NASCAR Diversity is Here
STATESVILLE, N.C. - Evernham Motorsports announced today that it has signed sprint-car star Erin Crocker to a development deal that will allow the hottest young female driver in racing to compete next year in the Silver Crown, ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series.
Crocker, the first female to win a World of Outlaws race, caught the attention of Ray Evernham and Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year Kasey Kahne for her performance in open wheel racing. Evernham Motorsports partnered with Kasey Kahne Motorsports and has signed Crocker to an agreement that involves her running the Silver Crown Series in a Kasey Kahne Motorsports car, along with three Busch races and three ARCA races in an Evernham Dodge. Sponsors for the program have not yet been announced.
“This is like a dream come true,” said Erin Crocker. “When Ray Evernham called, I was considering several options. But once that phone rang, my mind was made up. It is an unbelievable opportunity to race for him
I’m sure she must be pretty good if Evernham is giving her a ride. I have a theory about the open wheel drivers and why they have been doing so well in NASCAR. For so long, cup dirvers came up through the Bush series and trucks, both with less power to wieght ratios than cup cars. The sprint drivers are use to having lots of power so they’re probably better at controling the power. I’ve seen a lot of wrecks that didn’t happen season because guys knew how to handle a car trying to get sideways. The young drivers coming into cup racing these days are coming in with skills they didn’t use to have and I think it’s good for NASCAR. I hate to see the older drivers go, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Terry Labonte are all getting out and I’m starting to feel really old but the youngsters coming in sure make for some exciting racing.