Erin Crocker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Erin Crocker Evernham |
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![]() Crocker at Daytona in 2008
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Born | Erin Mary Crocker March 23, 1981 Wilbraham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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Achievements | 1993–1996 Quarter Midgets of America Northeast Regional Champion | ||||||
Awards | 1993–1995 Quarter Midgets of America Female Driver of the Year 2003 Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year |
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NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
10 races run over 2 years | |||||||
Best finish | 67th (2006) | ||||||
First race | 2005 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond) | ||||||
Last race | 2006 Ford 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
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NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
29 races run over 3 years | |||||||
Best finish | 25th (2006) | ||||||
First race | 2005 Chevy Silverado 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
Last race | 2008 San Bernardino County 200 (Fontana) | ||||||
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Erin Mary Crocker Evernham, born on March 23, 1981, is an American race car driver. She also works as a broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network's Winged Nation. Before becoming a professional racer, Erin was a talented athlete. She played soccer, tennis, and lacrosse in both high school and college. Later, she decided to focus more on her family life.
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Early Racing Days
Erin Crocker started her racing journey very young. At just 7 years old, she began racing quarter midgets. These are small race cars for young drivers. She joined clubs in Thompson and Meriden, Connecticut. In her first year, she was named the Most Improved Novice.
From 1993 to 1996, while in middle and high school, Erin won many awards. She also earned three Northeast Regional Quarter Midgets of America championships. In 1997, she moved on to Mini Sprints at Whip City Speedway. She made history there by becoming the youngest driver and the first female to win a race at the track.
Erin continued racing Mini Sprints in 1998. In 1999, she joined the Eastern Limited Sprint Series. She was named Rookie of the Year for her great performance.
Racing While Studying
Erin started racing professionally in the World of Outlaws series. This was while she was attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. She studied hard and graduated in 2003 with a degree in industrial and management engineering.
In 2002, Erin signed with Woodring Racing to drive a 360 winged sprint car. She won five main races and twelve heat races. This earned her the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Outstanding Newcomer Award. The next year, she switched to 410 Dirt Sprints. She became the first woman to qualify for the famous Knoxville Nationals race. At the end of that season, she was named Rookie of the Year for the 410 division.
NASCAR and ARCA Adventures
2004: A Big Opportunity
In 2004, Erin Crocker got a chance to drive for Ford Motor Company's driver development program. This program helps young drivers improve their skills. She also made history that year. She became the first female World of Outlaws driver to win a feature race in Tulare, California.
2005: Joining Evernham Motorsports
The next year, Erin joined Evernham Motorsports' driver development program. She raced in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. She had a great season, finishing in the top 5 three times, including one second-place finish. She also earned two pole positions, meaning she started the race from the very front.
Erin also made her NASCAR debut in 2005. She raced in the Busch Series at Richmond International Raceway. She also competed in a couple of Truck races for Bobby Hamilton Racing.
2006: Full-Time Truck Racing
In 2006, Erin drove the No. 98 car full-time in the Truck Series. She finished 25th in the Craftsman Truck standings. After the 2006 season, Evernham Motorsports decided to close the No. 98 team.
During her time as a Truck Series driver, there was a situation involving another driver, Jeremy Mayfield, and team owner Ray Evernham. This situation led to some discussions about how Ray Evernham's focus on his personal life might have affected Erin's racing career. Ray Evernham later confirmed that their relationship had indeed impacted her career.
2007-2008: New Paths
In 2007, Erin raced in a few ARCA Series events. She won the pole position for the first ARCA race of the season at Daytona International Speedway.
After the fall 2007 ARCA race, Erin left Evernham Motorsports. In 2008, she raced in two Truck Series events for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. Later that year, she joined the broadcast team for SPEED (TV channel) for an ARCA/REMAX race.
Life Beyond Racing
On August 26, 2009, Erin Crocker married her former team owner, Ray Evernham, in Las Vegas.
On July 25, 2015, Erin and Ray welcomed their daughter, Cate Susan Evernham, into the world.