Eversley Weighing Options for 2018

Ryan Eversley says he would love to stay in the Acura fold after his contract with RealTime Racing concludes at the end of the season, but says he is keeping an open mind as he evaluates his opportunities for 2018

With HART reported to be closing in on an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program focused on the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup next year, Eversley said a return to the Ohio-based team is one possibility that is on the table.

“Technically my contract with Acura, through RealTime, ends in a few months when the program goes to customer cars,” Eversley told Sportscar365. “HART is a customer team, [the crew] just happen to work for Honda.

“I’ve driven for them in the past and it was really good. We’ll see. I’d love to stay at RealTime and if that means I can drive for them if they have a car, then great.

“HART has shown interest, I love them too, so it’s all good. It’s silly season. I’ve had a lot of really nice phone calls in the past few weeks which have been really cool, just to see interest because you never know what could happen tomorrow.

“I’m talking to to them, they’re talking to me, but I’m talking to everybody.”

While his connection to Honda and its Acura brand runs deep, Eversley said he has been receiving interest from teams outside of the Honda family.

“A lot of these phone calls have come from interested parties I would have never assumed,” he said. “That’s from getting to drive with [RealTime] and show my skill set in the PWC paddock against the best guys in the world.

“I’d love to stay in an Acura even if I don’t drive for Acura. We’ve had a lot of success before. I drove for privateer teams before I drove for them and I can do it again now when these cars go for sale. But we’ll see.”

Eversley said he was open to racing anywhere that his basic criteria can be met.

“My focus is being in a car that can win races that will pay me to be able to drive race cars, and nothing else. That’s my main focus: earning a living and being in competitive equipment.

“TCR I’d love to do. I was a touring car guy. I was in the [IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge] ST class for a long, long time, and I think that’s one of my fortes.

“If someone called me tomorrow to race an Indy Lights car, Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks, Monster Trucks, TCR cars, I literally want to do anything that I can do.

“It’s kind of like: I’d love to stay in our equipment, I love these guys, and if RealTime comes up with a customer car and they want me to drive with that guy, we’ll see.

“But it’s wide open. There’s a lot of good things in the works.”