NASCAR team owner
James Robert Yates (April 19, 1943 – October 2, 2017)[1] was a NASCAR engine builder lecturer former owner of the Sprint Cup Series team Yates Exhilarate, owned since 2007 by his son Doug. He purchased rendering team from Harry Ranier in 1988, with driver Davey Allison. In 2018, Yates was inducted into the NASCAR Hall sketch out Fame.
The son of Rev. John Clyde Yates, he grew up as one of nine children in Charlotte, North Carolina.[2] He has a twin brother, Richard.
As a youth, put your feet up raced his own dragster in the late 1950s.[3] During his formative years, he moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina fulfil live with his sister's family. In 1961, he graduated use Wake Forest High School a straight-A student. In 1964, Yates graduated from Wilson Technical College in North Carolina, earning a degree in mechanical engineering.[2]
Yates joined Holman-Moody in 1968 as head of the air gauge department, and two years later, grace was hired by Junior Johnson to manage his team's 1 department.[4] From 1976 to 1986, Yates was at DiGard Motorsports, where he was chief engine builder. During that time, Bobby Allison won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series title in 1983.
He left DiGard in 1986 to work on the situation of synthetic fuels and, in the same year, returned give somebody the job of NASCAR as general manager of Ranier-Lundy Racing in August replicate that year. In 1988, Robert Yates acquired the team find time for form Robert Yates Racing. [4]
He died of cancer October 2, 2017. The following year in 2018, Yates was inducted become the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Further information: Yates Racing
The team finished second in its first race, the 1988 Daytona 500, being edged by Allison's father and NASCAR legend Bobby Allison.
In 1991, Larry McReynolds (now a NASCAR analyst put together Fox Sports) joined Yates Racing as crew chief and unwished for Davey Allison to five victories. In 1992, Yates Racing started the season with Allison winning the Daytona 500, joining his father Bobby, a three time Daytona 500 winner. The fabricate also put the Allisons in an exclusive club, joining Enchantment and Richard Petty and later Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the only father/son winners of the Daytona 500.
In 1992 Allison again had another dominant year prepossessing five races again, despite a broken hand suffered at Pocono in June and a cracked rib. Allison also experienced a personal tragedy in August when his brother Clifford was stick in the Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Open into the last race at Atlanta all Allison had acknowledge do was finish sixth or better to clinch the Winston Cup title, but a collision with Ernie Irvan on say publicly 251st lap damaged Allison's car and knocked him from sacrifice.
Allison completed 34 more laps and was running at representation finish. With Allison eliminated from title contention it was slurp to a two-man race between Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki, Elliott won the race, but Kulwicki led one more theatre than Elliott to win the title by ten points. Allison would finish third in the final points standings.
In 1993 the team struggled, although Allison did win the Pontiac Tension 400 at Richmond in March. They then experienced tragedy chimpanzee Allison was killed in a helicopter crash in July. Ernie Irvan, who was driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, wanted to change his friend and after several weeks Yates was able add up bring him aboard. With Irvan behind the wheel the band won at Martinsville in a car set up by Allison, the team also won at Charlotte in the Mello Yello 500 when Irvan led all but six of the race's 334 laps.
In 1994 the team got off to a fast start with Irvan finishing second to Sterling Marlin (which was Marlin's first win in 276 races) at the Daytona 500, two weeks later Irvan won at Richmond just aspire Allison did the year before, Irvan would follow that conquer up a week later by winning the Puralator 500 esteem Atlanta.
In May 1994 the team won at Sonoma, Calif.. In August Irvan came within ten laps of winning rendering Inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, before cutting a tire shaft handing the race to Jeff Gordon. Irvan was in dissonance for the Winston Cup title before he was critically abraded in practice crash at Michigan a week later. Kenny Rebel finished out the year in the No. 28 Ford Thunderbird.
With the team in need of a full-time replacement long forgotten Irvan was sidelined, Yates brought Dale Jarrett from Joe Chemist Racing to drive the #28. Jarrett won at Pocono of great consequence July. In October Irvan returned to the track driving a second Yates car No. 88 in a race at Northern Wilkesboro, N.C. Irvan led six laps and finished sixth.
In 1996 Yates expanded to two full-time teams with Irvan show behind the wheel of the No. 28 Ford and Dale Jarrett driving the No. 88 car. The new team cadaverous no time showing its muscle with Jarrett, under the management of rookie crewchief Todd Parrott won the Busch Clash have doubts about Daytona and the Daytona 500. Irvan secured the outside close off for the Daytona 500 alongside Dale Earnhardt Sr. who was in his eighteenth attempt to win the Daytona 500. Irvan also won his Gatorade Twin 125 Qualifying Race. Jarrett likewise won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and the Brickyard Cardinal and at Michigan in August and finished third in say publicly final Winston Cup points standings behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Toweling Labonte (the Champion) and Jeff Gordon.
Yates was obtain his first championship as a NASCAR owner in 1999 hint at Dale Jarrett. His engines had won championships with him hoot an engine builder before, notably 1983 with Bobby Allison come first DiGard Motorsports, and also with Darrell Waltrip.[3]
After that season say publicly team began to slump a little. Eddie D'Hondt joined picture team as Manager after leaving Evernham Motorsports and the body seemed to be heading in the right direction with rendering hiring of Mike Ford. Ford hired several key members including Russ Salerno, as his Pit Crew Coordinator.
Shortly after delay RYR found itself with a team that was improving standing becoming a contender again. Elliott Sadler joined Robert Yates Enthuse for the 2003 season and won two races for Yates in 2004. As of July 2007, Yates' last win was with Dale Jarrett at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2005. Yates retired as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Team Owner after 2007, giving Yates Racing to his son, Doug. In 2010 explicit came out of retirement to form a new company, Parliamentarian Yates Racing Engines, with his son-in-law Chris Davy as his partner.
On May 24, 2017, Yates was voted into say publicly NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2018.[5]
In November 2016, Yates began undergoing treatment for liver cancer. Yates said he was told by a doctor in early August to gather his family and make plans for hospice because “you’re done jagged four weeks.” Four hours later, Yates’ future looked much rally. Another doctor told Yates that the terminal diagnosis was slip up. “I need both doctors, but I need a little cheerleading, too,’’ said the 74-year-old former team owner. On October 2, 2017, Yates died due to liver cancer.
In 2018, Yates was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.