Ray Evernham's collection of vintage race cars is headed to auction

NASCAR Hall of Fame member Ray Evernham is selling more than 30 cars from his personal collection. Scheduled to cross the block in May 2022, the fleet includes a diverse mix of vintage race cars and a handful of street-legal classics that are all offered with no reserve.

Evernham’s collecting days aren’t over. Mecum Auctions explains that he began collecting and restoring cars about two decades ago, but he’s thinning his fleet because he’s out of space. If you have a free spot (or four) in your garage, this is a rare opportunity to add some really cool cars to your collection. One of the highlights is a 1965 Brawner Hawk Ford Dean Van Lines Special that was driven by Mario Andretti in back-to-back Indy Car championships in 1965 and 1966. It’s based on a 1964 Brabham chassis and powered by a 4.2-liter V8 engine.

If you want something older, there is a heavily-modified 1923 Ford Model T known as the Queen of Speed. Erin Crocker, Evernham’s wife, drove it in the 2015 Race of Gentlemen, but its racing heritage goes back much further. Several ex-NASCAR racers are up for grabs, too, including a 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a 1974 Mercury Montego, a 1974 Dodge Charger, and a 2001 Dodge Intrepid. All of these cars sound like they’re well documented; Jack Ingram notably took first place in the 1975 edition of the Daytona 300 in the Monte Carlo.

Not all of the cars that Evernham is parting with have spent their life on the track. He is also selling a 1940 Ford Standard Coupe, a 1952 Dodge Power Wagon, and a stick-shifted 1979 Jeep J10 that would look awesome towing the 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona NASCAR. Fans of European cars have only one vehicle to bid on: a 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 finished in Guards Red and with about 12,000 miles. 

Evernham’s collection will cross the auction block at Mecum’s Indy 2022 sale, which is scheduled to take place in Indianapolis between May 13 and 21. And, all of these cars are offered with no reserve, meaning that each lot will be taken home by the highest bidder.