Ray Evernham joins ESPN as racing analyst

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham has joined the ESPN cable sports network as an auto racing analyst.

Evernham also was the crew chief for Jeff Gordon when he won three points titles and 47 races with Hendrick Motorsports in the 1990s.

Evernham makes his debut this Sunday at the Daytona 500 at Daytona Beach, Fla.

The network also said that he will be part of a rotating panel of ESPN analysts appearing in a weekly roundtable discussion on Mondays.

"We are thrilled to further elevate our NASCAR telecasts with the addition of another former champion in Ray Evernham," said Rich Feinberg, ESPN's vice president for motorsports and production. "Our team already has a very deep bench and this only strengthens it."

Evernham's current team includes Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Patrick Capentier.