Trophies and Scars is the profoundly personal, sincere, and remarkably revealing story of the life and times of NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham. A son of the Jersey Shore, Evernham dedicated his life to fulfilling his boyhood dream of becoming a professional race car driver.
By age eighteen, he was banging fenders with good success on the Northeast short track circuit. When his dreams of becoming an Indy car sensation literally crashed and burned, he turned to Roger Penske’s International Race of Champions (IROC), before another brutal crash forced him to give up his Indy dream for good.
It was time to change careers.
As a leader of a race team on the technical rather than the driving side, he discovered new skills critical to building successful racing organizations. A brief, ill-fated, and downright volatile stint on Alan Kulwicki’s crew, turned into a “right place at the right time” scenario, sparking a seminal partnership with racing phenom Jeff Gordon. They would prove to be one of the most potent racing duos in history.
Evernham shares previously untold tales of how the duo led the No. 24 team to three championships in four seasons (1995, 1997, 1998) and a series-leading forty-seven wins, revealing in candid detail how and why their storied relationship came to an end.
The book also details Evernham’s time spearheading the return of Dodge to NASCAR, building Evernham Motorsports into one of the most successful NASCAR teams, as well as his transformation into a TV personality with roles as a NASCAR analyst for SPEED, ESPN, ABC, FOX, and NBC and as host to his own TV series, AmeriCarna, on the Velocity channel.
Woven throughout all these stories recounting the many twists and turns of his life, he reveals how he buried himself in work to cope with his personal challenges, such as his son Ray J.’s battle with leukemia and later autism diagnosis. Many of these painful challenges ultimately brought rich rewards, such as the formation of the Evernham Family Racing for a Reason Foundation, funding for IGNITE, education and training programs for young adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome, his loving marriage to Erin, and the birth of their daughter Cate.
You needn’t be a racing fan to appreciate Evernham’s inspiring journey of tireless persistence, radical determination, steadfast leadership, and fearless reinvention. For as he believes, a life lived to the fullest is packed with trophies—and scars.
Just days after his first Daytona 500 as a FOX NASCAR analyst, FOX Sports and Kevin Harvick launch KEVIN HARVICK’S HAPPY HOUR PRESENTED BY NASCAR ON FOX, a new FOX Sports podcast debuting Tuesday February 20 across FOX Sports digital and social platforms, the FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com as well as all major podcast distribution platforms including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
“My new FOX Sports podcast will allow us to spend more time and dig a little deeper into a wider variety of subjects in the racing world,” Harvick said. “It will be a laidback and fun outlet for sharing different ideas and perspectives you can’t get anywhere else.”
Featuring Harvick and co-hosts Kaitlyn Vincie, FOX NASCAR studio host, and Dylan “Mamba” Smith, NASCAR’s unofficial “Chief Hype Officer,” KEVIN HARVICK’S HAPPY HOUR delivers the racing legend’s expert opinion and fresh perspective on the top NASCAR storylines, while also welcoming some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment to the racing world. New episodes, originating from the FOX Sports studios in Charlotte, post twice weekly and feature weekend recaps, upcoming race previews, guest interviews, stories and analysis of the week’s racing news.
“Kevin is a superstar, and fans love superstars,” said Michael Bucklin, SVP, Digital Content, FOX Sports. “While our television team brings that stardom to the broadcast booth, we’ll deliver it on digital, offering fans even more access to Kevin’s opinions, perspective and personality. It’s an even bigger bonus that he will be joined by Kaitlyn and Mamba, with whom he already has established relationships and who are primed to bring out the best in him.”
Prior to retirement from driving at the conclusion of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Harvick served as a FOX NASCAR guest driver analyst for multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, and during multiple NASCAR RACE HUB appearances. In 2015, he was the first of five active Cup Series drivers selected to be a guest driver analyst in the network’s inaugural year of Xfinity Series race coverage, making his debut in the season-opening race at Daytona. Harvick’s rotation in the FOX Sports booth eventually led to his annual stint as play-by-play announcer for FOX NASCAR’s “Drivers Only” Xfinity Series race telecast, commencing in 2017 and running through his final season in 2023.
“For the same reasons fans loved and followed Kevin as a championship driver, they’ve loved and followed him to the FOX NASCAR booth,” said Jacob Ullman, SVP of Production and Talent Development, FOX Sports. “Now they will follow him to the digital, social and podcasting space. We’re thrilled to incorporate Kevin into all FOX Sports platforms and look forward to everything he will add to our NASCAR coverage.”
Vincie is a co-host of NASCAR RACE HUB, FS1’s daily NASCAR news and information program, and NASCAR RACEDAY, its NASCAR Cup Series studio prerace show. In addition, she hosts FS1’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series prerace show, NASCAR RACEDAY-NCTS.
Smith is a social media personality, commentator and ARCA Menards Series driver whose super-engaging persona resonates with avid NASCAR fans, helping to bring racing to new audiences in his unofficial role as NASCAR’s “Chief Hype Officer.”
Tim Buckwalter is seeking to become the first repeat winner of the East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals when the fifth BELFOR Property Restoration sponsored event is held at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ on Friday and Saturday, February 23-24th.
While the talented Douglassville, PA racer has entered the event for wingless 600cc Sprints with great confidence, he knows the odds are stacked against him. Buckwalter finished fourth in the inaugural event in 2017, but 18th in both 2018 and 2020.
When Buckwalter spun out of a top five position in the 50-lap main event on Saturday of 2023 on lap 12, he never gave up hope. He’s seen drivers come from the back before and knew it could be done.
In the 2020 running of the race, southern New Jersey driver Jon Keller advanced from the E, D, C and then B main just to qualify for the feature. He then shocked the crowd by driving from the 26th starting spot to take the lead with two laps remaining and won the race!
After Buckwalter restarted the race in 25th last year with 28 laps remaining, it took him just eight laps to go from 25th to first. Before the race was completed, he had lapped up to the fifth-place finishing car.
Despite the incredible drive by the 35-year-old veteran, Buckwalter was not the fan favorite to win when a late race yellow was thrown. Adrianna Delliponti, a blonde haired 19-year-old lady racer from Norristown, PA had stolen the hearts of the crowd.
After Delliponti became the first female driver to qualify for the event in the B-Main the fans began to take notice. Starting the main event in the 19th position, she remarkably advanced to second behind Buckwalter on lap 35.
After catching the race leader in heavy lap traffic, she made a bid to make the winning pass when the last yellow flag of the race was thrown with three laps remaining. At this point the large crowd on hand made it obvious they were pulling for her to win.
Delliponti went for the $5,000 victory, but it was Buckwalter who took the win. Dirt Modified star Billy Pauch Jr. then passed Delliponti off turn four coming to the checkered to finish second.
Delliponti crossed third to join the podium. When she parked her car on the homestretch victory lane area she was given a standing ovation.
The top three from a year ago will be among the restricted amount of 90 entries accepted for the event for drivers from seven different states.
Buckwalter will be returning in the same Barry and Cheryl Greth owned No. 71 wingless Micro Sprint he drove to victory last year. He’ll be coming into the event in mid-season form having already raced three different type race cars in four different states since January 1st.
Pauch will be driving the same car as last year, but it’s now owned by Brent Shearer who is stepping out of the seat for him to drive it. Pauch, a star of dirt Modified competition is seeking his first win after finishing second twice, third and 19th in the four previous Trenton events.
Deloponti is returning in her family owned No. 22a again with guidance and set-up help from Buckwalter who plans to park next to her in the pit area. Showing his confidence in her abilities, during the upcoming outdoor season, Delliponti will also be driving as a teammate at Grandview Speedway to Buckwalter in the Saxton Motorsports No. 23XA.
Other entries of note including USAC East Coast Sprint Car stars Briggs Danner, Alex Bright and Kenny Miller III. NASCAR driver Lavar Scott will be heading to Trenton after racing in the ARCA 200 at Daytona to join his brother Wayne as part of a two-car team.
Stephen Snyder Jr. of Rising Sun, MD, the northeast winning 600cc Sprint winner in 2023, will be out to add a win in Trenton to his impressive resume. Other 600 Sprint drivers of note entered include the Kutztown, PA Action Track 2023 champion Christian Bruno.
Cole Dewease of Fayetteville, PA, the 16-year old second generation driver who recently won a race in Florida, is also entered his Sprint Car Hall of Fame driver father Lance’s No. 2 D.
Saturday’s doors open at 4 PM with a special autograph session on the concourse at 5 PM for drivers already qualified for the A-Main. Racing action begins at 6 PMwith alphabet soup transfer races. The twin E, D & C-Mains transfer the top four. The twin B Mains are each 15 laps with top seven in each joining the back half of the 24 car field that will take the A-Main green flag.
As a bonus to fans this year, Friday night’s top ten performers will race in a new Bob Hilbert’s Sportswear $500 to win Cash Dash on Saturday before lining up in the A-Main event.
A schedule addition for 2024 finds a Friday night feature event scheduled among that day’s top performers. After four 16 car split field 15 lap qualifier races and a pair of B-Main, a 24 car A-Main will be held over 25 laps.
The top five finishers in Friday’s A-Main plus the top five drivers in points from the day not in those positions will lock into Saturday’s A-Main. At 6 PM on Friday the grandstands open with racing starting at 7 PM.
Good seats are currently available through a link to Ticketmaster at indoorautoracing.com. Tickets are also available daily and the days of the event at the arena box office.
For those who cannot attend, the event will be available on DTD Pay-Per-View for $64.99 for the weekend or $29.99 for Friday and $39.99 for Saturday.
Paul Newman’s name lives in perpetuity at Lime Rock Park after the Connecticut track renamed No Name Straight to the Paul Newman Straight in 2022. Beyond being a racing circuit bearing the actor-turned-racer's name, the Connecticut facility also upholds his spirit of generosity.
In honor of Newman’s legacy at this historic venue, Lime Rock Park announced during the Historic Festival 40 that The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp, a nonprofit organization founded by Newman in 1988 that is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to children with serious illnesses and their families, would be the official charitable partner of Lime Rock Park’s fundraising efforts in 2023.
Raised through ticket sales, raffles and the “The World of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman” Sotheby’s exhibit, Lime Rock Park presented $27,500 to The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp on what would have been Newman’s 99th birthday.
“Lime Rock Park is honored to contribute to the incredible work being done by Paul Newman's Hole in The Wall Gang Camp," said Lime Rock Park President Dicky Riegel. “We believe in the transformative power of community support, and this donation reflects our dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of children and families facing significant health challenges."
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has been a beacon of hope for children dealing with life-threatening illnesses. The camp offers year-round programs onsite, in hospitals and in local communities where kids and families can experience the joy of camp activities, foster friendships and build lasting memories, despite the challenges they may be facing, all free of charge to the family.
The donation will directly contribute to the camp's programs, ensuring that more children can benefit from the life-changing experiences offered by The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
“The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp remains grateful for the generous friendship of Lime Rock Park," said Jarrod Zwirko, Director of Community Fundraising for Hole in the Wall. “It is especially meaningful that their support, which is providing hope and healing to thousands of children and families each year, also recognizes the incredible legacy of our Founder, Paul Newman.”
Lime Rock Park has a longstanding tradition of supporting local communities and charitable causes, raising thousands of dollars in 2023 for local charities through community events and other efforts.
This recent contribution reaffirms the organization's commitment to making a positive impact beyond the race track. The donation was made as part of Lime Rock Park's ongoing philanthropic initiatives, focusing on improving the lives of those in need.
Lime Rock Park pledged that a portion of ticket sales from 2024 will also go to support The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Additionally, Lime Rock Park will be collecting donations for the Camp at several shows throughout the season. The Hole in the Wall Camp will also have a presence on the Midway for all major events in 2024.
Newman would have celebrated his 99th birthday. To honor his legacy, contributions to The Hole in the Wall Camp can be made by visiting https://give.holeinthewallgang.org/LRP.
Paul Newman’s Legacy at Lime Rock Park
Newman began his racing career late in life, running a Datsun 510 on Tuesdays at Lime Rock Park, not far from his home in Westport. He joined another Connecticut racer, Bob Sharp, moving up to faster cars and a bigger stage as he went from club racing to becoming a regular in the professional Trans-Am championship. Newman scored his second and final Trans-Am victory, fittingly, at Lime Rock, in Bob Sharp’s red, white and blue Nissan.
In addition to his racing, Newman was also a team owner, as he teamed with Carl Haas to launch Newman/Haas Racing which went on to score in 105 IndyCar races.
Newman won his last race at Lime Rock during a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) event, carrying the No. 82—his age at the time—on board a GT1 class 900-horsepower Corvette.
Advanced tickets for all Lime Rock events are now available at www.limerock.com/tickets.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Owner and Promoter Mike Bruno has signed with Hoosier Racing Tire to continue to be The Official Tire of Devil’s Bowl Speedway and now Airborne Park Speedway, the track Bruno will take over in 2024.
Based in Manchester, Connecticut, Hoosier Tire East, Inc. is the regional distributor for the Northeast and has been a Devil’s Bowl Sponsor for more than a decade. Now with Bruno as the promoter at Airborne Park Speedway it was a natural fit to have both tracks under the Hoosier banner.
Hoosier has been building “Tires Designed for Champions” independently since 1978, and has been the Official Tire of Devil’s Bowl Speedway since 2018. With over 1000 types of racing tires for motorsports of all kinds, they are the largest manufacturer of racing tires in the world.
Under the terms of their new agreement for 2024, Hoosier Racing Tire is the “Official Tire of Devil’s Bowl Speedway and Airborne Park Speedway”. Elmo’s Speed & Supply the “Official Parts Supplier” of both tracks will be the official distributor of Hoosier Racing tires for Devil’s Bowl and Airborne Park Speedways in 2024. Elmo’s Speed & Supply, the fastest-growing speed shop in the area over the last five years. Along with serving the needs of racers in all divisions with a wide range of new and used parts, Elmo’s Speed and Supply also directly contributes sponsor money to area racing, including the lucrative and highly sought after $3,000 bonus which could be paid to one Sportsman Modified driver who wins the track championship at both Devil’s Bowl and Airborne Park in 2024 if such a feat can be accomplished.
Both organizations will contribute to each tracks season - long point funds, and champions will receive the coveted purple Hoosier jackets at the season ending banquets.
“I’m very appreciative for the support from Rob Summers of Hoosier Tire East and from Chris Reckner at Elmo’s” Airborne Park Speedway & Devil’s Bowl promoter Mike Bruno said. “Everyone will benefit from this deal – the teams, the tracks and the sponsors – and it means a lot to have them on board at both tracks.”
For more information about racing at Devil’s Bowl and Airborne Park Speedways, visit us on the web at www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com and www.airborneparkspeedwayny.com. More information about the 2024 season at both speedways will be available in the coming weeks, including schedules, sponsors, pricing and more.
RFK Racing has announced that Consumer Cellular, a leading force in the wireless communication industry, has joined the team as its ‘Official Communications Provider.’ In addition, Consumer Cellular will serve as a primary partner for Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 team in multiple races in 2024 and beyond: making its debut on the No. 6 Ford at the NASCAR Cup Race in Phoenix in March.
“We’re always excited to welcome new partners to not only our team here at RFK, but we’re thrilled to introduce and welcome Consumer Cellular to the sport of NASCAR,” said Keselowski, driver, and co-owner of RFK. “As you can tell by their unique and engaging unveil of this partnership, the team is already ahead of the curve in creative ideas, and we hope to continue that this season and beyond.”
Consumer Cellular will make its NASCAR debut at the Phoenix race on March 10 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, SiriusXM). Its vibrant orange and blue scheme will ride along with Keselowski at three additional races in 2024, including Kansas Speedway on May 5 (3 p.m., FS1, SiriusXM), Nashville Superspeedway on June 30 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, SiriusXM), and Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 27 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, SiriusXM).
In addition, Consumer Cellular’s presence across the No. 6 team will increase significantly in the years following, with its marks living on all No. 6 team assets throughout the 2024 season. Additionally, all of RFK’s at-track communication devices will be branded Consumer Cellular.
With a remarkable rise from its origins as a small Pacific Northwest startup, Consumer Cellular has grown into a 100% U.S. based company boasting over four million subscribers nationwide. Offering many of the same services as the leading wireless brands but at up to half the price, Consumer Cellular aims to deliver exceptional value to its customers from both its growing retail presence and 100% all U.S. based call centers.
“RFK brings great innovation, performance and American know-how to the track, we didn’t get into NASCAR or this partnership lightly, we watched the team’s progression throughout the 2023 season and after spending time together came away feeling like it was a great fit for us and our customers - many of whom followed Brad’s career in the sport,” said Carter Nance, VP of Brand at Consumer Cellular. “Brad and RFK Racing have a track record of excellence and for them to count on us to be their communications partner says a lot about where we are as an organization,” said Nance.
Keselowski has a combined two wins and 34 top-10s in 76 starts at the four tracks where the Consumer Cellular Ford will appear this season.
Multi-Platinum chart-toppers Whiskey Myers have joined the soundtrack of the 2024 High Limit Racing season, with the genre-bending band signing on as the sponsor of Whiskey Myers Victory Lane.
With the lyrics “Put me back in the saddle out on the road; The way I make a livin’ is the only way I know,” epitomizing the spirit behind High Limit Racing, Whiskey Myers’ high-energy song “The Wolf” will be the official victory song played as the victor rolls into Whiskey Myers Victory Lane each race night. Check out the full version of the song on High Limit Racing’s Spotify Playlist (a “clean” version will be used in all FloRacing broadcasts and at-track).
“We loved getting to know Rico Abreu with our partnership last season – seeing our name on his sprint car was something we never imagined when we started a band,” shared Whiskey Myers drummer Jeff Hogg. “With Rico joining High Limit Racing full time in 2024, we knew we wanted to follow his lead.”
In addition to the at-track and in-stream partnership, the Whiskey Myers Minute, a one-minute compilation of that week’s High Limit Racing highlights, will be posted to High Limit’s Instagram account following each race week with various Whiskey Myers songs being featured.
“Not only does Whiskey Myers produce great music that fits the grassroots racing brand, the members of the band are also genuine race fans,” said Kendra Jacobs, Chief Marketing and Events Officer at High Limit Racing. “From support of our series to their partnership with Rico (Abreu), Whiskey Myers invests in sprint car racing and truly sees the value of the sports’ fan base and its growth potential.”
Whiskey Myers Victory Lane and “The Wolf” were featured starting with the High Limit Racing season opener at East Bay Raceway Park on February 12 and 13. The 59-race nationwide season will conclude with a two-day finale at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway on October 11 and 12. Tickets for select events, including the season-opening “Battle at the Bay” are now available here.
Like High Limit Racing, Whiskey Myers will tour the country this year playing dozens of concerts from coast-to-coast. The current tour schedule can be seen here, with more dates being added. To learn more about Whiskey Myers, visit www.whiskeymyers.com, follow @whiskeymyers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Make sure to follow @HighLimitRacing on X, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up-to-date with series information including news, event updates, ticketing information, and more.
For fans unable to attend the track, every High Limit Racing event will be streamed live on FloRacing, the series’ exclusive streaming partner. If you’re not a FloRacing subscriber, you can sign up today here.
