New ESPN2 program to feature NASCAR team owner

How do NASCAR fans get inside the technical brain trust of their favorite sport? They ask a former three-time NASCAR champion crew chief to tell them everything they want to know.

Beginning in July, NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham will be the featured host of a new and unique racing program on ESPN2.

Part of the ESPN2 Garage group of motorsports and automotive shows, Race Wizard with Ray Evernham will premiere at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, July 7. The innovative new show will provide racing fans an entertaining look at the intriguing technical aspects and little-known inner-workings of motorsports and racing.

Race Wizard is created for and by NASCAR fans, who will go behind the scenes of the racing world through “person on the street" interviews with one of racing’s brightest minds and most successful team owners.

“ESPN has such a legacy in this sport and deserves a great deal of credit for turning NASCAR into one of the most popular sports today," Evernham said. “Through Race Wizard, I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned in this sport over the years and help viewers understand how technology and innovation are giving teams the edge in competition today."

Sample Race Wizard topics include: Fast Car Basics – A fan’s question on the basics of racing answered, including “How do spoilers on the back of a car increase speed?"; Girl’s Guide – Women have the “need for speed," too, and this vignette is for them, answering “Why do race cars swerve during caution laps?"; and Race Day – Focusing on improving the fan’s experience in racing by answering, “Where is the best place to sit to watch a race?"

Evernham, who raced Modifieds in his native New Jersey, rose to prominence in NASCAR after hanging up his helmet and becoming a crew chief. He won three NASCAR Cup championships and 47 races with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports in the 1990s, then started Evernham Motorsports to coincide with Dodge’s return to the top level of NASCAR racing in 2001. Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Scott Riggs now drive for the team’s three-car effort in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The team also participates in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Designed to complement ESPN’s extensive coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car and NHRA racing in 2007, ESPN2 Garage is dedicated to the automotive, motorcycle and motorsports world. ESPN2, the home of the NASCAR Busch Series, will air more than 1,100 hours of motorsports programming in 2007. ESPN and ESPN on ABC's coverage of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will debut with the July 29 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and will include the final 17 races of the season.