Sadler to finish out year with Evernham

EVERNHAM MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES ELLIOTT SADLER AS THE DRIVER OF THE NO. 19 DODGE DEALERS/UAW DODGE CHARGER BEGINNING IN MICHIGAN

Team Sets Stage for Success in 2007 Season

STATESVILLE, NC (August 16, 2006) -- Evernham Motorsports announced today that it has named Elliott Sadler to drive the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger beginning this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

Sadler, who had his first win at Bristol in 2001, has three career wins, seven poles and 16 top fives in 271 starts, brings his hard-charging driving style, fun-loving personality and broad fan appeal to Evernham's three-car NASCAR Nextel Cup program. He joins Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger and Scott Riggs, driver of the No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger.

The 31-year-old native of Emporia, VA, will start his career at Evernham Motorsports this weekend in the backyard of his new primary sponsors -- Dodge and the Dodge Dealers -- to fuel the team's march to prominence. While the terms of his relationship with Evernham Motorsports were not announced, he does have a long term commitment to the program.

"It's truly an honor to drive for Dodge and Ray Evernham and to be a part of this team," said Sadler. "I admired Ray as a crew chief and now as a team owner and business leader. His operation is impressive. When you look at the engineering resources, the talented guys on the team, the marketing programs, the facilities and the way he and his directors run things, you can tell that this is a powerhouse organization that is focused on winning races and championships. I look forward to providing some of those wins and hopefully competing with Kasey and Scott for the championship next year."

Sadler is also excited about his new relationship with Dodge.

"My family's business has a Dodge dealership in Franklin, VA, so it will great to represent Dodge and all the dealers across the country," he added. "They have some amazing cars and trucks, and I'll be trading in my current truck for a Ram SRT-10 right away."

Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports, said Sadler brings the right chemistry, personality and driving skills to round out his stable of NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers.

"So much of the success of a team depends on having the right blend of chemistry and communications," said Evernham. "Elliott will be a great fit with our team right away and will bring the competitive drive and the ability to communicate with the team what the Dodge Charger needs to perform at its best. I think he's the key that will place this team firmly on the path to success."

Sadler will get his first experience in a Dodge Charger on Wednesday when his team goes to Kentucky Speedway to test.

"We're looking forward to having Elliott join the Dodge family," said Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge SRT and motorsports product planning and marketing. "He's got great star power, he's a talented driver and has excellent potential to be a champion. He's a perfect fit for the Dodge brand."

-credit: em