Greg Bailey NewsChannel 36 Sports Director

I drove 25 miles on Saturday night and pulled into the parking lot of Ray Evernham's new life. Just past the dirt and gravel parking lot and a thick band of evergreen trees, the East Lincoln Speedway calls out to racing's past. The ruddy brown track looks like something from a museum photo, and that's what makes it perfect.

This is your grandfather's race track. And if he's not here for Saturday night racing, someone who knows him probably is. Families line the bleachers, and children run from the concession stand with glow-in-the-dark bracelets. They all notice when NASCAR team owner and three-time Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham makes his way up to the small press box. But here, tonight, he's not a Sprint Cup giant. He's just Ray. The man who brought this place back to life. The man who ordered everything painted with a fresh coat. And the man who cleaned it up so families could come together.

Ray shakes hands and greets fans by name, taking each step with a smile and a wave. He's just as trim and fit as you remember, but he looks like he's 10 years younger. Chasing championships on racing's biggest stage was a grind. This is fun, and it shows.

Evernham told me that big money and big purses for Saturday night racing can be found on other tracks in the area. This track is about families and the people who need an outlet for racing in cars they build themselves. Some have paint jobs that look professional and some don't. Numbers on the side of cars might have a stencil's touch, but maybe not. No one in the stands seems to mind as the cars roar around in tight circles.

Tonight Evernham will get behind the wheel of a car and run for intermission entertainment. Fans cheer as his 98 car gains traction and takes the lead. Evernham pulls away and grins wildly when he climbs out of his car to say something gracious on the track P-A system.

Evernham admitted that he misses his friends in the Cup garage, and maybe someday he'll go back to the grind and the stress. But for now, this is his race track, and this is his home. Families in Lincoln County who love racing on a Saturday night know they're always welcome. Soon, Ray will know them all by name.

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