Statesville, NC (Best E Casino) - Ray Evernham is the latest Nextel Cup owner to take on a business partner. On Monday, Evernham Motorsports announced the creation of Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM), a partnership between the Gillett family.

George N. Gillett Jr. is the owner of the Montreal Canadiens and a co-owner of the Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League.

"Racing is in my blood," said Gillett. "It's not often you get to partner with a leader with Ray's reputation, talent and championship legacy."

Evernham will retain a significant portion of ownership and have the title of chief executive officer.

"It's very exciting for me to deliver to sponsors and fans the opportunity to align with a worldwide sports leader," Evernham said. "With the business acumen of the Gillett family and its sports brands, we've greatly expanded our reach.

"This will allow me to focus on our racing operations and team performance, while the Gillett family will focus on our business operations."