hearing that #9 crew chief, Tommy Baldwin could be leaving Evernham Motorsports and driver Kasey Kahne.(9-18-2005)
UPDATE: hearing Baldwin could end up at the #38 M&M’s/Robert Yates Racing team as Elliott Sadler’s crew chief.(9-19-2005)
UPDATE: Look for some organizational changes at Robert Yates Racing. Slugger Labbe will take over as crew chief of the #88, which is driven by Dale Jarrett, and Tommy Baldwin will lead the #38 crew and Elliott Sadler. Yates ended rumors that he will start a third team; he says he first wants to make the 88 and 38 teams stronger. But there still are plans for additional buildings on Yates’ property in Mooresville, N.C.(Sporting News)(11-21-2005)
UPDATE RYR Announces 2006 Lineup: Robert Yates Racing (RYR) announced its lineup for the 2006 NASCAR season. The lineup includes the addition and reassignment of key team members for both the #88 UPS and #38 M&MS Chocolate Candies NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams, as well as the #90 CitiFinancial Busch Series team.
Effective immediately, Richard Slugger Labbe is the crew chief for the #88 UPS Racing Team and driver Dale Jarrett while Tommy Baldwin, Jr., becomes the crew chief for the #38 M&MS Chocolate Candies Team and driver Elliott Sadler. Both Labbe and Baldwin bring with them experience and success that includes wins in the Daytona 500 (Labbe with driver Michael Waltrip in 2003 and Baldwin with driver Ward Burton in 2002).
Both Slugger and Tommy have had success in their past endeavors with other teams in the NEXTEL Cup Series, said Eddie DHondt, general manager for RYR. Weve been aggressive in the off season. It is our goal to get both of our teams in the Chase for the Championship in 2006. We are really pleased with the staff weve put together and delighted to have Slugger and Tommy on board.
Labbe, a former RYR employee, returns after spending time serving in the crew chief role during the last few seasons for Michael Waltrip at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and most recently for Jeremy Mayfield at Evernham Motorsports. Baldwin also joins RYR from Evernham Motorsports where he led the team efforts for young driver Kasey Kahne since 2004.
This is a great opportunity for me to be able to come back here in this capacity, Labbe said. Robert (Yates) has been an incredible person to know and work with. Ive known him and Dale (Jarrett) for a long time, and to have this opportunity is an important one for me personally. I am really looking forward to 2006.
There is potential for great success next season at RYR, said Baldwin. Robert has built a strong foundation here and its exciting to be able to step in and work with Elliott and the #38 Team. I think weve only seen the beginning of what Elliott can accomplish behind the wheel and I look forward to the task of leading this team to the next level.
Kevin Buskirk, who has been serving in an interim crew chief role for the #38 M&MS team, will become the Technical and Performance Director for all of RYR. Additionally, the team has added Ed Guzzo to the organization and he will serve as the Production and Operational Director.
Busch Series: In addition to the personnel changes with the NEXTEL Cup Series programs, RYR announced its driver lineup for the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series season and plans to compete in all 35 events. Sadler will drive the #90 CitiFinancial Ford for 16 events in 2006 while drivers Stephen Leicht and Matt McCall will share the driving duties during 17 events as part of the RYR Driver Development program. In addition to Leicht and McCall, Belgium driver Marc Goosens will compete in both the Busch Series road course races in 2006 as part of a joint effort between RYR and Rile Technologies, the championship team in the Rolex Series.
RYR will continue to prepare for 2006 and beyond, looking for the right opportunity to grow the organization into a four-team organization that competes in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.(Elevation Group/RYR PR)(11-28-2005)
Todd Parrott? have learned that Todd Parrott has left RYR, no word on his 2006 plans. Parrott finished up the 2005 season as Jarrett’s crew chief on the #88 team after starting the season as the crew chief of the #38 team.(sources and PRN’s Garage Pass Radio show)(11-29-2005)
AND Robert Yates Racing GM Eddie D’Hondt told Sirius Satellite Radio’s “Sirius Speedway” that Todd Parrott is no longer with RYR. D’Hondt said, “It was a very diffcult decision to make, and it was made with a heavy heart, but we can’t be sitting on our hands. We need to get both cars in the Chase next season, and to do tht, some changes had to be made.” D’Hondt said new crewchiefs “Slugger” Labbe and Tommy Baldwin are already on the job, and that the team has a full testing schedule between now and the end of the year.
AND II: heard that many of the engineering staff was released in this reorganization.(12-1-2005)
