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11 March 2000

Evernham Motorsports Names Driver

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Nineteen eighty-eight NASCAR Winston Cup Champion 
Bill Elliott will be at the wheel of one of Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dealers 
Intrepid R/Ts when Dodge makes its heralded return to NASCAR Winston Cup racing 
beginning with the 2001 Daytona 500.

    There is a unique twist:  Elliott, part of the seven-car Intrepid
contingent, will be in familiar Car number 9.  It's the same number Elliott
drove to the Winston Cup title, and to 40 career victories and 46 career pole
positions while competing for Melling Racing from 1982 to 1991.

    "We're really excited to bring one of the most successful and most popular
drivers in NASCAR history to our team", said Ray Evernham, team owner.  "He's
the perfect guy to be the cornerstone of our new team.  First and foremost,
he's a great driver.  He brings a level of experience and winning from the
driver's side of things that not too many people in racing have.  In addition
to being a winner, Bill is the complete package you want in a driver.  He's an
excellent chassis setup guy.  He's very much into making the car handle, and
that's something I'm into as well."

    "This is another great milestone in the 500-day countdown to our return to
NASCAR Winston Cup competition", said DaimlerChrysler's Lou Patane, Vice
President, Motorsports Operations and Mopar Performance Parts.  "The uniting
of Ray Evernham and Bill Elliott gives us one of the winningest combinations
in racing history."

    "To bring a driver with the credentials, the history and the immense
popularity of Bill Elliott into the Dodge family is a huge bonus for us.  For
the more than 2,900 Dodge dealers sponsoring this program and for our
associate, sponsor, the UAW National Training Center, both have landed a
driver they can identify with, as have the legions of Dodge enthusiasts out
there.  That further builds on the solid foundation on which we look to build
another winning Dodge tradition at the highest levels of motorsports
competition."

    Just last Fall, Evernham left behind his role as the successful three-time
Winston Cup championship crew chief of the #24 Team -- start his career as a
Winston Cup team owner and architect of the new Dodge Intrepid NASCAR program.
Elliott will leave his latest venture as team owner/driver of Elliott Racing
to be a driver for Evernham Motorsports.

    Together, Evernham and Elliott have combined for four Winston Cup titles,
87 wins, 79 pole positions, and 268 top-five finishes.  They've also combined
for four Daytona 500 victories.

    Making the move to Evernham Motorsports with Elliott, in addition to his
venerable number 9 -- that comes courtesy of his old teammates at Melling
Racing -- will be key members of his current leadership at Elliott Racing,
most notably general manager Eddie D Hondt and car chief Mike Ford.

    "I'm truly excited to join the Dodge Winston Cup program and be a part of
racing history once again," said Elliott, who recently was voted Most Popular
Driver for a record 14th time in the Motorsports Press Association annual fan
poll.  "This gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start with a very high-
profile program that all eyes in the racing world will be watching.  I'm
especially thankful that the Mellings have let me have my old number back, and
also for the chance to bring my key people with me to Evernham Motorsports.  I
think it's going to be great for everybody involved."

    The driver for the second Evernham Motorsports entry -- car number 19 --
will be announced at a later date.  The two-car Evernham team will be joined
in the Dodge Intrepid camp next season by the two-car effort from Bill Davis
Racing, with drivers Ward Burton and Dave Blaney, and the three-car contingent
of Petty Enterprises, featuring drivers Kyle Petty, John Andretti and Adam
Petty.