Motorola and Evernham Motorsports Take to the Track
25 August 2000
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (Aug. 23, 2000) -- Motorola, the "Official Communications Company of NASCAR," announced it will be the primary sponsor of Evernham Motorsports with driver Casey Atwood in three NASCAR Winston Cup Series races this year, marking the simultaneous debuts of Ray Evernham as a team owner and Atwood as a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. The No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports Ford will compete at Richmond (Va.) International Speedway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Motorola's involvement with Evernham Motorsports illustrates the company's commitment to having an impact in NASCAR beyond its official sponsor status. Atwood, who will turn 20 on Friday, will pilot a Ford Taurus establishing the groundwork for the 2001 Dodge team, since the Dodge chassis will not begin its re-entry into NASCAR competition until the Daytona 500 in February 2001. "Motorola is a perfect sponsor for our fall 2000 development program," Evernham said. "Their sponsorship enables our team to get valuable on-track experience, which will help accelerate our growth as a team and Casey as a driver. As a world leader in providing wireless communications, Motorola products are integral to our team's operations and on-track performance." These three races will be crucial for Evernham's team as they look to provide Atwood with quality seat-time in a Winston Cup car -- a faster and heavier version of his current NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division ride. Evernham will play an active role developing and analyzing race strategy, working closely with Atwood. "We couldn't pass up the opportunity to be Ray Evernham's very first sponsor as a car owner," said Greg Via, vice president and director of c orporate sponsorship marketing for Motorola. "We are pleased to provide Ray and Casey the opportunity to display their talents in the 2000 Winston Cup season." Without provisional points, there is a risk that Atwood may not make one of the three races this year, although this seems unlikely given Evernham's success with rookie drivers in the past. "Casey is an extremely talented driver," Evernham said. "I am confident that he will qualify and run well." "This has been a dream come true for me," Atwood added. "Most people my age don't get a chance like this. I'm hoping these races will allow us to put everything into place for next season." Atwood will test the Motorola car at Richmond International Speedway Aug. 28-29 in preparation for his first official laps in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition Sept. 9. The relationship was spearheaded by NASCAR's New York marketing office working on behalf of Motorola to leverage its official NASCAR status within the industry. Earlier this year, Motorola announced its long-term sponsorship of NASCAR as "Official Communications Company" including status as official cellular phone, pager, two-way radio and cable modem of NASCAR. The international communications company has been involved in a variety of motor sports as early as 1937. Virtually all Motorola products are used in auto racing, from DigitalDNA(tm) technology represented by embedded electronics in Champ Cars, to integrated communications solutions such as two-way radios, cellular phones and pagers that enable teams and drivers to communicate efficiently. In addition to its involvement in NASCAR, Motorola is an official sponsor of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the PacWest Racing Group with CART driver Mark Blundell, the Motorola Cup North American Street Stock Championship and the DAMS Motorsport Team which competes in the American Le Mans Series.