Ray Evernham is back with ESPN.
The former crew chief who won three Sprint Cup series championships and 47 races with Jeff Gordon will return to ESPN as an analyst on NASCAR broadcasts this season after a one-year hiatus.
Evernham, who previously worked with ESPN from 2008 through the 2010 seasons, will be an analyst on NASCAR Countdown for many of the 17 Cup races that will appear on ESPN networks in the second half of the season.
In addition to appearances on NASCAR Now and SportsCenter, Evernham will help call several Nationwide Series races for ESPN from the booth.
When Evernham left ESPN in 2010, he took a consulting position with Hendrick Companies, a management company that oversees strategic initiatives for chairman Rick Hendrick, who also owns Hendrick Motorsports.
"I chose to take a year off from ESPN out of respect for ESPN and Hendrick Motorsports," said Evernham. "I didn't want to create any perceived conflict of interest while I got my bearings at Hendrick and didn't want to cause distraction to either company.
"Stock car racing is my passion, and I'm looking forward to being back involved. I'm excited about the momentum NASCAR has going into the 2012 season."
Rudd, Childress to be inducted: Driver Ricky Rudd and championship car owner Richard Childress will be inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame during a ceremony in May.
Rudd competed in the Cup series for 32 years. He drove for some of the most prominent team owners in the sport's history, including Bud Moore, Childress, Rick Hendrick, Robert Yates and the Wood Brothers. He earned 23 Cup wins, including a victory in the 1997 Brickyard 400.
Childress formed Richard Childress Racing in 1972, originally competing as an owner/driver. He has gone on to win six Cup titles as a team owner, all with the late Dale Earnhardt, and won Cup races at the Cup level. His list of races won includes the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. Overall, Childress has 11 championships in NASCAR's three national series - Cup, Nationwide and Trucks.
Big Money 100 returns to CMS: The third annual Legends Big Money 100 will take place July 2-3 on the frontstretch 1/4-mile oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Competitors participating in the Legends Big Money 100 have the option of registering in three Legend Car divisions based on the driver's age and experience level: Young Lions/Semi-Pro, Masters or Legends Big Money 100, which is open to all drivers.
The winner of the Legends Big Money 100 race receives $25,000. For more information, call (704) 455-4305.
Edwards has alternate crew chief in Shootout: Chip Bolin, the head engineer at Roush Fenway Racing, will serve as crew chief for driver Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Ford in this weekend's Budweiser Shootout.
Bob Osborne, Edwards' regular crew chief, will miss the race to attend the funeral of his father, who died this week.
