Continental Tire IMSA Driver Spotlight: Ryan Eversley

Driver Spotlight: Ryan Eversley
Driver, No. 75 Compass 360 Honda Civic Si (CTSC)
Follow: @ryaneversley

Have you seen the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge change due to the merger?

“We didn’t change the rules or the classification of cars so it was more about different on-track procedures and going from a 10 to a 12-race schedule. The budget has gone up a bit but the prestige of the classes has gained popularity because now we’re racing in front of the ALMS audience. So, I think we’ll see more growth of the Continental Series in terms of fan participation, which we already had a great amount of. We also have a competition director and technical committee which I think is good.”

What are your expectations for Sebring and what can fans expect from the Continental Challenge?

“Sebring is such a big deal for race fans. It’s such a party that people showed up when they had that fuel crisis in the 70’s. I’m really excited to go down there with our class because we feature 70+ cars every weekend and Sebring fans want to see a great race and we put on a great race so I think that they’re going to be in for a real treat and we’re also going to be able to race one of the best tracks in the world, in my opinion. I can’t wait to get to Sebring.”

How does the ST championship look for 2014?

“I feel like it’s going to be similar to last year but I don’t think the Hondas will be as strong. There’s a strong contingency of Porsches and they have a favorable rules package, and the BMWs have also been competitive. Terry Borcheller is back with his teammate, Mike LaMarra, and now, Eric Foss, is paired with, Jeff Mosing, who’s one of the best sedan drivers out there so I think you’ll see a strong fight between a lot of the BMWs and hopefully we can mix it up with our Honda. I wish it was a bit more balanced for the front-wheel drive cars. Not just the Honda’s but the Mazdas and Nissans too, because I think there is a little bit of a pace advantage in the rear-wheel drive cars.”

How important is social media for drivers and how has it helped you?

“I think it’s extremely important; it’s free advertising. The guys that interact with the fans are the ones that get the sponsorship. I’ve been fortunate to pair up with companies like Continental Tire to represent them outside of racing at events like SEMA and have had a lot of other opportunities arise completely because of my social media interactions. I love interacting with the fans because honestly, I never even thought about having a fan-base. I wanted to be a race car driver so I could race cars. I didn’t realize people might want to follow along with what I have going on so I take it really serious and I try to interact with every person who follows me, even if it’s negative.”

You recently ran in your underwear. Can you tell us why?

“Myself, Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, my girlfriend Ashley Parlett, and a few others from Dempsey Racing, all ran in our underwear to raise money for Cupid’s Undie Run. I’ve worked with the Children’s Tumor Foundation for the last five years and their goal is to end a disease called, neurofibromatosis, more commonly referred to as, NF. The event is part of the foundation and I raised $15,000 and combined, everyone in our group raised $24,000. So many drivers, drivers that I’ve never even met before, donated amounts of money that blew me away. When you see the goodwill other people want to do, it’s awesome.

“You see the good and the bad. I have a good friend, Jack Burke, and he’s got a tumor on his brain stem and he’s got 50 more weeks of chemo ahead of him so it’s not all underwear runs, it’s trips to the hospital to hopefully help him through the day. And to have the fans, my friends and racing community come together to help with this is something I can never thank them enough for.”