Tommy Lane to drive for Evernham Motorsports

Evernham Motorsports Welcomes Tommy Lane as Driver of The Evernham Motorsports Dodge in The NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series

STATESVILLE, N.C. (January 25, 2005) -- Evernham Motorsports, which launched its driver development program with Paul Wolfe in the No. 6 Hungry Drivers Dodge and soon added World-of-Outlaws standout Erin Crocker for select Silver Crown, ARCA and NASCAR Busch series events, has created another opportunity for a talented young driver.

Drive for Diversity participant Tommy Lane, a Wall, N.J. native, will join Evernham Motorsports to drive the No. 99 Evernham Dodge in the Dodge NASCAR Weekly Series at Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, N.C. He also works on the No. 6 Hungry Drivers Dodge Busch team as a tire carrier. Lane will compete in a minimum of 18 events for Evernham Motorsports. Sponsors for the No. 99 team will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Tommy Lane is a great young man with a passion for racing and a commitment to hard work," said Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "I've known Tommy and his father, Ace Lane, for a number of years, and I've always been impressed with Tommy's ability and enthusiasm. I'm proud to be able to provide him an opportunity to expand his experience and hopefully give him a competitive ride someday in a major NASCAR series."

Evernham selected Lane after evaluating his performance in the 2005 Drive for Diversity Combine at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia. Lane was one of 18 drivers who tested Late Model stock cars and participated in activities and interviews with prospective team owners. He is the first Drive for Diversity participant to be selected for both the Driver Program and the Crew Program.

"I grew up watching Ray Evernham race, then win races as a crew chief and team owner," said Lane. "It's an honor to now have an opportunity to race for him and be a member of one of his race teams. He has a great organization and a real commitment to helping younger drivers get experience in good equipment. I just hope I can make him proud of me."

Lane, 29, got his first taste of racing at the age of 11 in a go-kart. He won five straight track titles in go-kart competition. He moved up to three-quarter midgets in American Three-Quarter Midget Racing Association competition and finished eighth in points his first season en route to Rookie-of-the-Year honors. The next season, he finished third in the ATQMRA point standings.

He spent a season at Pocono Raceway working with the Stock Car Experience program and also attended Panoz Racing School at RoadAtlanta. When time permitted, he competed in some go-kart events. The next year, he worked with the Urban Youth Racing School, teaching Philadelphia's youth the fundamentals of racing a go-kart.

Last year, Lane worked with Hermie Sadler on both the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series program. He was a spotter for Sadler during practice and the front tire carrier on race day.

About Evernham Motorsports
Evernham Motorsports is a leading team in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Founded by CEO Ray Evernham in 2000, the team is in its fourth season of competition at the highest level of NASCAR racing; with drivers Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, Kasey Kahne in the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge and Bill Elliott in the No. 91 Evernham Motorsports Dodge. For more information on Evernham Motorsports, visit www.evernhammotorsports.com.

About the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series
The NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series is contested at nearly 70 weekly short tracks in the United States and Canada. Drivers at each facility compete for local awards as well as a share of the $1.7 million annual point fund from NASCAR, Dodge and other participating sponsors. Greg Pursley of Santa Clarita, Calif. won the 2004 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national championship and collected $170,000 in post-season awards while competing in the Lucas Oil Super Late Model division at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

About Drive for Diversity
Drive for Diversity is a motorsports initiative, endorsed by NASCAR, which is committed to creating a pipeline of talented diverse and female drivers and pit crew members. The effort is executed by Charlotte-based Access Marketing & Communications. In 2005, the program will support up to eight drivers in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series and crew members in the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Grand National Division. Last season, Drive for Diversity had five drivers on the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series and six crew members in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Series. For more information, please go to the official Drive for Diversity Web site at www.drivefordiversity.com.

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