day, 

generated more than $1.1 million for Victory Junction, Speediatrics and 

Speedway Children’s Charities. 

Helping children is also an interest of Dodge driver Kasey Kahne. “I started 

the Kasey Kahne Foundation for Kids,” says Kahne. “It opens up a lot of doors 

to help the Ronald McDonald House and Victory Junction.” Kahne is also 

committed to making positive cultural changes for children in North Carolina 

and his home state of Washington. “One of the purposes of our foundation is to 

support diversity awareness, especially programs that give underprivileged 

kids the opportunity to improve their lives,” he says. 

— Dennis McCafferty 

ting. Willie [another cousin] is running 

my Sprint car team we started last 

year. My sister Shannon runs the Kasey 

Kahne Foundation, and my mom runs 

my online store and has a store back in 

Enumclaw, Wash., where we’re from. 

And with my fan club, she talks with 

all the fans by e-mail.” 

Now, that’s a family affair — and it 

doesn’t stop there. Kahne’s dad, Kelly, 

has been by his son’s side from the 

time Kasey, who turns 26 this season, 

started racing micro midget cars at 

age 11. In addition to building dirt 

racetracks on their property and 

working on Kasey’s cars, Kelly — as 

dads are wont to do — has liberally 

lent his two cents over the years. “He 

was always real critical, which was 

good,” says Kasey, who drove his 

Dodge Charger onto Victory Lane for 

the first time in his brief Nextel Cup 

career at Richmond International 

Raceway in May 2005. “He’s not as 

much anymore, but if he sees something 

wrong, he’ll tell me and we’ll 

figure it out together.” 

It’s only human for NASCAR drivers 

to want family around, win or lose, 

though those family members needn’t 

always be human. The Mayfields are 

among many drivers who tote pets 

with them to races, which, along with 

plenty of children, contributes to the 

family atmosphere at the tracks. 

“We have three bulldogs and two 

pugs,” Shana says, proudly pronouncing 

their names. “Max and Mattie are 

the pugs, and Isabella, Ivan and Zoë 

are the bulldogs.” One or two accompany 

them each race weekend, much 

to her dog-loving husband’s delight. 

“Jeremy has a huge bond with these 

dogs,” she says, smiling when she admits 

that the couple would like to have 

a two-legged addition to the family. “It 

scares me how spoiled a kid would 

be,” she says. ■ 


PRIDE ON 

DISPLAY 

American automaking is in the spotlight 

at the NTC’s NASCAR Exhibit 

2006 Jeep Commander 

Competition makes the world go around, at least the 

NASCAR racing world. But once the shiny red Freightliners 

carrying the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center exhibit cruise up to the track, solidarity plays a big 

role too. 

“When we greet visitors to our exhibit, we’re inviting 

all of them to share our pride as American autoworkers,” 

says Andy Ackles, NASCAR operations coordinator for 

the UAW and Local 550 member. “And we make it fun 

for them.” 

The fun appeals to fans of all ages, who can grab a 

photo op with the No. 9 and No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW 

Dodge Chargers, co-sponsored by the NTC, or with lifesize 

images of drivers Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield. 

WE BRING THE SAME 

SOLIDARITY TO THE RACES — 

OUR PRIDE AS AMERICAN 

AUTOMAKERS. 

HOWARD AUSTIN, UAW LOCAL 212 MEMBER 

“FROM DAIMLERCHRYSLER TRANSPORT 

“ 

They can step into the exhibit’s exciting video simulation 

modules and test their skills on a virtual track, or catch 

footage from the previous day’s qualifying heats, highlights 

of historic NASCAR and Dodge racing action, and 

other race-related footage on four plasma screens. 

Some of the fun is serious business, as fans check out 

Chrysler Group production models brought to the track 

for a hands-on look. Two Vehicle Information Center 

computer kiosks give prospective buyers the chance to 

“build” a vehicle and determine what it will take to drive 

it home from a participating dealer. “Fans get real excited 

when they open the door of a brand-new car,” says 

Tammi Smith, DaimlerChrysler manager of NASCAR 

operations. “They like seeing the features up close and 

trying them out, like the Stow ’N Go seats, and we love 

showing off our products.” 

This year, UAW-DaimlerChrysler’s collaboration with 

the UAW-Ford National Programs Center puts a special 

spin on solidarity at the races. “American automakers 

are looking at ways to work together, and we’re seeing 

the same spirit of cooperation here,” says Howard 

Austin, a UAW Local 212 member from DaimlerChrysler 

Transport. He is one of four UAW members who drive 

the big red rigs to the races. The other drivers are Robert 

Denton, Gary Alred and Jack Hyatt. 

Austin recalls one race where UAW-Ford and UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler crews helped one another set up in high 

winds. “Those canvases are like gigantic sails in a big 

wind,” he says. “Working together was a huge benefit 

because no one got hurt and none of our equipment got 

damaged. We bring the same solidarity to the races — our 

pride as American automakers — and it just makes sense 

to help one another out.” — Molly Rose Teuke 

TEAMWORK 

DRIVES OUR 

SUCCESS 

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center is 

the hub for initiatives designed by union and management 

to build workers’ skills, enrich their quality of life 

and enhance the company’s competitive position. 

Founded 20 years ago, the Detroit-based NTC carries 

out its mission through some 30 joint programs, ranging 

from college tuition assistance and child care referrals to 

programs that foster safer working conditions and 

improved vehicle quality. The NTC operates a Technology 

Training Center that provides world-class technical 

training for skilled trades and production workers. 

Tapping the full range of talents in the workplace, the 

National Training Center also sponsors the only juried art 

exhibit of its kind for union and management employees. 

Since 2001, the NTC has partnered with Evernham 

Motorsports to use NASCAR racing as a vehicle to 

showcase Dodge vehicles and the UAW members who 

build them. 

— Ron Russell 


2006 

NASCAR 

NEXTEL CUP 

SERIES 

HIGHLIGHTS 

02/11/06 Daytona International Speedway 



02/19/06 Daytona 500/Daytona 


02/26/06 California Speedway 

03/12/06 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 

Las Vegas Motor Speedway 

03/19/06 Atlanta Motor Speedway 

03/26/06 Bristol Motor Speedway 

04/02/06 Martinsville Speedway 

04/09/06 Texas Motor Speedway 

04/22/06 Phoenix International Raceway 

04/30/06 Talladega Superspeedway 

05/06/06 Richmond International Raceway 

05/13/06 Darlington Raceway 

05/20/06 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge 

Lowe’s Motor Speedway 

05/28/06 Lowe’s Motor Speedway 

06/04/06 Dover International Speedway 

06/11/06 Pocono Raceway 

06/18/06 Michigan International Speedway 

06/25/06 Infineon Raceway 


07/09/06 Chicagoland Speedway 

07/16/06 New Hampshire 


07/23/06 Pocono Raceway 

08/06/06 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 

08/13/06 Watkins Glen International 

08/20/06 Michigan International Speedway 

08/26/06 Bristol Motor Speedway 

09/03/06 California Speedway 

09/09/06 Richmond International Raceway 

09/17/06 New Hampshire International Speedway 

09/24/06 Dover International Speedway 

10/01/06 Kansas Speedway 

10/08/06 Talladega Superspeedway 

10/14/06 Lowe’s Motor Speedway 

10/22/06 Martinsville Speedway 

10/29/06 Atlanta Motor Speedway 

11/05/06 Texas Motor Speedway 

11/12/06 Phoenix International Raceway 

11/19/06 Homestead-Miami Speedway

2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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