2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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.
TOMORROW SPECIAL RACING 2006 19