NASCAR WCUP: Atwood gets top 20 finish in Winston Cup debut
10 September 2000
RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 9, 2000) -- "Pull your belt on tight and good luck," were the last words Ray Evernham spoke to Casey Atwood before the green flag dropped at the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Atwood finished in the top 20 after starting in 35th place. The 400-lap NASCAR Winston Cup Series race went quickly, with only seven cautions throughout the evening's race. "We started behind but the kid did a great job," said Evernham. "He's everything that I thought he would be. This was our chance to practice and get comfortable with the car and the team, and we did." This was Atwood's debut as a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver, as well as the most laps he has ever run, and Evernham's official return to NASCAR as team owner. "This morning I said a top-20 finish would be perfect," said the 20-year-old Atwood. "And we got it." Throughout the race, Evernham encouraged Atwood over the radio to find his rhythm and learn from the lead cars. At lap 130, Evernham asked Atwood, "Are you having fun yet?" Atwood worked his way up to his 20th-place finish after running 39th at lap 17. Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag, his third win of the season. The No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports Ford ran without any mechanical problems. The only slight interruption was at lap 377 when the No. 19 Motorola car cut a right front tire and came in for an unscheduled pit stop. But a caution followed right behind him, allowing him to stay two laps down and finish in the top 20. Atwood was a crowd favorite and his family came out to support him at his first race in the Winston Cup Series. "Anytime he runs I'm happy," said Terry Atwood, Casey's father. "I don't ever miss one of Casey's races." Motorola radio communications played a key role in the teams' success at the 0.75-mile oval. "If you talk, talk loud and slow," Evernham reminded Atwood before the race. "When I talk, I slow down," said Atwood on his tendency to keep quite over the radio during the race. "Listening to Ray over the radio keeps me pumped up." Lou Patane, vice president, Dodge Motorsports Operations and Mopar Performance Parts was there to support the team's efforts. "To bring a rookie driver into a very tough and competitive series like NASCAR Winston Cup with a new team proves that our future is being built on a strong foundation," said Patane. The Dodge team is very proud of what Casey has accomplished, as what as Evernham Motorsports and the entire group that put this effort together." The No. 19 Motorola Evernham Motorsports team's next race will be Oct. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team will finish out the last of its three races Nov. 12 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.