LINCOLNTON, N.C. -- NASCAR team owner Ray Evernham says he is negotiating to buy a small track in North Carolina so he can "get back into grassroots racing.''

The Lincoln Times-News reports that Evernham said Thursday that he and partner Bob Mack plan to buy the East Lincoln Speedway. Evernham said he has sold most of his interest in the Gillett-Evernham Motorsports racing team, and plans to retire from the highest level of the sport.

The 51-year-old Evernham was a championship-winning crew chief who won three NASCAR titles with Jeff Gordon.

Evernham small speedways that play an important role in developing future racing stars are disappearing nationwide. The East Lincoln Speedway has been in operation since 1991, and Evernham said the dirt track had a family atmosphere that he wanted to preserve.