NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The likely merger of Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises can be mutually beneficial, minority owner Ray Evernham said Saturday, but admitted he had no involvement in the decision and has remained on board merely in a consulting role.
   
“I’m happy for George [Gillett] and Richard [Petty] if they feel like the merger will make both teams successful,” Evernham said while attending the Sound and Speed fan festival here.
  
“Obviously the Petty name is something that needs to be maintained in the sport. [The merger] looks good. I think that George and Richard can do a lot of things together marketing-wise. ... If he and George can find a way to get the Petty name back in victory lane, I think that will be a really, really good thing for NASCAR in general.”
   
Officials have not announced what the new name for the team would be, should it change.

   
While not finalized, the two do have an agreement in principle. The merger would unite the three-car team of Gillett Evernham with a one-car effort previously fielded by Petty. Drivers will include Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson, with AJ Allmendinger likely running a partial schedule in a fourth car.
   
The merger is expected to become official before the start of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener next month.
   
Evernham Motorsports became Gillett Evernham midway through 2007 when Gillett purchased a majority interest in the team. It had debuted in 2001 when Evernham helped guide Dodge back into the sport, fielding teams for drivers Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood.
   
But after selling to Gillett, Evernham began scaling back his involvement. What he’s not doing, he said, is getting out of the sport.
   
“I’m not done,” he said. “I know some people have said that I’m burned out or I was soured on NASCAR. That’s just not true.
   
“When I sold my team ... I knew I’d taken it as far as I could take it. I needed some help to win a championship. Hopefully, George and Richard can continue on that path and win a championship.” - scenedaily.com