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Tag: Robert Yates

  • Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    Hot 20 – The Yates legacy will come to life under the hood of a third of the Charlotte field

    When one of the legends in the sport leaves us, we remember. If a man is known simply by the company he keeps, Robert Yates did very well.

    As a team owner, he was the boss to such NASCAR luminaries as Davey Allison, Larry McReynolds, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, and Ricky Rudd. His boys led him to 57 Cup wins over parts of nearly 20 campaigns. Jarrett and Allison allowed him to celebrate three Daytona 500 wins and a pair of July races. They each brought him a World 600 victory. He was a five-time winning owner at Talladega. Thanks to Jarrett, he got to kiss the bricks twice at Indianapolis. The boys helped him to a pair of Bristol wins. Six Richmond triumphs, two each delivered by Irvan and Jarrett, with Allison and Rudd chipping in the other two. In 1999, Jarrett delivered a Cup championship. Yes, Yates knew talent, and they produced for him.

    Robert Yates also knew engines. Not only was there a Yates engine powering Jarrett, they also sent Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to the top of the mountain. Yates Engines provided the gusto that provided 77 Cup wins, and continue to do so under the guiding hand of his son, Doug.

    NASCAR owner, engine maker, and Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2018, Robert Yates leaves us at 74 years of age.

    When the engines come to life this Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, a third of the field will have Roush-Yates power plants under the hood.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 3059 POINTS – 5 Wins
    Could sit Saturday night and still rank among the top dozen.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 3041 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Elliott did not try to block him or send Kyle into the fence and lost. Chase needs a new plan.

    3. KYLE LARSON – 3034 POINTS – 4 Wins
    Ganassi has won 16 titles – 7 IndyCar crowns, 5 Grand-Am, 4 Champ Car. One appears missing.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 3020 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Not sure if he be a Hatfield or McCoy, but Rowdy wants to womp him low and womp him high.

    5. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3017 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Not only is he NASCAR’s most decorated active driver, but also its highest paid. Sorry Junior.

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 3015 POINTS – 1 Win
    Wants the future of the sport, Mr. Elliott, to win soon. As for what Mr. Busch thinks…

    7. DENNY HAMLIN – 3013 POINTS – 2 Wins
    “NASCAR drivers should be making NBA, NFL money.” I wonder if track owners will pony up?

    8. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 3010 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Sometimes a gamble earns you seven points and advancement in the Chase.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 3008 POINTS – 1 Win
    Give a kid a checkered flag, and that Kyle Larson cap he was sporting comes right off.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT – 3006 POINTS
    The day he decides to be a selfish jerk on the track is the day he will head to Victory Lane.

    11. MATT KENSETH – 3005 POINTS
    Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the next WWE heavyweight champion.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 3003 POINTS
    Ganassi came close in 2005 to a title, but Stirling Marlin broke his leg. This was his replacement.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 2067 POINTS – 1 Win
    No doubt he loves his crew chief, but probably loves Stenhouse’s just a bit more.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 2065 POINTS – 1 Win
    Won the last time he was at Charlotte. Another would be a lovely consolation prize.

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 2046 POINTS – 1 Win
    Can he do for Leavine Family Racing what Kurt did for Furniture Row?

    16. KURT BUSCH – 2044 POINTS – 1 Win
    19th was his best first-round finish, and that is just not good enough. It really is not good at all.

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 750 POINTS
    Sixth place finish at Dover was good. His crew chief’s $10,000 fine…not so much.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 741 POINTS – 1 Win
    If Kim Jong-un had launched those bad boys on Wednesday, Joey would have been safe.

    19. ERIK JONES – 728 POINTS
    If Hamlin is right, we might need a bottle drive to help top up Erik’s salary for next season.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 653 POINTS
    Suarez could take the next three races off, and still would easily claim a spot in our Hot 20.

  • Robert Yates, NASCAR Championship Owner, Dies at 74

    Robert Yates, NASCAR Championship Owner, Dies at 74

    Robert Yates, a renowned engine builder and NASCAR Cup Series champion team owner died Monday after losing his battle with liver cancer. He was 74. His son, Doug Yates, president and CEO of Roush Yates Engines, announced his father’s passing Monday night, onTwitter.

    “My Dad and Hero, Robert Yates, has passed and is with the Lord. Thanks for all the prayers and support.”

    “Hero — my dad’s my hero,” his son said. “My dad’s the toughest guy you’ve ever met. Never give up, always looking for the positive and looking for a competitive advantage, and that’s the way he raised myself and our family and everybody at Roush Yates.”

    In May, Yates was in attendance for his selection as an inductee into the 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame, winning 94 percent of the votes. The emotion was evident in his voice as he said, “I don’t even know if I’ll sleep tonight. I’m so honored and I love this sport, and I want this sport to do the same thing it did for me, again and again and again.”

    At the induction announcement, Yates also recalled a former professor saying, “Robert Yates will never amount to anything. He’s working on a tractor instead of studying.”

    However, his expertise as a mechanic would lead to 77 victories as an engine builder. Yates made the move to NASCAR in 1971, working with Hall of Famer Junior Johnson. His engines powered Cale Yarborough’s cars and propelled Bobby Allison to a Cup Series championship title in 1983 for DiGard Racing.

    Yates’ 21-year career as a NASCAR Premier Series team owner began in 1989 where he went on to capture 57 wins, 49 poles and 270 top-five finishes. In 1999, he won the Cup Series championship with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett. Yates fielded cars for Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, David Gilliland, Paul Menard and more. He won three Daytona 500s, one with Allison in 1992 and two with Jarrett, in 1996 and 2000.

    Yates will be missed in the NASCAR community, not only for his contributions to the sports but for the personal impact he made on the lives he touched.

    As three-time Cup Champion Tony Stewart said, “Our sport lost one of the most inventive minds and kindest personalities in Robert Yates. I’m glad I got to know him and proud our race team was able to honor him this year at Darlington. He leaves a strong legacy that is carried on by his son, Doug, and all of their employees at Roush Yates Engines. While Robert will certainly be missed, he will always be remembered.”

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

     

  • Robert Yates Through the Years

    Robert Yates Through the Years

    Robert Yates, a name known around the garage for decades sadly lost his battle with cancer Monday.

    Many of the sports biggest stars drove for the iconic engine builder and owner, names like Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison,  Ricky Rudd, and Davey Allison each drove for Yates during their career in Nascar.

    In the photo, Ricky Rudd, driver of the No. 88 Snickers Ford, speaks with team owner Robert Yates, prior to practice for the Allstate 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2007, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Travis Lindquist/Getty Images for NASCAR.

     

     

     

    1967: The Beginning

     

    In the year 1967, Robert Yates joined with Holman-Moody Racing. He started off as the manager in the team’s air gauge department. He worked hard building state of the art engines for the Wood Brothers and Junior Johnson. Yates would soon partner up with Junior Johnson.

     

     

     

    1976 -1985: Golden Years

    From the years 1976 to 1985 Yates became a well-known name in and around the garage. His expertise and determination compelled him to succeed with Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip, and Bobby Allison. Yates also built the engines in which Richard Petty scored his 199th and 200th win in the sport. Later on, Yates would start his own team.

    Photo Caption – DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JULY 3, 1986: NASCAR race team owner and engine builder Robert Yates checks the gap on a set of spark plugs destined for driver Bobby Allison’s car prior to qualifying for the 1986 Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on July 3, 1986, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

     

    1988: The Building of a Dynasty

    Robert Yates started his own race team, Robert Yates Racing, in 1988. Davey Allison was Yates first driver and throughout the late 80s and early 90s, Allison would dominate the sport and quickly rose to fame. However, the team and sport were struck with the passing of Davey Allison in 1993 in which hit Yates and his team hard.

     

     

     

    1996-1999: Championship Performances

    Dale Jarrett opened the 1996 season with a win in Nascar’s most iconic race, the Daytona 500. Jarrett would go on to battle for the championship but came up short. Going into the 1999 season, Jarrett, in his third year with the team, would go on to earn Robert Yates Racing their first championship.

    Dale Jarrett on working with Robert Yates:

    “From the very first day I walked into the Robert Yates Racing Shop I learned that Robert knew every aspect and detail of his shop from the broom handle to (the) boardroom. Robert Yates was the smartest person in the racing industry from being the premier engine builder to aerodynamics, to chassis knowledge. He was the every and all of NASCAR racing competition and racing operations. And tremendously respected as such.”

     

    2017: Hall of Fame Status

    In May of 2017, Robert Yates was given the news that he would indeed be the newest member of the Nascar Hall of Fame. Battling cancer Yates attended the announcements for 2018 class and hearing his name called brought a tremendous joy in the room for a man that has worked so hard finally have his success pay off. While he may not be there in person next January his legacy will live forever in this sport.

     

  • Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    Hot 20 – A Southern night with the lady in black at Darlington

    With the Southern 500 coming our way from Darlington this weekend, it seems like a good time to talk about tradition. The first one in the books was back in 1950, making it the oldest of the sport’s iconic events. Most of the time, it goes to someone who is in or will be in, the Hall of Fame. That number will only grow once Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get in, along with a few other contenders I can think of.

    Bill Elliott won it three times. Gordon has six. Next year, the current driver of the No. 24 moves over to take over the No. 9 once driven by his daddy. Chase Elliott has the name and soon will have the number. William Byron takes over the former Gordonmobile.

    Ray Evernham never drove the race, but he was the man on the stand for four of Gordon’s victories. The soon to be Hall of Famer joins fellow inductees Ron Hornaday Jr., Ken Squier and Robert Yates as the event’s Grand Marshals.

    We hear that the No. 5 is about to go into mothballs, considering the No. 24, No. 48, and the No. 88 will soon be joined by the No. 9 in the stable of cars owned by Rick Hendrick. While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy won the race three times, this is the son’s last shot at claiming his first. An Earnhardt has appeared in Cup action every season since 1975. We might even see a cameo by the legacy of the legend next season, wife permitting. However, even if that was not the case, we could still have nephew Jeffery Earnhardt in the running.

    By the way, the Earnhardt NASCAR legacy at its highest division actually started on November 11, 1956 when Ralph Earnhardt finished second to Speedy Thompson in his Grand National debut at Hickory Speedway. Dale’s dad ran 51 races at the sport’s highest level. In fact, he finished ninth in the 1961 Southern 500.

    Tradition. Thanks to NASCAR’s capitulation to selling out its naming rights to corporate sponsors, we have few iconic stand alone events left. Talladega and Bristol are iconic tracks, but neither has a traditional branded event. If you are selective as to what races you win, there is the winter race in Daytona, the May contest in Charlotte, the summer run at Indianapolis, and Labor Day at Darlington.

    Win this Sunday’s Southern 500, and you will be remembered. Win your first of the season, and you will be rewarded with a place in the Chase.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4 WINS (951 Pts)
    Tamed the track to tough to tame a year ago, but will she be a lady this year?

    2. KYLE LARSON – 3 WINS (845 Pts)
    Coming off a win and another Top Ten in his last two, I think the lad is doing alright.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 3 WINS (628 Pts)
    This week saw Genevieve’s first day of Grade One. That is a big deal.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS (850 Pts)
    We need some love ‘em or hate ‘em guys out there. He sure in hell is not colorless.

    5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (728 Pts)
    Then, there are some you just hate. I am hoping Momma Kay might disagree.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2 WINS (528 Pts)
    Life is not always a day at the beach…but sometimes it is.

    7. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (824 Pts)
    His idea of a wild card race to determine the last Chase spot is a good one. We call it Richmond.

    8. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (753 Pts)
    Intentionally slow leaving pit road and you risk being sent to the back. Problem solved.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 1 WIN (623 Pts)
    One of next season’s sponsors will be Menards. Take that, Paul!

    10. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (586 Pts)
    After a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard 400, another jewel would appear to be in order.

    11. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN (574 Pts)
    Newman and Dillon will sport autos that will remind us of a certain Wrangler of the 1980s.

    12. KASEY KAHNE – 1 WIN (451 Pts)
    Sometimes when Hendrick makes an announcement, it is good news. Sometimes, it is not.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN (437 Pts)
    When it comes to throwbacks, I still love the black Goodwrench…no offense Wrangler.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 711 POINTS
    Nothing can be finer than driving the number niner.

    15. MATT KENSETH – 703 POINTS
    Two ex-champs, one quality ride left. Does either get the chair when the music stops?

    16. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 700 POINTS
    Seven wins at Charlotte, Daytona, Indianapolis, and Talladega. Why not one at Darlington?

    17. CLINT BOWYER – 642 POINTS
    Would he wreck a rival to make the Chase? Maybe, if he was running second.

    18. JOEY LOGANO – 583 POINTS (1 Win)
    Thought he had a plan to get into the Chase, but the President pardoned Sheriff Joe instead.

    19. ERIK JONES – 574 POINTS
    Pocono (eighth), Watkins Glen (10th), Michigan (third), Bristol (second). His stock is rising.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 537 POINTS
    Whatever happens to the guy who fails to tighten a lug nut that costs his crew chief $10,000?

    The rest of the contenders

    21. TREVOR BAYNE – 470 POINTS
    22. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 416 POINTS
    23. PAUL MENARD – 408 POINTS
    24. TY DILLON – 395 POINTS
    25. CHRIS BUESCHER – 387 POINTS
    26. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 381 POINTS
    27. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 378 POINTS
    28. DANICA PATRICK – 352 POINTS
    29. DAVID RAGAN – 303 POINTS
    30. ARIC ALMIROLA – 268 POINTS
    31. MATT DIBENEDETTO – 264 POINTS
    32. COLE WHITT – 241 POINTS
    33. LANDON CASSILL – 241 POINTS

     

     

  • Hot 20 – Motor Car Racing’s biggest day after one of NASCAR’s most newsworthy weeks

    Hot 20 – Motor Car Racing’s biggest day after one of NASCAR’s most newsworthy weeks

    Change. Sometimes change is good, like when you win a few million dollars. That is good. You get married to your sweetheart. Good. Your children start arriving. If you are a mature adult, and not some self-serving narcissist, that is very good. New talented drivers emerge on the scene. That is also a good thing.

    Some change sucks. Your favorite driver retiring, for example, if only for very selfish reasons. Trying to dump the Southern 500 was a bad thing. Abandoning such traditional names as the Firecracker 400 and the World 600 is not only bad but makes you appear dumb as a stick. About as dumb as adding a third stage for points in a 600-mile race, allowing the possibility of the driver finishing 26th to wind up with more points than the race winner. That is bad, also.

    As for changes in the 2018 schedule, good or bad? That is the question. Moving the Brickyard 400 to September? Iconic track, bad venue for NASCAR in my opinion. It does not much matter. Move Richmond from the final race of the regular campaign to the second of the Chase? It might work. Small market, short track, tons of tradition. Maybe.

    Changing the fall race in Charlotte to include its road course section? The World 600 is iconic. The fall race is not. Anything that includes another road course is good, but we will not know for sure until we see it. Will we be entertained? The fact that it is a Chase race ticks a box, and if it continues to be a 500-mile contest it would be by far the longest road course endurance test on the circuit.

    They thought about changing to the road course at Indianapolis. Those in charge of the iconic venue said no. Indy was all about the oval, in their opinion, period. I guess they decided not to cry over spilled milk and moved on.

    The Hall of Fame might need to change. Each year, they elect five more to be enshrined. Once, you needed a championship or 40 plus wins to get in. Now, no title and under 20 victories might still be enough. Mind you, Wendell Scott won just one race but his NASCAR journey was a lot like Andy Dufresne’s trek out of Shawshank. He deserves to be there. Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the other hand, once was a long-shot but today he is an automatic thanks to Curtis Turner’s induction in 2016. Is a change required? You be the judge.

    This week, the new inductees were announced. For a change, I can not argue with any of them. Engine builder and team owner Robert Yates. Inaugural NASCAR champ Red Byron. Championship crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham. Broadcast icon Ken Squier. Truck king Ron Hornaday. Next year, maybe mechanic, builder and crew chief Smokey Yunick might be included. He may not have kissed many rings and certainly no one’s ass, but he more than earned his spot. A softening of their attitude regarding him would be a most welcome change.

    Of course, for a change, this Sunday it is about more than just NASCAR. The Formula One offering starts the day with the Grand Prix of Monaco. Back on this side of the pond, the open wheelers are featured in the Indianapolis 500. Down south, the World 600 comes our way from Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton lead the way in F-1’s sixth race of the season. IndyCar finds Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon the top dogs. As for NASCAR, here is a look at our Hot 20 heading to Charlotte. In the words of Jackie Stewart, let the motor car racing begin.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2 WINS – 431 PTS
    When it comes to who should win this race this year, Truex is a “no change” kind of guy.

    2. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS – 408 PTS
    A rule is not “made up” if you failed to read the fine print. Sticker tires are 100% unused.

    3. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 323 PTS
    NASCAR makes up new rules, Johnson keeps winning championships. Expect more rules.

    4. KYLE LARSON – 1 WIN – 475 PTS
    Thinks All-Star race and season finale should move to different venues. He is wrong, of course.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN – 320 PTS
    Joey and Danica will be in the lineup. Aric Almirola is gone for two or three months.

    6. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 1 WIN – 276 PTS
    You would think a boy from Olive Branch, Mississippi would be the most peaceful guy out there.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN – 246 PTS
    Well, all day long at the track all I hear is how great Kyle is at this or that! Kyle, Kyle, Kyle!

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 1 WIN – 238 PTS
    Rocket Man? Amongst our race winners, it is more like he is the Invisible Man.

    9. CHASE ELLIOTT – 361 PTS
    After the fan vote last week, Chase is the new Danica. Okay, a more manly version.

    10. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 354 PTS
    Has won twice at Charlotte, but never this classic event.

    11. KEVIN HARVICK – 347 PTS
    Believes Truck Series should be run at non-Cup tracks, to bring out the fans. Harvick is right.

    12. KYLE BUSCH – 325 PTS
    Last week it was for money, this week it is for points.

    13. CLINT BOWYER – 317 PTS
    If it is not a rule, then Crew Chief Mike Bugarewicz gets in touch with his inner Smokey Yunick.

    14. RYAN BLANEY – 291 PTS
    His dad did not get his shot until he was in his late 30’s. Ryan knows that he is a fortunate son.

    15. DENNY HAMLIN – 289 PTS
    29 career wins, but not one yet at Charlotte. There is always Sunday.

    16. TREVOR BAYNE – 250 PTS
    Failed to join his fellow stars in Saturday’s big race. He has incentive to do well this weekend.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 242 PTS
    Last week he won $1000 in a World of Outlaws race. So, they release prize money figures?

    18. MATT KENSETH – 233 PTS
    At least seven in the line-up for Sunday will wind up in the Hall of Fame. Matt is one of them.

    19. ERIK JONES – 217 PTS
    Stay off the grass.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 217 PTS
    Was last week his coming out party?

  • Finley Factor: 2018 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Ballot – Part One

    Finley Factor: 2018 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Ballot – Part One

    This year’s NASCAR Hall of Fame class might just be the toughest to choose yet. This is the first list of nominees where nobody really jumps out as a slam dunk candidate; compare that to last season which had Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, and especially Benny Parsons, all kind of above the rest of the field.

    The Hall of Fame really needs to make some changes to its induction process very soon. It’s not going to be long until the Hall runs out of nominees that probably should be Hall of Famers to nominees that are a lot more questionable. Harry Gant was a great driver in his day, but with five inductees a year, he’ll basically be a lock to go in at some point instead of facing an actual debate. Greg Biffle could be an interesting discussion as he’d be going in due to his Truck and XFINITY Series championships, even though he only had one championship caliber Cup season and was generally good-to-mediocre. But again, any arguments will be irrelevant until the inductee number is lowered.

    Personally, I’d prefer rules somewhat similar to the Baseball Hall of Fame rules. Twenty nominees a season with non-nominated voters strictly ranging from veteran National Motorsport Press Association members, living Hall of Fame members, team owners who currently hold at least one Cup Series charter, the defending Cup Series champion, track owners and operators, and the fan vote. Ballots would only be cast with a maximum of five nominees, with any nominee appearing on sixty percent of the ballots being elected.

    If no nominees receive sixty percent of the votes, the nominee with the highest number of votes would be the lone inductee. Finally, if a nominee either appears on less than 10 percent of the ballots or has been a nominee for 10 years and the nominee committee rules that there is an eligible nominee more qualified than they are, they would be dropped. There would be some system where members could be reconsidered for entry at some point after being dropped, but that would be the general gist of the system.

    As always, NASCAR allows for online voting to help determine the fan vote. It can be found by clicking here. I do not personally have an actual ballot for the Hall, but have instead submitted it to that site.

    Joe Gibbs

    This selection was basically between Jack Roush, Roger Penske, Gibbs, and Ray Evernham to me. Evernham was a gifted crew chief but never really rose quite to that level as a team owner. In seven seasons, Evernham only won 13 races and had a best finish of eighth in the point standings. Good numbers, but not Hall of Fame worthy numbers. His crew chief career was much better but was also cut short due to starting his own team. I just don’t think Evernham had more of an impact on the sport or the amount of success the other three have had.

    Roger Penske makes an interesting case, but he has two major problems going against his nomination. First, he only has one Cup Series championship compared to Roush and Gibbs. He never did win a championship with Rusty Wallace, in spite of a very successful run. Second, there have been very noticeable times where Penske lost focus on NASCAR; he had a part-time team in the 70s that he seemingly used at times only to try and entice top NASCAR drivers to Indy, and in the mid-to-late 2000s where the team was just a step behind for multiple years. The thing that really gets Penske not getting the nod here; his stats just aren’t as good as both Joe Gibbs and Jack Roush.

    Finally, Gibbs gets the nod over Roush due to having more championships in the Cup Series. Roush has more XFINITY Series and Truck Series championships, but Gibbs has just been more dominant than Roush for the last several seasons in both Cup and especially XFINITY. When was the last time a Roush driver in the XFINITY Series was the favorite in any race? Every week, everybody has their eyes on the Gibbs cars even without Kyle Busch. With Kyle Busch, it’s more shocking if they don’t win in XFINITY.

    Gibbs, if voted in, will become the only person ever voted into both the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Gibbs’ most remarkable accomplishment in football was winning three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks in an era dominated by Bill Parcell’s Giants and Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys. Gibbs has continued the trend in NASCAR in decades dominated by Hendrick Motorsports; three drivers have won championships in Gibbs cars, tied for the most of any team in history with Hendrick.

    Tony Stewart will go down as probably Gibbs’ most iconic driver, but the most impressive driver Gibbs has had may just be Kyle Busch. Before joining Gibbs, Kyle Busch was a good young talent who had been lost in a Hendrick organization dominated by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Although Busch will never admit it, it had to be a tough day when it was announced Dale Earnhardt Jr. was effectively replacing him. So Busch went to Gibbs, became the de-facto leader of the organization when Stewart left and hasn’t looked back since. Gibbs knew exactly what to do with Busch and how to harness his raw driving ability to numerous wins and the 2015 Cup Series championship. It may just be the single greatest free agent signing in the history of NASCAR.

    Robert Yates

    What people don’t know about Robert Yates is just how long of a career he had in NASCAR. He was the head engine builder at Holman-Moody way back in 1968, one of the men behind David Pearson’s second and third championships. He was basically the person to go to for Ford engines, building them for owners such as Bud Moore and Harry Rainer.

    When Rainer sold his team to Yates in the late 80s and Yates added Larry McReynolds as crew chief in 1991, the team had everything to dominate and win championships for years. They had one of the brightest drivers under 30 in the garage, Davey Allison. McReynolds brought to the team a competitive fire that would stay lit after he eventually left. And Yates still knew how to make rockets disguised as engines.

    But the team just kept running into problems. In 1992, Allison had just about everything happen to him, between wrecks that injured him greatly to the death of his younger brother Clifford to a miserable fall that allowed Alan Kulwicki to steal the championship from him. Then, in 1993, Allison himself passed away in a helicopter accident.

    The next season, Ernie Irvan was well on his way to winning a championship when he had an absolutely devastating wreck at the Michigan International Speedway that gave him a 10 percent chance to live. Although Irvan was able to recover and even won at Michigan a few years later, Yates ran into a Hendrick Motorsports wall of four straight championships until finally winning a championship in 1999 with Dale Jarrett. Jeff Gordon was just head and shoulders ahead of the field at this point, and even Terry Labonte won a championship in this time frame for Hendrick.

    After 2002, the team just wasn’t competing for championships anymore. They were usurped completely by Roush when it came to the top Ford team and, save for a fluke win in 2004 by Elliott Sadler, the team never had a car finish in the top 10 in points ever again. In 2003, Mars Chocolate had stepped up to sponsor both Ricky Rudd and David Gilliland for the team, but in October 2007 they left to sponsor Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing. Robert Yates also retired during the 2007 offseason, leaving the burden of two unsponsored cars to son Doug Yates. In spite of a valiant effort by Gilliland and Travis Kvapil, the team ended up downsizing to one car for 2009, run by Paul Menard. Menard finished 31st in points and the team, in turn, merged with Richard Petty Motorsports, effectively shutting down amid a poor economic climate.

    Robert Yates is still involved with making great Ford engines through his company Roush-Yates Engines, but it hasn’t been easy. In 2016, Yates was diagnosed with liver cancer and has been fighting it in the months since. Roush-Yates Engines, even with this situation looming over the company, hasn’t missed a step; Fords powered by RYE have already won five races this season, including the 2017 Daytona 500 with Kurt Busch.

     

  • Robert Yates To Be Part of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Display at CME

    Robert Yates To Be Part of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Display at CME

    [media-credit name=”NASCAR Canadian Tire Series” align=”alignleft” width=”282″][/media-credit]NASCAR Canadian Tire Series staff announced that Robert Yates will be part of their display this year at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.

    “We’re very pleased that the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is back at the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” series director Brad Moran said. “While many fans see our races at the track and on TSN, this show, however, offers a unique opportunity to see what goes on in the pits and in ‘tech lane’ on race weekends. This level of fan access isn’t possible when we’re in the heat of an actual race event, so we enjoy offering some hauler tours and an up close look at all that goes on.”

    Yates will be part of the display that will be running for its second year. The display is meant to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the series. This is the first year that Yates will be part of the display, though. Yates will be there on Saturday February 11th at the display to talk with fans and sign autograph’s from 10:30am till 4pm.

    Robert Yates Racing is the exclusive provider of the NASCAR-approved Spec Engine, which is an optional program available for use in all NASCAR touring series in US and Canada. Both Yates and Davy will be on hand to answer questions that drivers and team owners may have about the engines.

    “Making official suppliers and industry experts available to racers is something that NASCAR regularly does as a service to its competitors,” Moran said. “Chris Davy was at last year’s CME with us and many of the teams took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the ‘Spec’ Engine program. Having Robert Yates join him this year is an added bonus. As a team owner and engine builder, Yates has won championships and the biggest stock-car races in the world. His drivers were successful and his engines were legendary for their power and reliability. NASCAR is proud to have him at our booth Saturday, February 11 at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.”

    Lastly, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

    The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series display will go beyond just having Yates and Davy. The center of the display will be the race hauler that officials use at each race for all of their activities.  Moran and officials will be on hand to offer tours. They will also have ‘tech lane’ set-up so fans can see what it looks like, while also having some race cars on display.

    Also, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

    The Canadian Motorsports Expo will be held from February 10th till 12th at the International Centre in Toronto. For more information, check out http://www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com.