#28 [was 88] Team Past News and Rumors
2006 News

  • Rudd may not race again...but hopes to: #88-Ricky Rudd said Friday that he is not sure whether he'll start another Nextel Cup race. Rudd sustained a separated shoulder during a wreck in Sunday's race at California and will miss the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 on Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. "I don't have an answer for that, it's kind of in the doctor's hands," Rudd said of racing again. "They consider it a level three separated shoulder. When I heard separated shoulder I thought that sounded better than breaking it. But it's not necessarily a good thing. There are torn ligaments and damaged ligaments and stretched ligaments. As far as recovering from the injury, it could be next week or it could be five or six weeks. I hope it's not my last race. I'm not planning on that. We'll just face it one week at a time. Who knows?" If he recovers within six weeks, he could still compete in about five more races. Ten races remain on the Cup schedule following Richmond. But Rudd considers Richmond his home track, and missing Saturday's race is painful. "I'm disappointed that this probably would've been my last Richmond race because I'm stepping out and retiring next year," Rudd said.(Daily Press)(9-7-2007)

  • Rudd injures shoulder in California crash: UPDATE 3 to miss RIR: Ricky Rudd injured his shoulder in a crash during Sunday night's Sharp Aquos 500 at California Speedway. After being caught up in a six-car pileup on lap 181 of the 500, Rudd was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. NASCAR officials confirmed he was treated and released. Rudd, driver of the #88 Robert Yates Racing Ford, separated his left shoulder according to FoxSports.com. NASCAR officials would only confirm that Rudd injured that shoulder.(SceneDaily.com)(9-3-2007)
    UPDATE: Ricky Rudd, who made his 900th career Cup Series start Sunday at California Speedway, separated his left shoulder and was briefly knocked unconscious in a wicked wreck during the Sharp Aquos 500, the veteran driver told ESPN.com. The shoulder is the major concern, and leaves Rudd concerned about his status for next weekend's Chevy Rock 'n Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. He said he wouldn't grade his chances of competing as very high.(ESPN.com)(9-3-2007)
    UPDATE 2a: For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Ricky Rudd will miss a race because of injury. The left shoulder separation Rudd suffered last Sunday at California Speedway will prevent him from competing in this weekend's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway, the veteran driver told ESPN.com on Tuesday. The wreck "tore a bunch of ligaments and tendons," Rudd said. "I'm out at Richmond." Rudd will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis to determine his return to competition. Kenny Wallace will replace Rudd in the #88 Snickers Ford. Rudd said he'll still attend the race to assist in any way possible, including driver/team communication. Rudd, who made his 900th career Cup Series start Sunday at California, separated his left shoulder and was briefly knocked unconscious in a wicked wreck on lap 181 of the Sharp Aquos 500. The last time Rudd was unable to compete because of injury was early in his career, when he'd only begun dabbling in stock car racing. At the time he was racing motorcycles, and a compound fracture of his arm ended his season. "Yeah, that was the only time and we really didn't have a true schedule, so to answer [the] question, no, I've never had to miss a race due to injury -- until now," Rudd said.(ESPN.com)(9-4-2007)
    UPDATE 3: Yates Newman Haas Lanigan driver Ricky Rudd will not race this weekend in the Nextel Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway as a result of a separated left shoulder sustained in an accident during Sunday’s race at California Speedway. Team Owner Robert Yates has selected Kenny Wallace to take over driving duties for Rudd this weekend at RIR. Rudd sustained the shoulder injury in a multi-car accident on lap 180 in Sunday’s race at California Speedway, when contact from another car sent the #88 machine into the outside retaining wall of the front stretch. Rudd was treated and released from the Loma Linda University Medical Center on Sunday before returning to Charlotte. After examination on Tuesday by a Charlotte area physician, specializing in shoulder and elbow injuries, it was determined Rudd will not require surgery on his shoulder. In addition to rest, Rudd will begin a rehabilitation program this week in Charlotte. Rudd will receive an evaluation next week to determine if he will be able to return as driver of the #88 for the September 16th race at New Hampshire International Speedway.(Yates Newman Haas Lanigan Racing PR)(9-5-2007)

  • Kenny Wallace to the #88? Kenny Wallace may return to the NASCAR Cup series next year if a meeting with Robert Yates goes well Sunday in California. "He called me up and said that his brother-in-law told him that the driver he needed to hire was right under his nose - me," Wallace said with his signature laugh. "I told him that the manufacturer wanted me to drive his car last but M&Ms wanted" Ricky Rudd. Wallace said Yates asked him to test the # 88 Ford at Talladega in the near future. "I keep reading that they are considering J.J. Yeley, so we will see what happens," Wallace said. "At least he called me, I didn't call him."(St. Louis Post Dispatch)(9-1-2007)

  • Yeley to the #88? UPDATE: Ricky Rudd’s announcement this past weekend that he will depart from Robert Yates Racing at the end of the 2007 season has opened the door for JJ Yeley to take over the #88 Ford in 2008. JJ Yeley was recently released from the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy to make room for Kyle Busch in 2008. A team source at the newly formed Yates/ Newman Haas Racing [actually Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing] confirms that ‘all signs point’ to Yeley as their choice to take over the #88 Ford.(Cup Scene Daily)(8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: #18-J.J. Yeley, Nextel Cup's latest free agent, has said he is in conversation with four teams, which he would not disclose, but Robert Yates Racing [Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing] president Doug Yates is happy to report his team is extremely interested in hiring Yeley. RYR will have a vacancy now that veteran Ricky Rudd has announced he is retiring from full-time Cup racing after this season. #38-David Gilliland also drives for RYR. "We're very interested in J.J.," Yates said Wednesday. "He'd be good for our company. He's very marketable, and he's a pretty good driver. We're talking to him. We are definitely interested." Yates said there is no timetable to get a deal done. He said he is convinced that with the right team chemistry, Yeley can succeed. Yeley currently is 20th in points, while his JGR teammates, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, are firmly in the Chase. "How can you say a guy two years into the sport is not making the cut?" Yates said. "He needs to be with a team that believes in him."(ESPN.com)(8-30-2007)

  • Rudd to celebrate 900th career start at California: #88-Ricky Rudd, who will step down as a full time driver after the 2007 season, is scheduled to take the green flag for his 900th career Nextel Cup Series start for the Sharp Aquos 500 at California Speedway. Rudd will run a special scheme, the #88 Snickers Generation Max Ford Fusion. “This is a record that just kind of sneaks up on you,” Rudd said regarding his milestone career start. “I started out as one of the youngest guys in this sport and now I’m one of the oldest guys out there still racing. It’s a real honor to be able to have this kind of longevity with a long and fruitful career. I’ve been so lucky to have remained healthy and competitive to have made it to 900 starts, come Labor Day weekend in my Snickers Generation Max Ford Fusion.” Over this week, Mars US will help celebrate Rudd’s accomplishment by highlighting several of Rudd’s most memorable starts since his entrance into the NASCAR community in 1975.(Snickers Racing PR)(8-27-2007)

  • Rudd not interested in Full-time gig: Ricky Rudd doesn't know exactly what he wants to do in the future, but he knows that it's not racing full time. A few days after announcing plans to leave Robert Yates Racing and retire from full-time racing at the end of this season, Rudd was asked what he's looking for in the future and if he could be lured into racing on a part-time basis. "I'm not looking for anything, to be honest with you," the 50-year-old driver said Tuesday at Michigan International Speedway. "I decided I wanted to call it quits, and the only way I would get out of a rocking chair would be for a limited schedule, competitive, winning operation, ready to go and for some unique situations they needed someone to help fill in the gaps. I've heard mention in the past of taking, like, three senior guys, or maybe two senior guys and a rookie. If that was with the right situation where you weren't committed to running an entire schedule, you can kind of pick and choose your own races, and, again, it was a team that would be running for the full year, I would take a look at that. I'm not out looking for a job right now, and I don't see that happening, to be honest with you." Rudd said he wouldn't want to "look like an idiot" coming back after he said he retired and said that the only way he would even look at the situation would be if he felt it could be competitive and that he could run well. "I think using the word 'retirement' would be the right thing to do, and it would be a rare situation that I would come back," he said. "So I think 'retirement' would be the proper way to list me for next year. Retired."(SceneDaily.com)(8-22-2007)

  • Marlin in the #78 at Bristol UPDATE and Rudd? Sterling Marlin was at the shop in Denver, CO on Friday to be fitted for the #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy seat and will run the car at Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend.(FRR site), was also mentioned during SPEED's Cup qualifying coverage that the #78 team will test at Rockingham, NC next week.(8-18-2007)
    UPDATE: WTVF-TV Nashville reported at 6:00pm/et newscast that Sterling Marlin will drive the #78 Chevy at Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, Dover and possibly Talladega. Marlin is also negotiating to drive the #78 for about half the 2008 season. The team may also talk to Ricky Rudd to drive the other half of the 2008 season.(WTVF-TV Nashville)(8-21-2007)

  • Rudd to retire at end of 2007 season: #88-Ricky Rudd says he’ll leave NASCAR Nextel Cup racing after this, his 28th full-time season. The 50-year-old Chesapeake native said Saturday that he’s told car owner Robert Yates he won’t be back and that he has no plans to race full time again. “It’s time. It’s time,’’ Rudd said at Michigan International Speedway. “It’s time for me to step back from the active schedule.’’ At the end of the 2005 season, Rudd said he’d take a break from racing but refused to call it a retirement. Other than filling in for Tony Stewart in one race, Rudd skipped all of last season before returning this year. While Rudd says he’d consider a part-time ride with a strong team, he’s not pursuing such an opportunity. He’s at peace with leaving the series. “As you grow older, your interests change,’’ Rudd said. “I’m not going about it saying I’m scared to death of it. To me, it’s exciting.’’ This has been a tough season for Rudd. He started alongside teammate David Gilliland on the front row for the Daytona 500 but finished 26th. His best finish this season is seventh in the Coca-Cola 600. Rudd enters today’s race 29th in the points. Rudd said he’s not sure what he’ll do. A television career could be a possibility. Rudd said ESPN offered him a job last year, but he declined it because of the travel schedule. If nothing else, he’ll have plenty of time to spend with his wife, Linda, and son, Landon, who turns 13 this month. “It’s not like, 'Oh, man, what am I going to do with my life?’’’ Rudd said. “I’m kind of looking forward to the next chapter. I just don’t know what it is yet.”(Virginian Pilot)(8-19-2007)

  • EA Sports joins the #88 team at Watkins Glen: The #88 Snickers Ford of Ricky Rudd will have EA Sports and NASCAR 08 as an associate sponsor for this weekend’s Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.(Snickers Racing PR)(8-8-2007)

  • Latest on M&M/Snickers leaving Yates rumors: There's been NASCAR garage buzz recently that Mars Inc. Mars Snack Food U.S., the company that produces M& Ms in Hackettstown, is considering leaving Robert Yates Racing. Yates, which fields the Ford that will be driven by David Gilliland on Sunday, has carried the M& Ms brand on the #38 since 2002 [actually started in 2003 with the #38], when Elliott Sadler came on board [in 2003 not 2002]. Sadler left the team after the 22nd race last year. Yates replaced him in the M& Ms car with Gilliland Mars is reportedly still unhappy with the abrupt departure by the popular Sadler. Reports have leaked out that the program is under sponsor review. A recent item on speedtv.com bluntly states that M& Ms will withdraw as a sponsor of the #38 at the end of the year and sister confection Snickers [sponsor of Yates #88 with Rudd] will be moved to another team. Mars media and public relations spokesperson Ryan Bowling addressed the candy question. "Everything you're asking is still pure speculative. If we do decide to go a different route for '08, we'll make that announcement," Bowling said. "Right today nothing's been set in stone." Bowling did not say whether M& Ms would be on the #38 Ford next year. When pressed he admitted that despite the M& M-Yates contract that runs though 2008, there is wiggle room. "You have as a sponsor that you can always evaluate where things are, which is normal for any sponsor, how things are," Bowling said. "M& Ms is still committed to Robert Yates. That's the plan." He added, "I can't give you details on the contract. We're exploring options." Several sources say the M& Ms brand that has been on a NASCAR car since it replaced Mars' Skittles candy on the #36 MB2 Pontiac in the late 1990s will not be on any car next year. "The only thing that's truth at this point is that Snickers expires at the end of this year," Bowling said. The sense in the garage area is the Snickers' sponsorship will move to Ray Evernham's #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne in 2008 [along with another 6 or so rumored sponsors such as Bud, Allstate, Citi Finanacial] An item in Sadler's contract with Yates, however, does not allow him to drive a car sponsored by any of the Mars products before 2008. Bowling insists his company remains behind Yates. "Nothing has been changed. We're still supporting Robert Yates," Bowling said. "Right now our focus is on getting through '07 and not making any announcements if things were to change."(Express Times)(8-2-2007)

  • Rudd to run Combos at Pocono: This weekend the #88 Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team and driver Ricky Rudd will be running the bright orange Combos Ford Fusion for the first time this season instead of their traditional Snickers Ford paint scheme in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Combos is the “Official Cheese-Filled Snack” of NASCAR and an associate sponsor on the #88 and #38 cars for the 2007 season. This is the first of two races Rudd will run the Combos Ford this year (Pocono and Martinsville)(Elevation Group PR), see am image of the scheme on my #88 Team Schemes page.(8-2-2007)

  • Bourdais says no to Cup: The partnership of Robert Yates Racing and Champ Car's Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing, announced Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, led to speculation that three-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais might be part of the deal. But the Frenchman, who voiced some interest in stock cars after winning an International Race of Champions event in 2005, shot down that notion, at least for now. In San Jose, Calif., for Sunday's Champ Car World Series event, Bourdais told a media gathering that some people are misinterpreting the partnership as the first step in a full-time move to NASCAR by Champ Car's top team. "They're just going to bring some methods and some organization and some knowledge," he said. "It also is completely unrelated to what I will end up doing in the future. So I just think people are getting everything mixed up a little bit." Bourdais has tested with Formula One's Scuderia Toro Rosso team and could be headed there as a replacement for Scott Speed in 2008.(Indianapolis Star)(7-30-2007)

  • Bourdais to Cup? Gilliland re-signed by RYR for 2008: [Robert] Yates also said that three-time Champ Car series champ Sebastien Bourdais could end up driving for the team [Yates/Newman/Hass/Lanigan Racing]. He could partner with #38-David Gilliland, who just re-signed with the team for 2008. M&M's will not sponsor a car next year, but sister candy Snickers will, but not with Robert Yates. Snickers will not sponsor [Elliott] Sadler next year because of contractual restrictions in place from when Sadler left Yates last year, but could be in play on Kasey Kahne's car. Citifinancial [RYR #90 Busch Series team sponsor] is expected to announce its plans soon and is looking at several drivers, including Sadler.(FoxSports/Tom Jensen)
    AND St. Petersburg's Sebastien Bourdais lobbied hard for a shot in NASCAR after winning the second of his three Champ Car titles in 2005. If he still wants it, the chance may be there. Bourdais' Champ Car team, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, announced a partnership with NASCAR's Robert Yates Racing on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After a news conference, two of the principals - Carl Haas and Doug Yates - said they're interested in bringing Bourdais to Nextel Cup. The problem is Bourdais may be on the verge of signing with Formula One's Scuderia Toro Russo team, for whom he has tested three times. However, Bourdais has said in the past he only wants to go to Formula One if he can sign with a competitive team, and Toro Rosso is one of the worst. Additionally, the 28-year-old Frenchman has been intrigued by NASCAR since beating some of stock car racing's best in an IROC race at Texas a few years ago. Haas, who begins his third stint as a NASCAR team owner, said there have been discussions with Bourdais about moving to NASCAR.(Tampa Tribune)(7-28-2007)

  • Robert Yates Racing and Newman/Haas/Lanigan Join Forces: Robert Yates Racing (RYR) and Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) have entered into a letter of intent for a partnership in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and Busch Series. The team will be named Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing effective immediately. “This is a wonderful partnership,” said Robert Yates, founder of Robert Yates Racing. “This gives us a clear vision how to get to the top. It is our goal to continue to build so this team will be better positioned to contend for the championship.”
    “I am very proud of our accomplishments in the Champ Car World Series and hope we can have the same success in NASCAR,” added Carl A. Haas, who has been a team owner in NASCAR’s Cup series on two previous occasions. “We have been looking to add other forms of racing to our Champ Car program and when the opportunity came along to work with Robert Yates Racing, a team that shares the same drive for success that we do, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I think that the NASCAR and Champ Car programs can learn something from each other and only enhance the championship level that Robert Yates Racing and Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing have competed at in previous years.”
    “We have always been an engineering driven team,” said Paul Newman, a partner in Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “We think we have something special to add to the benefit of both. This in no way lessens our commitment to open wheel racing -- we want to broaden our horizons.”
    “The opportunity of joining Robert and Doug Yates is an opportunity of a lifetime,” added Michael Lanigan, a new partner in Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “The Yates family has been competing against the best and winning for many years. We look forward to a long and productive association.”
    Since Robert Yates Racing was formed in 1988, the now two-car team has posted 57 victories and 48 poles in addition to winning the 1999 NASCAR championship with Dale Jarrett. Current Nextel Cup drivers Ricky Rudd and David Gilliland pilot the #88 and #38 Ford Fusion’s, respectively. The agreement also includes RYR’s Busch program with Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 90 Ford Fusion. Drivers such as Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Kenny Irwin, Elliott Sadler and David Gilliland have driven for RYR. RYR and NHR/NHLR have had close ties with Ford Motor Company for many years. RYR has been powered by Ford all 20 seasons. Of NHR/NHLR’s 101 wins and 103 poles, 55 of each have been earned with Ford power. In addition, four of their seven titles were powered by Ford (1993 – Nigel Mansell; 2004-2006 – Sebastien Bourdais).
    “NASCAR Nextel Cup racing is rapidly moving, technology-wise, to engineering areas that Newman/Haas/Lanigan has years of experience with already,” said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. “And Robert Yates Racing brings years of engine development and race craft in the sport that is invaluable to this operation. Put that expertise together, along with joint ownership that is clearly committed to winning, and we have a Ford program that will be a contender for years to come."(RYR PR)(7-29-2007)

  • RYR to merge with Newman-Haas: Robert Yates Racing and Newman-Haas Racing will reveal on Friday its plans to merge, a source close to the situation confirmed to ESPN.com. A formal news conference has been set for that afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Actor Paul Newman, an avid racer and long-time team owner in open-wheel racing, and partner Carl Haas own the team currently leading the Champ Car series with driver Sebastien Bourdais, a three-time champion in the series. Yates last month at New Hampshire International said he had personally abandoned pursuit of a business partner, saying he had no debts and didn't need to get into a more pressure-packed situation answering to a partner's business demands. He did, however, say he would allow a head-hunting firm continue to look in that area. Like Robert Yates Racing, Newman-Haas has had deep ties with Ford.(ESPN.com)(7-25-2007)

  • New York Investor still looking at teams after RYR turns them down: Now that Robert Yates Racing has formally turned down New York investment banking firm Medallion Financial Corp.’s offer to buy into the team, Medallion is looking for one or more other Cup teams to align with, multiple sources in the Nextel Cup garage have confirmed. Medallion is the leading financier of taxicab medallions in New York City, which sell for about $225,000 apiece in today’s market. Three other investment-banking firms, one each in New York, Dallas and Southern California are also looking at NASCAR possibilites.(Ford Racing)(7-15-2007)

  • RYR presents check to Charlotte Police: A local race team said thank you Tuesday to the men and women in blue with a check honoring two slain Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers. NASCAR team owner Robert Yates remembers the pain of losing a close friend. His son, Doug, grew up with CMPD Officer John Burnette, who was killed in the line of duty on 1993 with fellow Officer Anthony Nobles. At that time, Yates and his team donated $50,000 to the department's police benevolent fund. "I have a lot of respect for police officers," Yates said. And that respect motivated him to do it again. This time the team donated $40,000 in honor of Officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton, who were shot and killed earlier this year while responding to a call. We're fortunate we get to do what we love doing – racing,” Doug Yates said. “With M&M and Ford sponsoring us, we want to give back and that's why we're here." Trisha Norket, the mother of John Burnette, knows firsthand how much it hurts to lose a loved one. She says she's thankful for the donation in her son's honor 14 years ago and she knows the widows of Clark and Shelton are just as thankful now. “I always try to remember what would they have us to do and I have to believe in my heart that Jeff and Sean would say, ‘make this contribution to the police benevolent fund to help my brothers and sisters that are still here,’" she said. The police benevolent fund helps various departments within department.(News 14 Carolina). The donation is to help build the Shelton-Clark Memorial.(7-11-2007)

  • Pedigree colors for Rudd at Chicago: The #88 team and driver Ricky Rudd will be running the bright yellow Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs Ford Fusion instead of their traditional Snickers Ford paint scheme. The team will also be using the same chassis which they ran at Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 earlier in the season where they had a season-best seventh-place finish. Crew Chief Butch Hylton hails from Rockford, Illinois where he grew up in the backyard of Rockford Speedway.(Elevation Group/Pedigree Racing PR) see an image of the car on my #88 Team Schemes page.(7-10-2007)

  • Double M&M's schemes at Daytona: Robert Yates Racing teammates' #38-David Gilliland and #88-Ricky Rudd will be running special M&M's paint schemes in Saturday's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Gilliland and Team 38 welcome the return of a fan-favorite special paint scheme, the M&M'S Red, White and Blue Ford in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday. Rudd will also exchange his Snickers colors to sport the standard M&M'S scheme on his #88 Ford as the two teams unite under one brand for the race.(M&M's Motorsports PR)(7-6-2007)

  • New York Investors Looking for Cup Teams: The buzz in the garage in New Hampshire is that at least two New York-based investment banking firms have been making the rounds among Nextel Cup teams, looking to invest in one or more teams, eventually taking a race team public with a stock offering. So far, there have been no takers among the NASCAR team owners. At least one of the investment firms has talked with multiple teams in the garage, including Robert Yates Racing [#38 & #88], Dale Earnhardt, Inc. [#1, #8, #15] and Roush Fenway Racing [#6, #16, #17, #26, #99], multiple sources said. The idea has been for the companies to make cash investments of upwards of $50 million in a team and then at some point sell their interests, perhaps by public stock offering. “We looked at their business plan and it didn’t make sense to us,” said Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith, who confirmed his team had been contacted by a New York-based investment fund that he did not identify by name. Robert Yates talked extensively with the potential investors and reached the same conclusion. “You sit in a room with about 20 bankers and you spend about 18 hours in there with them and you realize that they didn’t contribute anything to the gross national product except maybe going to the bathroom,” said Yates, who also has entertained merger and/or partnership offers from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Robby Gordon Motorsports and Hall of Fame Racing, among others, before deciding to go it alone. Another team principal who spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday morning at New Hampshire, said the team he works with was approached by investors, but chose not to get involved with them, either. “They had a ton of money, but they didn’t know anything at all about racing,” he said, adding the team was not in need of a cash infusion and would only consider an outside investor if that investor could add significant value to the team.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-2-2007)

  • Yates Won't Sell Team: Robert Yates [#38 & #88] has broken off discussions with potential investors into Robert Yates Racing and will remain independent, focusing his efforts on improving the team's performance. And if he's not successful at the task, Yates could step away from the sport entirely, the car owner said Saturday morning at New Hampshire. "I pretty much sent a letter to everybody and said right now I'm not interested in selling or anybody investing," Yates said prior to Happy Hour practice. "I'm just going to try and focus on performance. … I'm pretty much really tired of spending too much time working on something that doesn't benefit anything. … Right now, the thing I don't need is money. The thing I need is performance, and I haven't found a person to bring me performance. That's what I'm looking for, just trying to focus on doing what I'm doing." And that means no co-owner, outside partner or investor, at least for now.(SPEEDtv.com)(6-30-2007)

  • Rudd undecided on 2008 plans: #88-Ricky Rudd on if he'll return next season: "I think until we see some good things happen on the race track because the [Robert Yates Racing] team has gotten stronger, I don't think ... it's time to talk about next year.''(Roanoke Times)(6-20-2007)

  • Yates interested in Kyle Busch...and Kurt too: UPDATE: Add Robert Yates Racing [#38 and #88] to the list of teams interested in signing Kyle Busch to drive next season. "I've sent word through his agent [that I would like to talk to him]," RYR co-owner Robert Yates said on Thursday during a Ford function. "I'm very interested." Said Yates' son, Doug, "He would look good in a Ford." RYR not only wants Kyle, but his brother #2-Kurt. But Kurt Busch has three years remaining on his deal with Penske Racing, and according to his agent has no plans to leave. "That's flattering," said Kurt's agent, John Caponigro. "He's locked in at Penske. He's doing fine. He's looking forward to making the Chase this year and having lot of success at Penske Racing." Kyle became available on Wednesday when it was announced that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was signed to replace him at Hendrick Motorsports next season and that the 22-year-old Busch has been given his release from the final year of his deal in 2008. Bruce Kempton, who represents Kyle, said he's heard from just about every organization in the Nextel Cup garage. He said there had been no contact with RYR, but that his client was willing to listen to anyone. Among the teams other than RYR that have expressed an interest in Kyle are the Chevrolet teams of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Ginn Racing. While Busch has driven Chevrolets since he left Ford's Roush Racing after the 2001 Truck Series season, he is not married to the manufacturer.(ESPN.com).(6-15-2007)
    UPDATE: Robert Yates Racing [#38 & #88] co-owner Doug Yates wants Kyle Busch in his team's fold, but that might not be the next addition to the team. When asked if the Yates family was close to adding a partner/investor, Doug Yates said: "Yeah. It won't be long." The new investor is not expected to have control of the team, which will still be run by Doug and his father, Robert, according to sources familiar with the situation.(SceneDaily.com)(6-16-2007)

  • Rudd to Enter Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame: #88-Ricky Rudd and Save Mart Supermarkets chairman and CEO Bob Piccinini will be honored during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend by being inducted into the Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame. Rudd, considered one of the best road-course drivers in NASCAR history, is a two-time winner at Infineon Raceway and he has also sat on the pole four times. He won the inaugural race at then-Sears Point Raceway in 1989, edging Rusty Wallace by a scant .05 seconds, which is still a track record. Piccinini and Rudd will be inducted into the Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame on Friday, June 22, at 10:30am/et. Race fans are invited to attend the ceremony, which will be held in the Wine Country Winner's Circle. Piccinini, whose Modesto-based grocery chain has been associated with Infineon Raceway since 1992, has played a critical role in the growth of the Nextel Cup Series, not only at Infineon Raceway, but throughout all of Northern California.(Infineon Raceway PR)(6-12-2007)

  • Rudd and Gilliland to visit home of M&M's: On Thursday, June 7th, #88-Ricky Rudd and #38-David Gilliland will visit the Masterfoods USA headquarters in Hackettstown, NJ where M&M’s® are produced. They will be joined by the crew members of both teams and will tour the facility as well as meet with associates at the plant.(RYR PR) - cool place, Jayski lived in Hacketstown from 89-91, in the apts right accross the street from the plant, smelled like chocolate quite a bit.(6-7-2007)

  • RYR site returns: after months of fielding questions about what happened to the Robert Yates Racing [#38, #88], have an answer....it's back...at ryr.com. Been told It should be fully functional in the next few days.(6-1-2007)

  • RYR re-signs with Ford for 5 years UPDATE: Robert Yates has signed a five-year extension with the Ford, he told ESPN.com today. There will be a formal announcement on Friday at Dover International Raceway. "What it says to me is that Ford intends to win on Sundays and Mondays, and they're committed," Yates said. "We're happy they're happy with us. It's nice we have signed the thing." This ends any speculation that Robert Yates Racing was looking elsewhere [rumors with DEI/Chevy, and also Toyota]. What the five-year deal offers Yates is some stability and credibility as he continues talks with potential business partners. "The fact is, it's organizational racing now and not individual racing," Yates said. "We have been talking to different people and they ask, 'What manufacturer are you with? How strong is that? How long term is it?' [This contract] puts a lot to bed. We have a good relationship with Ford, and we continue to." Clearly, Yates is upbeat about the future. He said his team is financially healthy with "zero debt and quite a lot of money in the bank," he said. "I'm OK, but what I want to do is race and win," Yates said. There was a much-publicized flirtation between Robert Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc., about a month ago, but there was an obvious conflict -- Yates had always been a Ford devotee, and DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt has made it clear she has deep Chevrolet ties she is unlikely to break.(ESPN.com)(5-31-2007)
    UPDATE: Ford Racing Technology announced today that it has re-signed Robert Yates Racing to a contract that will keep the family-owned team sporting the blue oval for at least the next five years. “Robert Yates Racing is synonymous with Ford,” said Dan Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology. “We’ve celebrated the joy of winning races and championships with them, in addition to feeling the frustration that this sport can dish out. The main thing is that we’ve gone through all of those times together as loyal partners. We’re thrilled to have this deal behind us and now we can look forward to continuing getting Robert and his team back among the NASCAR elite.” The agreement continues a 19-year relationship that began when Yates became a car owner in 1988. Since then, his teams have won 57 Nextel Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times, and one series championship in 1999. “We’re talking to sponsors and they want to know what product and what kind of support we get from our manufacturer, so this is huge. This deal is important because it plays a big role in what you’re doing to improve your operation,” said Robert Yates.(Ford Racing)(6-1-2007)

  • Toyota: Gibbs? Penske merge with Waltrip? Yates? Toyota, sources said, has approached the Gibbs team with a proposal to leave Chevrolet, which would give it #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J.J. Yeley. Gibbs’ management doesn’t appear to be that interested, but the offer hasn’t been rejected, according to team sources. Penske [#2, #12], who has been with just about every manufacturer in racing over the years and who is one of the world’s biggest Toyota dealers, could be making the move to Toyota for next year. According to sources close to the situation, Penske could be looking at a merger with Michael Waltrip’s struggling Toyota operation. And there is speculation that Robert and Doug Yates [#38, #88] may be willing to listen to Toyota offers, even though they have long-standing ties with Ford.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-31-2007)

  • RYR gets engineer back, forming test team: Long-time team engineer Kevin Buskirk returned to the Robert Yates Racing [#38, #88] fold last week after a stint at Richard Childress Racing and will play a key role in getting the team back up to speed. Also in the works is a dedicated RYR test team, which should be especially beneficial in helping the team catch up in Car of Tomorrow races.(SPEEDtv.com)(5-20-2007)

  • Dark scheme for Rudd at LMS: The #88 team which normally runs the Snickers Ford will be racing a Snickers Dark paint scheme for Saturday night’s race and in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(Snickers Dark Racing PR), see an image on the #88 Team Schemes page.(5-17-2007)

  • DEI/RYR possible merger 'different' now: Doug Yates, co-owner of Robert Yates Racing, said talks about a merger or partnership with Dale Earnhardt Inc. are part of just once scenario his team is considering. “We’re trying to do whatever we can do to get our team as strong as we can get it, so we’ve looked at a lot of situations, DEI being one of them,” Yates said. “They’ve talked to us and we’ve talked to them, plus there is other stuff. We haven’t gotten anywhere with that in particular. Actually, we’re getting really close to some things that we think are going to help our team take that next step and make it strong for a long time to come. Hopefully, we can put some of that stuff together.” Yates said this week’s announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will leave DEI at season’s end changes that potential equation. “I think looking at DEI without Dale Jr. is a different situation,” Yates said. “It doesn’t mean that it’s any better or any worse, it’s just different. ...I think it’s going to take a little while for everybody to realize how big a move that was for the sport and what that means to the sport and what that means to DEI and Dale Jr. going forward.” Yates said that his team is committed to running Fords and he does not see that changing. If DEI would not shift from Chevrolets, he said that “is a deal breaker, I would guess.”(Thatsracin)(5-12-2007)

  • Earnhardt Jr.: 'We'll be driving Chevys' UPDATE: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearly started laughing Friday and said, 'Nah,' when asked if it was really possible he could drive a Ford next season. Dale Earnarhdt Inc., which is in negotiations with Earnhardt Jr. for a contract extension and also must sign a new dale with Chevrolet, has had preliminary talks with other manufacturers and also has talked about a possible merger with Robert Yates Racing. But Earnhardt Jr. couldn't see himself driving anything but a Chevy. As part of his negotiations with DEI, he wants majority ownership of the team. "We'll be driving Chevys, I'll promise you that," Earnhardt Jr. said following qualifying Friday for the Crown Royal/Jim Stewart 400.(SceneDaily.com)(5-5-2007)
    UPDATE: The latest on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. saga: The “Robert Yates” NASCAR brand will remain a Ford brand, even in any merger with Dale Earnhardt Inc., according to sources familiar with the Yates-DEI negotiations. However Earnhardt, who has been the heart of DEI, insisted he will be in Chevrolets again next season, no matter what. Those two facts make the DEI-Yates negotiations peculiar, particularly since Earnhardt has been negotiating a new contract with DEI owner Teresa Earnhardt, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. demanding controlling interest in DEI. If DEI officials are negotiating a possible switch to Ford, then Earnhardt would clearly appear to be not involved with those talks. Which would mean if Yates and DEI do come to terms, it would almost certainly be a Yates-DEI merger without Earnhardt in the mix. There has been rampant speculation the past few days that Earnhardt may be moving to either Richard Childress’ Chevy team or Rick Hendrick’s Chevy team.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-7-2007)

  • Borland released by MWR #44 team: Michael Waltrip Racing and #44-Dale Jarrett's crew chief Matt Borland have parted ways. "Dale Jarrett wasn't happy, UPS wasn't happy, and we had to do something immediately," Waltrip said. "Originally, we had hoped that Matt Borland would take the role as the technical director, but he wasn't ready to come off the road. We need a technical director down the road, but it wasn't going to help us this weekend." Jason Burdett, formerly the co-crew chief of the #88 car at Robert Yates Racing, left Yates on Wednesday and will eventually be the #44 crew chief. Waltrip wanted to give Burdett time to get acclimated to the system at Michael Waltrip Racing before he jumped into that role. Burdett worked with Jarrett last year. This weekend at Richmond, Derrick Finley will be the #44 crew chief. Finley started the season at Bill Davis Racing as the crew chief on Jeremy Mayfield's #36 car. After leaving BDR, he became the crew chief and then lead engineer on Waltrip's #55 car and is already familiar with the operations at MWR.(FoxSports)(5-3-2007)

  • Pedigree on te #88 at RIR; Buddy Parrott to spot: This weekend the #88 team and driver Ricky Rudd will be running the bright yellow Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs Ford Fusion instead of their normal Snickers Ford. Legendary Crew Chief Buddy Parrott will be spotting for the #88 team this weekend in Richmond. Parrott replaces Jon Wolfe who is now serving as Car Chief for the #88 Pedigree Ford. Also on Thursday, May 3rd, Rudd and his family will attend Virginia’s Royal Welcome event commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. The event will take place at the Capitol Square in downtown Richmond and her majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be the guest of honor. Rudd was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame last weekend and was named Virginian of the Year in 2006. (Snickers Racing PR)(5-2-2007)

  • Ford Racing Aware of DEI-RYR Merger Talk: In response to media reports from this past weekend, Ford Racing confirmed it is fully aware of merger talks that have taken place between Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) and Robert Yates Racing (RYR) officials. “Ford is fully committed to Robert Yates Racing for the long-term, and they have assured us that are similarly committed to Ford,” said Kevin Kennedy, Ford Racing Technology Communications Manager. “Robert and Doug have been in contact with Ford about the nature of the discussions. We have a valued partnership with them, and they are keeping us informed of those discussions like a true partner would. We fully expect they will remain with Ford for many, many years.” Robert Yates Racing and Ford have a relationship that goes back to the formation of the race team in the late 1980s, and Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology, has repeatedly stated that the manufacturer is fully committed to bringing RYR back to the top of the field. Media reports this past weekend also stated that Ford had been in discussions with DEI about a switch from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2008 season. Davis has repeatedly said that Ford is interested in adding championship-level teams to its Cup roster. “We definitely have been talking with DEI. Truthfully, we’ve been having informal talks with them for several years,” said Kennedy. “We have not yet made a formal offer to them, but we know that their GM contract is up at the end of the year. We had some discussions with them, and we’ve made it clear that we’d love to have them in our program.”(Ford Racing)(5-1-2007)

  • DEI to buy RYR? UPDATE 4: It was reported on SPEED's NASCAR Raceday that Dale Earnhardt Inc (DEI) is interested in buying Robert Yates Racing (RYR) and RYR is interested in joining forces with DEI. It was also reported that the teams would end up being in the Chevy camp.(4-29-2007)
    UPDATE: In attempts to strengthen its teams and expand to four cars, Dale Earnhardt Inc. [#'s 1,8,15] has had preliminary discussions with Robert Yates Racing [#38, #88] about a partnership, as well as Ford Motor Company and another manufacturer, DEI executive team member John Story confirmed Sunday morning. While the company also is in the midst of contract negotiations with NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., DEI is working toward trying to solidify its future. That means getting the finances and the technological support it needs from a manufacturer and working toward fielding a fourth team by 2008 or 2009, said Story, who oversees sales, marketing and communications activities at DEI. What would be more startling would be the potential move to Ford or another manufacturer considering Chevrolet's long relationship with team founder Dale Earnhardt. The Chevrolet deal is not contingent on Earnhardt Jr. remaining at DEI, Story said. Yates said his team would remain Ford. Story said that talks with Yates could continue even if DEI remains with Chevrolet.(in part from SceneDaily.com)(4-29-2007)
    UPDATE 2: With Robert Yates Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. discussing a potential merger, how would that affect Yates-Roush Engines, which makes the motors that power all of the Ford NASCAR Nextel Cup teams? RYR co-owner Doug Yates was adamant that his team will not switch to Chevrolet power no matter what, and Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said he hopes any deal will build up the Ford NASCAR Nextel Cup effort. “We’re aware that he’s marketing his teams,” Smith said of Robert Yates prior to Sunday’s Talladega race. “We have a joint engine business that’s affected by the number of customers that we have. We want to see the Ford number of teams remain at least at its current level for the benefit of the engine business and for the competitive benefit for Ford Motor Co.”(SPEEDtv.com)(4-30-2007)
    UPDATE 3: Dale Earnhardt, Inc., [DEI] will move to four Nextel Cup Series teams by 2009, be it through the acquisition of another team or the addition of a fourth team in-house, team executive John Story said Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Story said DEI has been in discussions with Robert Yates Racing for four-to-six weeks about a partnership, but cautioned that those talks are preliminary and that no documentation has been exchanged between the teams. If DEI were to acquire Yates, one of the two teams would have to forsake its manufacturer. Yates, a Ford flagship team for nearly two decades, would move to Chevrolet; or DEI, whose founder, Dale Earnhardt, won seven championships in Chevrolets, would move to Ford. "The only proposal we have right now for a manufacturer next year is from Chevrolet," Story said. "Teresa [Earnhardt] has been tremendously loyal to Chevrolet for a lot of years. We've had some conversation with a couple other manufacturers. They've called to inquire what our contract situation was. We told them, in fairness, we are going to sit down and exhaust our options with Chevrolet first, and if the opportunity came up we'd talk to somebody else. We haven't seen anything in writing from anybody else." RYR president Doug Yates said they'd rather stay in Fords, and that Ford Racing officials see a DEI merger as a way to get Ford back to prominence in Nextel Cup. But he didn't rule out a manufacturer switch. How this impacts Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract negotiations isn't known, but Story said a deal with Ford and RYR isn't contingent on Earnhardt Jr. staying at DEI. Earnhardt Jr. wants controlling interest in DEI, but Chevrolet officials want to keep him.(ESPN.com)(4-30-2007)
    UPDATE 4 Toyota denies talks: Toyota’s Lee White says his company was not involved in any talks with DEI: “We have not had any conversations with Dale Earnhardt Jr. “There is a tremendous amount of both equity and liability involved with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet has such equity built into Dale Earnhardt Jr. and that particular race team - that equity is great for the bigger picture and the health of our sport. Right now Toyota is not ready to take on the liability that would come with that scenario.”(Winston Salem Journal)(4-30-2007)

  • Rudd to move into 2nd place in all-time starts: By starting Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, #88-Ricky Rudd will have his 884th start and become second on the all-time list of career starts. Richard Petty is the leader on the all-time starts list with 1,184 starts and will now be followed by Rudd with 884, and then Dave Marcis with 883. Rudd will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 28th. Rudd has 58 starts at Talladega which is more than any other active driver.(Snickers Racing PR)(4-25-2007)

  • Rudd to tie Marcis for 2nd all-time starts: #88-Ricky Rudd is currently one start shy of tying Dave Marcis’ record for career starts. Rudd has 882 career starts placing him third on the all-time list of drivers behind Richard Petty (1,184 starts) and Dave Marcis (883 starts).(Eleviation Group PR)(4-18-2007)

  • Yates and NFL Owner to team up? UPDATE denied: Robert Yates [team owner #38, #88] is reported to be looking at a possible deal with the NFL's New England Patriots, run by Robert Kraft. The Kraft family is considered one of the most powerful families in Boston, and Robert Kraft is listed by Forbes as worth $1.1 billion, putting him No. 698 in the world.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-16-2007)
    UPDATE: ESPN2's NASCAR Now's Angelique S. Chengelis reported on Tuesday show that she talked to the New England Patriots spokesman Stacy James who said there is no truth to the rumor and news to Bob Kraft.(4-18-2007)

  • Rudd to be honored: Chesapeake VA native #88-Ricky Rudd will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame later this month, something he said is a little intimidating. "I'm honored to have the chance to go into a big, famous sports hall of fame," Rudd said. "It's more of a stick and ball sports state, there's just a few guys in motorsports in there. I'm looking forward to it, and it's something I hold in high regard."(Richmond Times Dispatch). The ceremony is scheduled for April 28 at Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center.(4-4-2007)

  • Yates also looking for a financial partner: Add Robert Yates Racing to the ever-expanding list of Nextel Cup Series owners actively courting investment partners. RYR president Doug Yates said Saturday that he and his father have been pursing investors for six months. They've gotten some inquiries but nothing solid, Yates said. Among those investors with which Yates has spoken are the Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise and the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. "We talked to them last year," Yates said. "Nice group of guys. Nice family. But they felt like, at the time, they were focused on their business. They have a lot of businesses, so that's a name that's come around. But there are a lot of people out there interested. We know how popular the sport is and people from the outside can look and see, 'Hey, this has some value.'" Yates said the most viable method for Nextel Cup teams to hold value is franchising, and feels it's time NASCAR implemented a franchise system. "At some point, I think NASCAR has got to start looking at franchises, and making these teams worth something," Yates said. "Right now it's a shame -- [a team] goes from something to nothing really quick. It's not really fair to the people who have helped grow the sport." Richard Childress was the first owner to sell a stake of his team to an investment group, and the performance of his team has improved tremendously since. Next up was Jack Roush, who made a high-profile sale of 50 percent his team to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry's Fenway Sports Group. Ray Evernham is searching for an investment partner and Petty said Friday at Martinsville Speedway that Petty Enterprises is, too.(ESPN.com)(3-31-2007)

  • Rudd to run Pedigree scheme at Bristol: This weekend the Nextel Cup Series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 and it will mark a series of firsts for the #88 team. NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow will make its racing debut providing a true test as to how the newly redesigned body styles will handle the pressures of race day. Sunday will also mark the first time the #88 team has run a special paint scheme for the 2007 season. Instead of the normal Snickers Racing scheme, the team will be running a bright yellow Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs Ford Fusion.(elevationgrp/Snickers Racing PR), no images of the scheme..yet.(3-21-2007)

  • Yates still sees challenges in Unleaded Fuel usage: Doug Yates [#38, #88 Roberts Yates Racing Fords] has had a chance to pull apart and examine the engines from the first two races in the unleaded era, and he sees some challenges ahead. In fact, Yates said, his engines came within, say, 10 laps of wholesale failure in unleaded's debut at California. "We came back from Fontana and every engine we had was almost broken," said Yates, chief of Roush-Yates Engines, which produces all motors for Ford's NASCAR fleet. "Some were broken and just didn't fail on the track. The 21 car [Ken Schrader/Wood Brothers] broke. #99-Carl Edwards's engine was broken and he didn't even know it. It must have broken coming to the checkered flag or on the way to the garage. "I've talked to the other engine builders in the garage, and they say this is a way bigger challenge than we all thought it was going to be." NASCAR has used unleaded gas in the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series for a few years [actually started in 2006]. It decreed last year that unleaded would become the mandate beginning at California this year. The California and Las Vegas races were the laboratories. Yates said he saw few problems with valves and valve seats, which had been thought to be most vulnerable with the new fuel. Lead has lubricating properties, and unleaded fuel deprives the engine of much of that inherent lubricity. But it goes much deeper than that. "What people don't understand is anything you change in these engines is a big deal," Yates explained. "I'm getting tired of hearing people on TV saying, 'Oh, it's just unleaded fuel.' It's a very hard change for the engine guys. The initial thing was valves and valve seats; that continues to be a problem. But what people don't understand is they reduced the octane from 112 to 98. Whenever you reduce octane, the fuel burns faster, so now you're microwelding rings, breaking pistons, having [fuel] distribution issues. It used to be when you lowered the octane, you lowered the compression. Well, obviously in racing, you're not going to lower the compression, so the tuning of the engine is probably the toughest thing." Doug, son of legendary team owner Robert Yates, studied engineering at North Carolina State, and he admits the change to unleaded has been a major mental puzzle. "I should have gone for my master's," he said with a smile.(source: Ford Racing site)(3-18-2007)

  • Yates to turn over Cup team to son Doug in 2008: Robert Yates [owner of #38 & #88 teams in Cup] plans to turn over the running of his Nextel Cup organization to his son, Doug, after this season. This will be Yates' 40th season in the industry since beginning with Holman-Moody in 1967. "We're giving it a shot so this year I can quit while I'm ahead," Yates said on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. "Hopefully, I can quit and get in the rocking chair and watch Doug do what he's going to do for the next 20 years." Yates added that Jack Roush's decision to sell 50% of Roush Racing to John Henry and Fenway Sports Group in Boston -- an official announcement will be made Wednesday -- will only strengthen the engine program he shares with Roush. Yates said he will own 50% of the engine program, with Roush and Fenway Sports Group getting 25% each.(ESPN.com)(2-11-2007)

  • Rudd helps out Gilliland at Daytona testing: #88-Ricky Rudd was a surprise visitor to Daytona International Speedway, today. He ran last week’s NASCAR test with Robert Yates Racing, then returned to help teammate #38-David Gilliland learn his way around the 2.5-mile track. Rudd, a 23-time Cup winner, is back for his second stint with RYR after sitting out last season. He and Gilliland took turns in Gilliland’s #38 M&Ms Ford Fusion, each running a few laps before huddling over computers to compare notes and analyze data. It was a classic case of a graying veteran with 108 combined DIS starts helping a newbie whose next speedway start will be his first. “I’m here to offer help and advice, but mostly to give drafting help,” Rudd said. “The 500 will be his first start here, and drafting’s awfully important. David won the pole last fall at Talladega, so he can get around big tracks. But Daytona changes so much during runs. He’s got to decide if he wants the car a little snug or a little loose, and I think I can help with that.” Rudd, who turned 50 years old last fall, is impressed by his 30-year-old teammate. “He’s going to be awfully good,’’ he said of Gilliland. “Some people might think Robert took a chance because David’s gotten in some wrecks and all. But he’s fast, and I’d rather have someone who’s fast. You can always calm them down, but you can’t always make them fast.” Rudd has already helped smooth Gilliland’s learning curve. Specifically, he showed his teammate that, yes, DIS is bumpy and, no, it’s not just you and, yes, this line is better than that one. “You can tell in a rental car that the track’s bumpy,’’ Gilliland said, “but never having raced here, I didn’t know if it was me or our car or the lines I was taking. Ricky drove my car for a while, then came back and said, ‘No, the car definitely needs to go over the bumps better.’ That’s something I wouldn’t have known without him being here. “As a guy coming here for the first time, there’s nothing I’d rather have more than a teammate with that many starts. He’s already helped me a lot, and I look forward to working with him everywhere we go. He’s been there for any questions, so I’ll lean on him as much as I can. All the little suggestions he’s made will add up to a lot.’’(Ford Racing)(1-17-2007)

  • Rudd to run #88 for RYR: Sources close to Robert Yates Racing told ESPN.com Wednesday that Ricky Rudd's Snickers Ford will carry the #88 in 2007. An announcement is expected as soon as this weekend, one source said. Since the mid-December announcement that Rudd would return to Nextel Cup Series racing following a year layoff, considerable speculation has centered on what number his RYR Ford would carry. Team officials were undecided and a bit evasive during a conference call following the announcement, leading many to speculate the number would switch to# 28 -- the number carried by Yates' first-ever Cup Series entry from its inception through 2003, when the car was switched to #38. Asked his preference, Rudd said he'd take the #28, which he drove for Yates from 2000-2002, posting three wins and 34 top-five finishes. But he'll get the #88, a decision made based on a 2002 agreement between RYR and Texaco/Havoline, sources said. The agreement, sources said, was that RYR could keep the #28 when Texaco left for Chip Ganassi Racing [#42 Dodge], but that Yates would wait several years to run the number. Yates and Masterfoods -- Snickers' parent company -- wanted to run the #28, but couldn't reach the required agreement with Texaco to do so, sources said.(ESPN.com)(1-3-2007)

    2006 News

  • Rudd/Yates announcement today? UPDATE 4 It's Official. Previously paired for the 2000-2002 seasons, Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing on Monday will announce the driver and car owner will again become an item for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Rudd will take over the driving duties vacated by 1999 Cup champ Dale Jarrett at the end of the 2006 season, joining David Gilliland, who will drive the #38 M&M's RYR Ford.(Motorsport.com), rumors have the #88 using the #28 that was previously used by Yates and Rudd and the Mar's Company as the sponsor with other brands being used such as Snickers, Pedigree and Combos on the car.(12-18-2006)
    UPDATE: no announcement on Monday, Dec 18th.(12-19-2006)
    UPDATE 2: been told there will be no announcement until after the holidays....also the RYR website is down and has been down for a few weeks, no idea why or what it means.(12-20-2006)
    UPDATE 3: Masterfoods USA announced it will sponsor a second entry with Robert Yates Racing in 2007 with Snickers Brand as the primary sponsor. Veteran driver Ricky Rudd will return to RYR to drive after a one-year break from competition. Joining Snickers to support the program are Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs and Combos Brand Snacks. Each will hold the primary sponsor position on the second car for a combined seven events during the 2007 season. Additionally, Masterfoods’ brands Twix, Milky Way, Skittles and Starburst will serve as associate sponsors on Rudd’s Ford during the 36-race schedule.(Elevation Group PR)(12-21-2006). No mention of a car number.
    UPDATE 4 - car number: Rudd will pilot a Yates Ford Fusion in 2007, with sponsorship from Masterfoods USA. The primary Masterfoods brand on Rudd’s car will be Snickers, which will sponsor the car for 29 races, with Masterfoods’ Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs and Combos Brand Snacks combining to sponsor the car for seven races. Car owner Robert Yates said he has not yet decided whether the Snickers car will carry the #28 or #88. An announcement on that will be expected soon, though Yates hinted the #28 might carry the day, which Rudd said would be fine with him. “From a driver’s standpoint, I was always proud to drive the #28 because of the history of the car,” Rudd said. … I guess if I had a preference, I’d take the #28.”(Ford Racing)(12-24-2006)

  • Rudd/Gilliland tested for RYR? been told that David Gilliland and Ricky Rudd tested the COT [Car of Tomorrow] last week at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, SC for Robert Yates Racing. Gilliland is, of course, the driver of RYR's #38 M&M's Ford and Rudd is being heavily rumored to be taking over the #88 Ford [Snickers? renumbered to #28?] in 2007.(12-21-2006)

  • More on Sauter to the #88, or will it be Rudd? UPDATE Rudd and #28?: The stars appear to have lined up perfectly for Johnny Sauter to drive Robert Yates Racing's #88 Ford Fusion in the Nextel Cup Series next season. Sauter has the inside track to the only car without a driver in the top 35 in the Nextel Cup owner points, guaranteeing a position in the Daytona 500 and the next four races in 2007. Yates is also talking to Ricky Rudd, who doesn't want to compete full time. Unless Yates can induce the 50-year-old Rudd into changing his mind -- and it seems unlikely -- the #88 belongs to Sauter. They're the only two drivers under consideration.(CNNSI)(11-25-2006)
    UPDATE: Ricky Rudd will join Robert Yates Racing, driving the #28 Mars Company [was #88] sponsored Ford, replacing Dale Jarrett [who drove the #88 UPS Ford, now going to MWR in the #44 UPS Toyota]. Butch Hylton will continue in his role as the Yates #28/88 team's crew chief.(Sporting News)(12-10-2006)

  • #88 has a 2007 sponsor, could be a Mars brand UPDATE 2 BUT Haas plans to run 2nd team with Sauter: Robert Yates said Friday morning that he's secured sponsorship for his #88 team and that Robert Yates Racing will again field two full-time Nextel Cup Series teams in 2007. A driver for the team has yet to be secured, and the sponsorship agreement hasn't been signed, but Yates said everything is in order. Several sources indicate Mars, which sponsors the #38 via its M&Ms brand, will also sponsor the #88, possibly with another of its brands. David Gilliland will drive the #38 Cup car next year, with Stephen Leicht running the #90 RYR entry full time in the Busch Series. While Doug Yates is listed as the team's co-owner, Yates made it clear there wouldn't be any additional owners outside of the family.(SceneDaily.com)(11-17-2006)
    UPDATE: hearing Johnny Sauter [currently #00 Busch car] could be the driver for the #88 car.(11-18-2006)
    UPDATE 2 BUT: Haas CNC Racing team manager Bill Ingle said Sunday that the team would expand to field two full-time Nextel Cup Series cas next season. Hass currently fields the #66 Chevy with Jeff Green. Next year, the team will field the #70 as well, with Johnny Sauter expected to be the driver. Sauter is rumored to be the first choice of Robert Yates Racing for its #88 car, but Ingle said all his conversations with Sauter lead him to believe the driver is staying. Either way, he said adding a second team is imperative. The plan is for Harold Holly to remain as Green's crew chief, with Robert "Bootie" Barker remaining with Sauter.(SceneDaily.com)(11-19-2006)

  • Associate sponsors for Yates: freecreditreport.com and McDonald's, Team Rensi's Busch sponsors, will be on Robert Yates Racing's Nextel Cup #38 and #88 cars as associates sponsors in 2007.(SceneDaily.com)(11-19-2006)

  • Final start in the #88 for Jarrett; then surgery next week: Dale Jarrett will be making his final start for Robert Yates Racing in the #88 UPS Ford this Sunday at Homestead. Jarrett’s best finish at Homestead is a fifth-place finish – scored during his championship winning season of 1999. Only seven Nextel Cup Series events have been run at Homestead and Jarrett has been running at the conclusion of all seven races. He has completed 1,856 of the 1,873 laps run at Homestead for a lap completion rate of 99%. Following the season finale in Homestead, Jarrett will travel to Baltimore, Md., where he is scheduled to have surgery on his left hand on Tuesday, November 21. Jarrett suffered a slight fracture in his left hand as a result of the accident he was in at Infineon Raceway in June. His hand has never healed correctly and he will be having corrective surgery next week.(RYR PR)(11-15-2006)

  • DEI not purchasing RYR: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Vice President Richie Gilmore disputed reports that his company could be buying all or part of Robert Yates Racing. During the race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, DEI Technical Director Steve Hmiel confirmed that the company was in discussions concerning a purchase of at least part of RYR. He said the company could purchase RYR's shop and equipment, but that it could also acquire the #88 team and its owner points. The owner points could be transferred to the third DEI team of Paul Menard. On Tuesday, though, Gilmore said that the story had grown out of proportion. "Stories definitely grow in the sport and maybe it's a slow time of the year with the Chase not being quite as tight as it should be," Gilmore said. "It's one of them stories that grew. I told [DEI team owner] Teresa [Earnhardt], maybe if Teresa was going to go get a cup of coffee at 8 o'clock in the morning, by noontime around here she's going to buy a Starbucks. So I think the story kind of grew that way. It grew legs for sure. When asked if there was anything to the reports that DEI could be considering purchasing all or part of the team, Gilmore's answer was succinct. "No," he said. At Phoenix, when asked about the situation, team owner Robert Yates didn't deny he was in talks with DEI and said he planned to tell the #88 team its fate before this weekend's race at Homestead. The #88 has no driver and no sponsor for 2007 since Dale Jarrett and UPS are moving over to the Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota team.(SceneDaily.com)(11-15-2006)

  • Villeneuve interested in #88 ride: Sources tell [MRN] Sirius Speedway that Villeneuve’s representatives have also been burning up the telephone lines to Robert Yates Racing, which has yet to name a driver for its #88 Ford next season. However, speculation in the Nextel Cup garage says Yates may actually be negotiating to sell the #88 half of his operation to Dale Earnhardt, Inc.(Motorsports Soapbox)(11-14-2006)

  • Yates decsion by Homestead; team with DEI? UPDATE: Robert Yates said Saturday that the fate of his #88 team will be known prior to heading to Homestead, Fla., next week for the Nextel Cup season finale. While Yates would provide no specifics, Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Steve Hmiel said there have been negotiations between the two entities. The negotiations have centered on DEI's purchasing the team's shop and equipment, as DEI has long been looking for a way to expand its capacity. The team will begin fielding a third full-time Nextel Cup Series team when Paul Menard moves to Cup next season. Hmiel said the negotiations have not involved simply buying the rights to the #88, which would bring with it the owner points earned by Dale Jarrett this season. If, however, DEI bought the shop and equipment, with Yates fielding only the #38 on his own, DEI could acquire the #88's owner points as part of a larger purchase. "If we can have more capacity, the number would be a bonus," Hmiel said at Phoenix International Raceway. "We've heard Team Red Bull has made an offer to buy the number, but we're not looking to buy just the number." A number of obstacles remain, as RYR fields Fords and DEI runs Chevrolets, so it would have to be determined whether the shop was split into two separate entities; or whether RYR ran on its own or struck a deal with another Ford operation, perhaps Wood Brothers Racing. That would leave Robert Yates Racing with just the #38 team next season. RYR has fielded two teams on a full-time basis since 1996, but is losing both driver Dale Jarrett and sponsor UPS from its #88 after the season. Yates systematically danced around the issue on Saturday, saying only that he had four options to consider. Talk in the garage is that a decision by Yates must come by Tuesday. Yates said fielding just one car is an option, especially after crew chief Todd Parrott reminded Yates that he once fielded his two cars out of separate shops. And whether or not a deal is struck with DEI, Yates said he'll still be in the sport next year with the #38 team and driver David Gilliland.(SceneDaily.com)(11-12-2006)
    UPDATE: Car owner Robert Yates has offered more details concerning the make-up of RYR in 2007 and it’s appears it will still be a two-car operation. Reports Saturday indicated several teams were interested in purchasing the #88 operation and its owner points. However, just prior to Sunday's green flag at Phoenix Yates said “I actually have looked at that but what’s on the horizon, and is here now, I don’t think that’s gonna be the deal. It’s gonna be more expanding instead of getting rid of anything. I need to know and everybody will know as soon as we can get it all figured out but it looks pretty good right now.” While a decision could be reached this coming Tuesday, Yates said “Everybody needs to know where they’re headed when they come home from Homestead. That’s out agenda and I think we can meet that timeline. The facts are we’re gonna run a really good positive 38 team. We also have an opportunity to run a very good 88 team, and we’re still looking at opportunities of maybe growing it on into the bigger full scope of four teams.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-12-2006)

  • Yates doing better: Robert Yates was back in the Nextel Cup garage at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, a weekend after health concerns kept him home from the Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta. Instead of being at the track, Yates made a pair of hospital visits back in North Carolina, being treated for stress. "I don't think I stress, but other people think I do," Yates said Saturday. "Some medication fixed me up, I just needed some help last week. I had a little similar deal about a year-and-a-half ago. Really the same thing and the same [medication] cured it. Maybe I learned and won't let it get back in that situation. I feel good now, but I had a couple of rough days." After his first trip to the hospital, Yates doesn't even remember leaving to return home. That experience really caught his attention. "I went back as soon as I woke up - I didn't want to die at home, so I went back," Yates said. "I drove to the hospital twice and they kept sending me home. But then when I got back the second time, I had a hard time getting out. I had to go find the doctors [via phone] at the soccer field somewhere to get out of there on Saturday. But I feel good now. I was planning on going to Atlanta; I wanted to go because I felt like our cars were going to run good, and they did. But I had to take care of my system and I think I've got that straightened out."(SceneDaily.com)(11-6-2006)

  • Latest on the #88 Sponsor situation: As for the Robert Yates Racing's #88 Ford Fusion, [team owner Robert] Yates insists it will race next year, with a sponsor announcement likely by the season-ending race in two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car owner hinted strongly that he’s looking at a novel approach to multiple primary sponsors for the #88: One primary for the first half of the season, another for the second half. “I’ve finally got some choices to where we’ll be able to run the car and run it well and run it with good sponsorship,” Yates said. “We’ve got a couple of different scenarios and I’ve got to make a decision pretty quick.” Regarding the driver for the #88, Yates said he has several good ones to choose from. The only hold up now is getting the sponsor(s) inked on the dotted line.(Ford Racing)(11-5-2006)

  • Special scheme for Jarrett at Texas: As Dale Jarrett races around the 1.5-mile oval of Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) this Sunday, he'll take pride that his newly designed ride is going to benefit children all around the country, starting in Texas. Dale's #88 The UPS Store/Toys for Tots Ford will sport a specially designed paint scheme, created by 12-year old California native, Annabelle Huffman, during the UPS Store's annual "Design Dale's Ride" coloring contest. The appearance of the specialty paint scheme at TMS will officially kick off The UPS Store's Toys for Tots donation drive this holiday season. Fans are asked to bring one new, wrapped toy to the speedway and deliver it to one of several on-site drop off points. Annabelle Huffman will look like a hero to 30 of her closest friends while cheering along the UPS Store/Toys for Tots Ford from her home in Napa Valley, CA, and you can be a hero in your community by contributing this year to the Toys for Tots toy drive.(PR), see an image of the scheme on my #88 Team Schemes page.(11-4-2006)

  • #88 RYR team close to a sponsor deal: Doug Yates, the co-owner of Robert Yates Racing, said he's "really close'' to a sponsorship deal for the #88 next season. There have been reports that RYR might field only one car in 2007, but Yates said the plan is to remain a two-car team.(NASCAR.com)(10-22-22006)

  • New Jarrett/UPS Car Number to be announced UPDATE 2 will be #44, see images: What number will Dale Jarrett’s UPS Toyota Camry carry during the 2007 Nextel Cup Series season? That question will be answered Friday, October 20th at 10:00am/et, on the UPS Racing web site, www.racing.ups.com. The UPS Racing program will have a new home, new manufacturer and new look for the 2007 season. It was announced in July that UPS will join driver Dale Jarrett at Michael Waltrip Racing, adorning the hood of a Nextel Cup Series Toyota Camry beginning at Daytona International Speedway in February. The number of that car, along with the paint scheme, will be unveiled at www.racing.ups.com this Friday.(PR), rumored car numbers are #44 and #50.(10-19-2006)
    UPDATE: the number will be #44 and some images have filtered out. To see images of the scheme, see my 2007 Cup Schemes page.(10-20-2006)
    UPDATE 2: A new team, a new manufacturer and a new car number equate to a fresh new look for UPS Racing in 2007. The upcoming season of competition in the Nextel Cup Series will be the start of a new chapter in the book of UPS Racing and driver Dale Jarrett. The #44 UPS Toyota Camry will debut in the Budweiser Shootout in February. The car will break out with a splash with a new paint scheme designed for the 2007 season and UPS's maiden voyage with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). The most obvious change is the new number - #44 - adorning Dale Jarrett's UPS ride. In most cases, a new team means a new number. In this case, the management of MWR wished to create symmetry with its three cars, as Jarrett's teammates will compete with double digit numbers as well. Michael Waltrip will drive the #55 NAPA Camry and Nextel Cup Series rookie contender David Reutimann will drive the #00 car sponsored by Domino's and Burger King. Present on the UPS Camry are the everlasting colors of brown, white and gold as well as the now familiar red and orange that have come to be a part of the UPS paint schemes during the course of the last couple NASCAR seasons. The design features lightning bolts that start at the nose of the car, jolt along the passenger and driver sides of the car and continue to the rear quarter panels. The lightning bolts stretch from the inside corner of each headlight sticker and continue beyond the wheel well on both sides of the car. A total of four lightning bolts hug the sides of the UPS Camry - each a different color of gold, red, brown and orange. The #44 is planted at the forefront of the lightning bolts in the same UPS orange color used in the orange lightning bolt. The result is an eye-catching transition of color that creates the illusion of speed. And speed on the track is just what Dale Jarrett hopes to generate in his #44 UPS Toyota Camry in 2007.(UPS Site), to see images of the scheme, see my 2007 Cup Schemes page.(10-20-2006)
  • Biffle to RYR? There’s talk that Roush Racing and Robert Yates Racing might create a new team for Greg Biffle. The team would be Robert Yates’ third and would reduce to four the number of full-schedule Cup teams owned by Jack Roush.(Ford Racing)(10-14-2006)

  • Ford to help out RYR: Ford director of racing technology Dan Davis said Friday that his company will do everything possible to help Robert Yates Racing regain its competitive footing after two woeful seasons that included the defections of drivers Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett. That help will include, he said, finding a sponsor to assure that the #88 Ford will return even though Jarrett took the powerful UPS account with him to Michael Waltrip Racing. "I've told Robert, 'I will do anything in my power to develop whatever you need,' " he said. "It's a struggle for him at the moment." Davis said there was nothing Ford could do about some defections, such as Mark Martin, when owners such as Bobby Ginn are willing to pay an enormous salary for a part-time driver. Martin will contest 20 points races for MB2 Motorsports next year. "It's all about compensation," Davis said. "I'm saying maybe that's happened to one of my friends. Eventually everyone looks at this and says, 'Damn, this is really quite an offer. And you know what? I really have a lot of loyalty and I have a lot of this and I have a lot of friends and I owe my career to somebody and I'm torn on this because of that, but damn. Damn.' And I think we get to that point when you have new manufacturers in the mix. You have new owners in the mix, you have new sponsors in the mix that are willing to upset the norm in terms of compensation." Davis confirmed driver/owner Robby Gordon will switch from Chevrolet to Ford for next season. "He's excited about coming in because he knows the motor program is really good," Davis said. "The chassis are really good, the bodies are really good. He can concentrate on race craft and getting the team working well."(St Petersburg Times)(10-14-2006)

  • More Villeneuve Rumors...Roush discussions, Yates? Rumors have been circulating for weeks that Jacques Villeneuve, a former F1 champion is ready to give stock cars a try. The Villeneuve story heated up with news that the Canadian driver has been in contact with Roush Racing. Asked if the 35-year-old Villeneuve could be in a Roush entry in 2007, team owner Jack Roush said, "That's a possibility. I know we're in discussions. He came to see us in Detroit and he's been in Charlotte and had discussions around our program and what he can do and the rate of which he could get up to speed, if he's got the stomach for it, and if we can find the sponsorship for it, that's certainly a possibility." Efforts to reach Villeneuve and his agent, Craig Pollock, for comment were not successful. The Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport reported earlier this week that Villeneuve already has signed a deal with Roush Racing and will move back to Canada from his current base in Europe. When contacted by ESPN, Roush Racing said the story is not true and that Villeneuve has not signed with them. There were reports Friday that Villeneuve has also been in contact with Robert Yates Racing about the opening in the #88 Ford. Dale Jarrett will leave Yates at the end of the season for a ride with Michael Waltrip's new Toyota team. But Yates officials were not available for comment.(ESPN.com/AP), see the initial rumors and more on the Drivers Looking/Rumored page.(10-7-2006)

  • Yates still looking for a sponsor for the #88 in 2007: With an ongoing sponsorship search that's been "tougher than expected," Robert Yates Racing co-owner Doug Yates said it's "time to go" where RYR's #88 team is concerned. Yates hopes to have something locked down within several weeks, but can't begin serious talks with a driver to replace Dale Jarrett until securing a sponsor to replace outgoing UPS. "We all know it's tough; $15 million sponsors aren't just laying around every corner," Yates said Friday at Kansas Speedway. "We see how some teams have to piece things together to get to a full season. That's not our first wish, of course, but we'll see how it goes." While a sponsor will look to the team for input, Yates said the sponsor will have the greatest role in choosing the team's next driver. A veteran would be preferable to pair with David Gilliland but Yates said a younger driver could also work if it goes that way. "We would prefer a veteran because we need that balance," Yates said. " But on the other hand, you look at it and say you need to build on something, too. It's really a tough call. You want to build for your future, but you also want to get your program back to where it needs to be. There's a lot of things up in the air and it's been tough." Gilliland has struggled since replacing Elliott Sadler in the #38 car last month at Michigan. Yates, though, knew patience would be required for a driver with only limited Busch Series experience. "The bright part is he is very fast and qualifies well and you can see the speed. The downside is we don't need to tear up equipment," Yates said. "That's tough. When you wreck cars it's hard to build on it. You kind of know that going in with somebody and we've got a steep learning curve. We knew when we got together and made this that we're going to have our challenges. But the part that keeps me very excited is you see the speed in him and you see the potential there and you look at the other guys that have come before him and where they're at today."(SceneDaily.com)(10-1-2006)

  • RYR one car team in 2007? UPDATE 2 Nope..looks like Martin; BUT can't run both?.... Robert Yates Racing co-owner Doug Yates told reporters in Richmond, Va., his team could shrink from two cars to one if sponsorship isn't found for its #88 [currently driven by Dale Jarrett with UPS as the sponsor](USA Today sidebar)(9-15-2006)
    UPDATE: Despite recent dire predictions that he may have to shutter his #88 Ford team next year for lack of a sponsor, car owner Robert Yates told SPEEDTV.com on Saturday that he’s close to inking a deal for next season — and he hopes the driver of the #88 in 2007 will be Mark Martin. “From my side, we’re getting pretty optimistic,” Yates said following “Happy Hour” practice for the Sylvania 300 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway. “We’re given and getting some good (sponsor) opportunities … I think it’s going to happen, and I’m anxious and I’m happy that we’re getting the cars better. … I think it’s all going to end up on the positive. I think I may have a job for a while longer.” Last week at Richmond, Yates said he might have to close the #88 team down next year, because he didn’t have a sponsor, but events of the last few days have changed his mind about 2007. Asked if things had changed in the last week, Yates said, “Big time,” adding, “I turned upbeat this week.” Asked how close he was to a sponsor deal, Yates said, “It could happen this week. The sooner, the better, but I want to make sure we get our cars right. We’re gaining on that quite a bit. It needs to happen. Right now, I’m very optimistic that we’ll be in good shape and good to go for another season.” The team owner said he wanted a veteran driver and that could mean Mark Martin, who Yates’s son, Doug, has talked to about moving over from Roush Racing. “I know Doug has talked to him … he’s interested,” said Yates. “That’s the feedback I get. I haven’t talked one on one with him.” Martin said Friday he hadn’t talked to Yates but left the door open for options outside of Roush next year.(Speedtv.com)(9-16-2006)
    UPDATE 2 - can't do Cup full-time? Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said Mark Martin's Truck Series contract that is in the final stages of preparation will not allow him to run a full Nextel Cup schedule in 2007. "You can't do both," Smith said emphatically before Sunday's Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway. Smith said Martin's best option for a partial Cup schedule if that's what he desires will be in the #60 team that Roush Racing manages with Boris Said. He smiled when told that Robert Yates continues to put Martin on his wish list to drive the #88 next season.(NASCAR.com)(9-18-2006)

  • Martin says he will NOT drive the #6 in 2007 UPDATE 2 to the #88? UPDATE 3 Denied....MORE: Mark Martin on Friday said that he will not drive the #6 Roush Racing Ford in 2007. "I'm not worried about next year, but I will tell you this: there never has been -- ever -- a consideration for me to drive the 6 car in 2007," Martin said. "Everybody's in this frenzy about what I'm going to do in 2007 -- it's just not important right now," Martin said. "What's here in front of me is what's important to me. I've tried to help these guys and keep the ship on track, and if we don't produce then so be it. I've never once this year thought or considered driving it again in '07. I've driven it 19 years. That's enough for the 6 car and me."(see full report at NASCAR.com)(9-1-2006)
    UPDATE: #6-Mark Martin's farewell tour will be extended yet another year when he drives the #88 Ford next year for Robert Yates Racing. Martin originally said last year would be his final as a full-time driver in the Nextel Cup Series, but he changed his mind to return to his familiar #6 Ford at Roush Racing this season. Now it appears he will keep going, but for a new team. Three different sources close to Ford Racing said Martin will take over for Dale Jarrett at Yates after Jarrett moves into a new Toyota Camry at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007, Morris News Service has learned. Martin said Friday he won't drive the #6 Ford at Roush next year - a ride he's had since the 1988 season - and most people believed that meant he finally planned to start his planned retirement. Robby Gordon confirmed this week he attempted to buy half of Robert Yates Racing recently, but the deal apparently fell through in the last couple weeks. Sources close to Yates confirmed Sunday that Martin - apparently with support of Jack Roush - also tried to buy Yates during the summer. Negotiations went so far that Yates had an inventory completed to show the exact worth of his racing operation. Robert Yates Racing said they would make an announcement on a new driver in about a week. They've already hinted it would be a veteran racer.(Athens Banner-Herald)(9-5-2006)
    UPDATE 2 - sponsors: hearing McDonald's and Citi-Financial will be the sponsors for Martin and the #88 Ford in 2007, not sure if as co-primaries or some other arrangement.(9-6-2006)
    UPDATE 3: Benny Ertel, who is Mark Martin's business manager, went Internet surfing Wednesday morning and found some interesting "fiction" on various racing Web sites. The stories indicated Martin would be buying into Robert Yates Racing and the veteran would drive the #88 Ford, which will be abandoned by Dale Jarrett at season's end. "Wishful thinking," Ertel said. "I read that online. There's no truth to it. I can't say Robert wouldn't want Mark in his car. They may come at him hard when we get to Richmond. I don't know. I know we haven't talked to Robert Yates; (or) to my knowledge, nobody at Yates Racing."(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(9-7-2006)
    UPDATE 4: Robert Yates Racing co-owner Doug Yates says he hasn't talked with Mark Martin, but he certainly would like to have him in the team's #88 Ford next season. But first he needs to land sponsorship for the team. Yates admitted that courting a driver at this point would be "putting the cart before the horse." He expects to finalize sponsorship plans for the team in the next three to four weeks. Yates was then asked if the #88 would definitely be back next season. "Well, I hope so," he said after a pause. "That's our plan." [Yates] did say, though, that with sponsorship approval he'd be very interested in [Martin]. He also said the team would be interested in Ricky Rudd. Martin says he'd like to compete with a 12-race limited schedule in 2007. Yates said any partial or full-time driver decisions would be made by the future sponsor. Yates added that it makes sense to have a rookie driver with one team and a veteran in the other car.(SceneDaily.com)(9-9-2006)
    UPDATE 5: Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd and Ward Burton are the top choices of Robert Yates Racing to drive the #88 Ford opposite rookie David Gilliland in 2007. "We really want a veteran driver to work with David," Doug Yates, the co-owner of RYR, said.(NASCAR.com)(9-9-2006)

  • Jarrett to race #88 UPS Freight Car at Richmond: Dale Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team will race its first special paint scheme of the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season on behalf of sponsor UPS, who will be rolling out the #88 UPS Freight Ford Fusion for Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 event in Richmond. In an effort to expand its service portfolio by offering a variety of less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload services (TL) for customers in North America, UPS acquired Overnite Transportation Company in 2005, which immediately positioned UPS as a top LTL carrier in the United States. "This is probably one of the best examples of UPS utilizing this sponsorship to promote the different businesses in which they're involved," said Dale Jarrett, driver of the UPS Ford. "They have always done the best job of using this race program to create brand awareness." To celebrate the occasion, Jarrett will make an appearance at the UPS Freight headquarters on Wednesday, September 6th. Jarrett will assist UPS Freight employees in kicking off this year's United Way campaign.(UPS PR), see a image of the scheme on the #88 Team Schemes page.(9-6-2006)

  • Robby DID try to buy into RYR: from PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show:
    #7 car owner-driver Robby Gordon says he came close on two occasions to a 50-50 partnership with Robert Yates Racing. "I was going to buy Yates. Yes we were. We had funding and sponsorship in place for the 88 car.We have our car funded for the seven car. I wanted to buy half of his two cars. That was the deal that was proposed, so whatever you hear on the other side of the street, I wasn't going to do it unless I could own half of those two cars."
    So is any deal with RYR dead in the water? "Before Indianapolis it was dead and then after Indianapolis it was alive and today it's dead so who knows where that is or what's going to happen. It's unfortunate that it's dead because I think I could have been a good coach for the two younger drivers they're going to have in their cars because to date I don't know what they're going to have for experience showing up at the Daytona 500."
    What killed the deal? "I don't know.We agreed on everything and the day it was supposed to be done it just didn't happen. I got a call from Robert's attorney that we're (Robert Yates Racing) isn't going to do the deal tomorrow. So it was like, huh? Okay."
    It's also unclear as to which manufacturer Gordon will partner with in 2007. "I have had a great relationshp with Chevrolet...obviously I've had past relationships with Ford. Chevrolet has done a great job. They have the best teams in the sport. I can say from a business side right now that with a little bit of luck and to say if we improve as much in 2007 as much as we did in 2006. I could become the second Ford team pretty easy. For me to become the second Chevrolet team we have a lot of work to do. It's really going to come down to who is willing to give us the most amount of resources. We have enough money to race right now...we need more technical support."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show), see the past rumors about this on my #7 Team News and Links page.(9-1-2006)

  • Leicht not moving to Cup in 2007: [#38/88 Team Owner] Doug Yates says that 19-year-old Stephen Leicht will remain in the Busch series next season. Leicht made his Cup debut for Robert Yates Racing at Pocono, finishing 36th. He failed to qualify at Indianapolis. He's competed in 12 Busch series races with one top-10 finish. "Stephen is not ready for Cup,'' said Yates, RYR's co-owner. "The guy is 19 years old. He needs some time. He's going to be a great driver.'' Leicht's sponsor, CitiFinanical, also will remain, Yates said. Yates says the team hopes to either find a sponsor and driver for next season or merge with an existing team. One option might be Mark Martin, who has expressed an interest to run at least some Cup races next year.(Roanoke Times)(8-27-2006)

  • More on the rumored RYR/RGM buyout/merger RUMOR: [see the original rumor below] While Doug Yates spent the week denying a report that his Robert Yates Racing organization had been sold, he's not ruling out allowing someone to merge with his company to help it expand. Robby Gordon Motorsports officials have not denied that their company is speaking with RYR, among others, about forming some sort of partnership for the future. As a single-car operation, Gordon's team is at a disadvantage in the Nextel Cup garage. RYR team co-owner Doug Yates said that no deal had been made or would be made to sell his team, he paused noticeably when asked to clarify as to whether there was the possibility that a portion of his organizaion could merge with another. Asked to specify whether he could rule out selling part of his program, Yates defined how difficult the situation is for a two-car team trying to compete with larger programs. If, and Yates heavily emphasized the if, he did alter the structure of his team, the plan would be to expand immediately.(in part from SceneDaily.com)
    AND more from Ford Racing PR at the Yates/Gilliland quotes: DOUG YATES, continued - IS YOUR TEAM CONSIDERING ALIGNING WITH SOMEONE? IS THAT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO COMPETE? "There's no doubt that you have to grow to be to that level. NASCAR set the limit at four times, that's what was out there and if you're going to compete, you've need the resources of four teams. I think we all agree on that. How you get there is things we've been kicking around. It's tough to grow, it's tough to find great sponsors like M&M's. They're just not around every corner, so how do you do that? We've been exploring opportunities and that's some of the things that are swirling. Robby's [Gordon] not buying our whole place [never reported that here], I want to put that to rest. Man, you guys caused us a lot of pain, I'll tell you that. That Jayski guy is killing me. I want to tell you something: If you guys weren't talking about us, I'd really be worried. Because the reason you guys are talking about us is because you expect more of us, and I appreciate that. And we are determined to get back to where you can say some good things about us when we get there."
    YOU MENTIONED ROBBY'S NOT BUYING "THE WHOLE THING." IS THERE A SENSE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PART OF IT THERE? "We're looking for opportunities to grow our business. We have to make smart decisions for the future. My dad is at the point in his career where if he's making every decision of every day he wants to pass the torch off. And I've got a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders. Sometimes you need some energy to help you get there. So, we're going to see how things shape up and make the best decision for our organization, our people, to get a chance to get our cars in victory lane. That is the goal. How you get there, those are tough decisions. But the goal is to get our organization back where we can win the Brickyard, we can win the Daytona 500, we can have four teams that are competing at a very high level every week. That's a tough 'how to we get there?' And that's what we're looking for."(Ford Racing PR)(8-19-2006)

  • Robby buying RYR? UPDATE Denied: The LTN Radio Network has learned that Robby Gordon has purchased Robert Yates Racing, #88 and #38 Cup teams and #90 Busch Series team to be effective this week. The Yates-Roush engine program is not included in the sale. No word on the status of the contracts between RYR and sponsors M&M/Mars and Citifinancial, and how they will be affected by the sale.(LTN Radio Network), if this is true...
    UPDATE: a representative from Robert Yates Racing says this is NOT True and will not happen, denying that Yates is selling to Robby Gordon.
    UPDATE 2: A report that Robby Gordon Motorsports [RGM] has purchased Robert Yates Racing's Cup and Busch Series teams was denied by officials with RGM Tuesday. But, John Story, CEO of Robby Gordon Motorsports, said the two teams have spoken about a possible merger of some sort. "As Robby stated several months ago, we have talked to a number of people both in and out of NASCAR about expanding, with the ultimate goal of fielding a championship-caliber team," Story said. "To be competitive in NASCAR's Cup series today, you've got to have multiple teams. So, yes, we've spoken [to RYR officials], but we've spoken with other people also. "That any sort of deal has been completed between the two teams is completely erroneous." According to the Internet story posted by the LTN Radio Network, the purchase of RYR by Robby Gordon Motorsports would be "effective this week." Story said the need to expand to multiple teams has led to discussions with a number of organizations currently competing in the series, including Hall of Fame Racing and PPI Motorsports among others. "Not surprisingly, a number of teams have contacted us as well," Story said. "But you can't just take two single-car teams and put them together and say you are now a multicar team. It's just not that easy. There are a number of issues that come into play." Those issues, he said, include concerns such as shop space, manufacturer representation, sponsorships and driver selection. "If you make a move like that," he said, "you have to make sure you're in lock step with one another. If anything changes, you have to agree on what the new path will look like."(SceneDaily.com)
    UPDATE 3 from RGM: "The rumor that we have consummated a deal to purchase Robert Yates Racing is just that, a rumor. As we publicly stated several months ago, we have spoken to a number of organizations about the idea of aligning resources with the goal of creating a championship-caliber program. In today's NASCAR, great people and multiple teams are two of the requirements needed to win a championship and there are really only two ways for us to get there. The first is to find additional marketing partners for a second, third and fourth car, and the other is to align with another team that is interested in the same opportunities. For months we have been talking to multiple sponsors and teams, and while one of those teams is Robert Yates Racing, we have not purchased Robert's program."(John Story, General Manager and CEO, Robby Gordon Motorsports)(8-15-2006)

  • Starr to Yates? UPDATE denied: on Sunday's Speed Report [Speed Channel 8:00pm/et, Sunday's], Bob Dillner reported that Robert and Doug Yates took Truck Series driver, David Starr to dinner and could end up in one of RYR's rides, possibly the #88 Ford, replacing Dale Jarrett in 2007.(8-8-2006)
    UPDATE: David Starr looks you square in the eyes and says: He has not been offered a ride with Robert Yates Racing for next season nor has he talked to anyone at RYR. "I haven't taked to him at all," Starr said. "I don't know where a rumor like that gets started but it's not true, I have not talked to anyone connected with Robert Yates Racing."(Insider Racing)(8-14-2006)

  • Todd Parrott Returns to RYR; Steadman to Crew Chief the #43 UPDATE:: Petty Enterprises and Robert Yates Racing jointly announce crew chief Todd Parrott will return to Robert Yates Racing. Greg Steadman, on an interim basis, will take over the crew chief duties on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte effective immediately. Parrott has years of experience at RYR and helped lead the organization to a championship with driver Dale Jarrett in 1999. Steadman is no stranger to the crew chief position. A long-standing employee of Petty Enterprises, Steadman is known as one of the top mechanical minds at the shop. Steadman will work hand-in-hand with Loomis, who will take a more active role on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge.(Petty Enterprises PR)(8-9-2006)
    UPDATE: Parrott will take over the #38 M&M's Ford crew chief duties as of the Michigan race next weekend.(Speed Channel Qualifying Coverage/Larry McReynolds)(8-11-2006)

  • Gilliland signed? with Yates? #28? UPDATE 3 - Press Conference postponed: hearing Busch Series driver, David Gilliland has signed with Robert Yates Racing to run in Nextel Cup in 2007, no word if it is the #38, #88 or #90. Supposedly the announcement will come at Indy next week.(7-28-2006)
    UPDATE: All signs are indicating that former Chino Hills resident David Gilliland will drive a NASCAR Nextel Cup car for Robert Yates Racing next season. In addition to a morning Internet report that said Gilliland has signed a deal with Yates, industry sources said Gilliland and Yates will announce their partnership during the upcoming race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed a Yates news conference scheduled for 1:15pm local time on Friday, Aug. 4. Gilliland did not return a phone call today, but said Thursday, ``We're getting close on a few really good offers.'' Asked if something was likely to be done in the next week, Gilliland said, ``Yeah.'' A secretary at RYR said team owner Robert Yates and son Doug Yates were not in the team's race shop today, which marked the beginning of the final Cup off-weekend of the season. Yates spokeswoman Rhonda King said, ``We have nothing confirmed to announce at this time.'' Sources said Gilliland is likely headed to the #38 M&M's car being vacated by Elliott Sadler at the end of the season. Gilliland attended the Nextel Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday and ``showed up for an interview on Speed (Channel) while eating a bag of M&M's and proclaiming they were his favorite candy,'' according to a report by the network's Tom Jensen.(San Bernardino County Sun)(7-29-2006)
    UPDATE 2: hearing the #28 could return to RYR with Gilliland driving and M&M's sponsoring, the 2006 #38 owners points going to the #28 [first 5 races of 2007],(7-31-2006)
    UPDATE 3 Postpones Press Conference: been told the Robert Yates Racing Press Conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been canceled for this weekend, it was scheduled for this afternoon around 1:00pm/et, supposedly to announced David Gilliland as a new driver for one on RYR Cup teams, no word why it was canceled. Confimed from sources at the track that the press conference has been canceled and will end up being held later in August.
    UPDATE 3a: Despite postponing a Friday afternoon press conference in which Robert Yates Racing was expected to introduced David Gilliland as the driver of its #38 Ford for next season, nothing has changed with the team's plans to hire the driver. The announcement will come later this summer, once all the details of the contract can be finalized. "We're just trying to get all of our 'i's' dotted and 't's' crossed before we announce our new driver," co-owner Doug Yates said Friday. "I think everybody knows who it is. We just want to make sure everything's right. We're looking forward to our future. It's just the timing. We're trying to do a lot of things really fast, as everybody knows, and sometimes when you do that you just have to take your time and make sure you get it all right. There's no change in the direction for us. The timing just didn't work out for today."(SceneDaily.com)(8-4-2006)

  • Fox to crew chief Leicht: Raymond Fox will be handling the crew chief duties this weekend for the #90 CitiFinancial Ford. Drover Stephen Leicht and Fox first paired up in 2005 when Leicht made his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Memphis Motorsports Park, where he finished 13th. Butch Hylton had been Leicht's crew chief, but was named #88-Dale Jarrett's crew chief recently when Slugger Labbe and #38 crew chief Tommy Baldwin parted ways with Robert Yates Racing.(CitiFinancial Racing PR)(8-2-2006)

  • Crew Chiefs out at Yates?: UPDATE 4: Hearing that Robert Yates Racing has released crew chiefs Tommy Baldwin and Slugger Labbe.(7-30-2006)
    UPDATE:Baldwin supposedly is headed back to Bill Davis Racing (nothing about Ward Burton) and Labbe is looking at options.(7-31-2006)
    UPDATE 2: Robert Yates Racing told its organization on Monday that its two Nextel Cup crew chiefs, Tommy Baldwin and Slugger Labbe, would no longer be with the team, a source has told NASCAR.COM. Baldwin and Labbe were brought to RYR amid great fanfare by team manager Eddie D'Hondt, but D'Hondt was fired on May 23. With Baldwin and Labbe gone, RYR has experienced a complete turnover of its top personnel. Veteran crew chief Butch Hylton is rumored to be Jarrett's crew chief for this week's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.(NASCAR.com)(7-31-2006)
    UPDATE 3: Robert Yates Racing announced today that veteran crew chief Butch Hylton will assume crew chief duties for the #88 UPS Racing Team in an interim capacity beginning with this weekend’s All State 400 at the Brickyard. Hylton has been with Robert Yates Racing since the end of June and served as crew chief for development driver Stephen Leicht at Pocono Raceway two weeks ago.(RYR PR)(7-31-2006)
    UPDATE 4: Baldwin will be replaced by Charles "Cully" Barraclough as crew chief of the #38 team and Elliott Sadler. Baldwin's departure was by mutual decision as he left for an opportunity to become a team manager at another team, an RYR spokesman said. That team likely will be Bill Davis Racing, where Baldwin was crew chief from 1998 to 2002.(SceneDaily.com)(7-31-2006)

  • Gilliland signed? with Yates? hearing Busch Series driver, David Gilliland has signed with Robert Yates Racing to run in Nextel Cup in 2007, no word if it is the #38, #88 or #90. Supposedly the announcement will come at Indy next week.(7-28-2006)

  • RYR Looking to put Leicht in Cup in 2007: Robert Yates Racing is trying to put 19-year-old Stephen Leicht in a Nextel Cup car in 2007, team co-owner Doug Yates confirmed Monday. Yates said that if CitiFinancial agrees to sponsor the team's #88 Nextel Cup car next season, Leicht will be the driver. If the company decides to remain in the Busch Series, Leicht would drive that car and he also would be a candidate to drive the Cup car, depending on the sponsor. Yates also said if Leicht doesn't run Cup in 2007, then he would in 2008.(SceneDaily.com)(7-25-2006)

  • Gilliland to Yates? UPDATEs: David Gilliland, who has won one Busch Series race, said yesterday he has been contacted by several teams for next year. The Charlotte Observer reported that one of those teams was Robert Yates Racing, reporting that Yates had extended Gilliland an offer to replace Emporia native Elliott Sadler in the #38. Gilliland wrecked out of the Goody's 250 on Lap 163. Shortly after Gilliland emerged from the team's hauler, Jack Roush pulled him aside for a short conversation. Gilliland didn't mention specifics yesterday but said his goal hasn't changed. "We've got a lot of options. I got a lot of phone calls," Gilliland said. "I want to race full time next year."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(7-23-2006)
    UPDATE: Forgive David Gilliland if he's a bit overwhelmed by the sudden rush of calls to his cel lphone from top NASCAR team owners like Richard Childress, Robert Yates and Jack Roush. "We've got some pretty good opportunities and we're going to take our time in trying to make the right decision," Gilliland said yesterday of his unexpected headline status in the stock- car rumor mill. "I've talked to probably 10 teams, and we're just weighing our options. It's hard to pass up an opportunity because you might not get another one. I've talked with Richard Childress a lot, and his operation is on top of the game right now, and it's hard to pass up a deal like that. But I haven't signed anything with anyone." Mike Dillon, Childress' director of team operations, said his team wants to sign Gilliland to a Busch-Nextel Cup package that would include all the Busch events in 2007, plus a couple of Nextel Cup events. "He has to make a decision on his future, and we've got to make decisions, too," Dillion said. Yates is apparently offering an even bigger deal - a full Nextel Cup ride. Gilliland said he's bounced his options off his father, Butch Gilliland, a veteran Winston West racer, for advice. "And I just talked with Kenny Wallace, and he gave me some really good advice. He's been around the sport a long time and seen people move up too fast or not fast enough. I'm not 20, so we might not get another opportunity. But at the same time you don't want to move too fast. How do you know if you're ready until you try it?"(Winston Salem Journal)
    UPDATE 2: David Gilliland, who shocked the NASCAR world when he won a Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway last month in an unsponsored, part-time car, has emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace Elliott Sadler in the #38 Robert Yates Racing Ford next year. Gilliland was at Pocono Raceway Sunday where he reportedly met with representatives from sponsor M&M Mars. While he did not confirm he would drive for the team next year, Gilliland showed up for an interview on SPEED while eating a bag of M&Ms and proclaiming that they were his favorite candy.(Speed Channel)(7-24-2006)

  • Third team for RYR? [Robert] Yates said there's a "realistic" chance that RYR could go to three Cup teams next season if 44-year-old Ward Burton, who has been out of Cup the past two seasons, comes up with a sponsor. Citifinancial and M&M's, according to team officials, are looking for younger drivers such as Leicht, 19, and Gilliland, 30. "If Ward walked in with a sponsor today we'd say, 'Ward, you've got the ride,'" Yates said.(NASCAR.com)
    AND: The Yates crew is interested in Gilliland, sources tell Team Ford Racing, with veterans Ricky Rudd and Ward Burton as the team’s fallback position if they are unable to sign a young up-and-comer, Gilliland or someone else.(Speed Channel)(7-24-2006)

  • Labonte denies RYR rumor: #43-Bobby Labonte said quite emphatically to scratch reports he may be on car owner Robert Yates' list of drivers to try to sign for 2007. Labonte called the Yates' report "a stupid rumor." Yates is in the market for a high-profile driver to run for his two-car team, with Dale Jarrett leaving and with major questions about Elliott Sadler possibly leaving too. Yates will be testing newcomer Stephen Leicht, from Asheville, at Pocono and Indy, though it's unclear if Leight, 19, will even be able to make the field. Leicht is a promising racer, but with little NASCAR experience. However, there is speculation that Yates may go with Leicht in a full Nextel Cup ride next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-17-2006)

  • Leicht to make Cup debut at Indy? UPDATE 2 at Pocono: hearing the RYR Busch Series driver Stephen Leicht, will attempt to make the Brickyard 400 at Indy in a third RYR Ford.(7-10-2006)
    UPDATE: Robert Yates Racing hopes to get development driver Stephen Leicht approved for the Allstate 400 next month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 19-year-old driver tested at the track Monday and will test again Wednesday in preparation for his possible Nextel Cup debut in the #90 RYR Ford.(SceneDaily.com)(7-11-2006)
    UPDATE 2 - Pocono: Robert Yates Racing development driver Stephen Leicht will attempt to make his Nextel Cup debut July 23 at Pocono Raceway. Leicht, who was sixth-fastest among drivers Wednesday during the Cup test session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said Friday that the plan is for him to run Pocono and then at the Brickyard in RYR's #90 Ford. Leicht has nine Busch Series starts with the best finish of 10th at Kentucky. He has driven in two restrictor-plate Busch Series races. The 19-year-old driver who won the 2005 ASA Late Model Series title is considered a candidate to compete in Nextel Cup next season for the Yates team. Either Raymond Fox III or Butch Hylton will serve as crew chief for the car, said Leicht, who has never raced at Pocono.(SceneDaily.com)(7-14-2006)
    UPDATE 3: Robert Yates Racing announced that Stephen Leicht, driver of the #90 CitiFinancial Ford, will attempt to make his Nextel Cup Series debut at Pocono Raceway on July 23. Leicht, nineteen years of age, will also attempt to become the youngest driver to compete in the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 6. Leicht wrapped up a two day test session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this week, posting the sixth-fastest time among drivers on Wednesday. RYR will utilize Matt McCall, co-driver of the #90 CitiFinancial Ford, for the Busch Series event at Martinsville Speedway on July 22. This will be the first Nextel Cup event for CitiFinancial Racing. They joined Robert Yates Racing in 2005 for a partial season and currently compete full-time in the Busch Series.(RYR PR)(7-16-2006)

  • Roush helping RYR: Car owner Jack Roush is offering what help he can to revive Robert Yates Racing. #38-Elliott Sadler drove a chassis last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway that Yates purchased from Roush. Robert Yates Racing, a Ford team like Roush, has struggled this season with most of its woes on tracks 1.5 miles and longer. Sadler ran well in practice but struggled in the race and finished 29th. "I do have great empathy and sympathy for Robert [Yates] and Doug [Yates] and I wish them well,'' Roush said Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway. "I don't want to see them lose those sponsors and to lose their viability. That's not what I want.''(Roanoke Times)(7-15-2006)

  • Robby to add a 2nd team? RYR alliance? Robby Gordon Motorsports will expand in 2007, possibly to a two-car operation in-house or by way of an alliance with an existing team. Among those on the radar: Robert Yates Racing. RGM and RYR executives said Saturday they're discussing the future with "a lot of people," and RGM CEO John Story confirmed that Yates is among the teams with which RGM has discussed a future partnership. Whether or not the union comes to fruition, though, is up in the air. "We've spoken to [Yates]," Story said. "We've talked to them, had some general discussions. But we're not yet ready. We've got to get everything on the table, lay it out and see what's best for us. RGM has a contract offer from General Motors for 2007, and regardless the chosen direction Gordon would maintain an ownership role. Story said RGM would prefer to add a second Nextel Cup Series team, and has ongoing discussions regarding the second program with several potential sponsors. "We have a lot going on as far as having a second car in our program," Story said. "That's the most exciting thing. That was the plan all along." Story said Gordon was not in consideration to drive the No. 88 vacated by 1999 Cup Series champ Dale Jarrett. "Robby will not drive the 88 car," Story said. "Robby will drive that 7 car until the end of his career. That much I know -- unless something changes that none of us are aware of." (in part from NASCAR.com/Marty Smith)(7-9-2006)

  • WIth the loss of UPS, what is up with RYR? Leicht? Ward? Tide? UPDATE Tide gone?: [#88 Team Owner Robert] Yates made it clear he has no ill feelings toward the UPS executives who opted to make the move [to Waltrip and leaving RYR]. He placed blame on himself for allowing the team's performance to decline the past few years. Yates, though, is optimistic things will turn around soon and still envisions a scenario in which Robert Yates Racing fields four Cup teams next year. First, though, he must find a driver and sponsor for Jarrett's #88 Ford. A leading candidate on the sponsorship front is CitiFinancial, which sponsors RYR's Busch Series team. Stephen Leicht could move into that seat as well. "We think enough of him and we feel like with enough effort this year and energy put forth, I think he'll be able to drive this Cup car very easily," said Yates, adding that Leicht could make a few Nextel Cup starts later this season. Ward Burton's name has also been linked to RYR and the owner said that's a possibility. If CitiFinancial were to move up to replace UPS, and Burton brought a sponsor with him, that would give Yates at least a three-car program for next year. "We certainly have room. He's talking to some really good sponsors and if they want to jump in and do something, I think that's a good package," Yates said of Burton. "If somebody believes in Ward, and Ward believes in them and he believes in us, I think that that would fill out 25 percent of our deal." While there is still speculation #38-Elliott Sadler [the other Yates driver] could opt to move elsewhere for next year, Yates said his goal is to make the team so attractive that Sadler wouldn't consider leaving.(SceneDaily.com)
    AND Citi Financial, which sponsors Yates's Busch efforts, may be ready for a major role, Doug Yates said. He also noted that Tide, which has backed Cal Wells's team since 2000, will be contractually free after this season and may be available.(Speed Channel)(7-8-2006)
    UPDATE: hearing Tide will NOT being going to RYR as a sponsor and will NOT be back as a f