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Yates Racing
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Yates Racing is an American stock car racing racing team that currently races in NASCAR. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing since its inception, the team is owned by Doug Yates, who has officially owned the team since his father Robert's retirement on December 1st, 2007. The Yates family has owned the team since purchasing it from Harry Ranier and J. T. Lunday in October 1988. They field the #28 Ford for Travis Kvapil and the #98 Menards Ford for Paul Menard in the Sprint Cup Series, and the #98 Menards Ford for Paul Menard part time in the Nationwide Series.
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Encyclopedia
Yates Racing is an American stock car racing racing team that currently races in NASCAR. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing since its inception, the team is owned by Doug Yates, who has officially owned the team since his father Robert's retirement on December 1st, 2007. The Yates family has owned the team since purchasing it from Harry Ranier and J. T. Lunday in October 1988. They field the #28 Ford for Travis Kvapil and the #98 Menards Ford for Paul Menard in the Sprint Cup Series, and the #98 Menards Ford for Paul Menard part time in the Nationwide Series. Yates also fields the #96 Ask.com/Academy Sports + Outdoors Ford for Bobby Labonte in association with Hall of Fame Racing
Sprint Cup
Car #28 History
What is now the #28 began as the Havoline #88 for RYR in 1995, as Ernie Irvan drove the car in 3 races following his comeback from injuries. Irvan returned to the #28 (now #38) the following year, and Dale Jarrett began driving the #88 in 1996 with sponsorship from Ford Quality Care and Ford Credit. Jarrett won the 1996 Daytona 500 in his first race in the #88, defeating Dale Earnhardt for the second time in four years. Jarrett went on to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May, the Brickyard 400 (now the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard) and Michigan in August. Jarrett finished third in the Winston Cup point standings behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Terry Labonte(the Champion) and Jeff Gordon. In 1997 Jarrett won at Atlanta and Darlington in March, Pocono in July, Bristol in August, Charlotte in October, and Phoenix in July.
The sponsorship on the #88 car changed from Ford to UPS in 2001, although Ford has stayed on as an associate sponsor. Over the years, Jarrett collected 29 victories (the most wins for any driver for RYR) and he won the Winston Cup championship in 1999. He also finished in the top 10 in points 7 consecutive seasons from 1996 through 2002. Jarrett and sponsor UPS left RYR at the end of the 2006 season for Michael Waltrip Racing. Despite off-season rumors of the #88 being shut down and becoming a one-car team, RYR secured Ricky Rudd to drive for the team in 2007, with sponsorship from Snickers. Rudd officially announced his retirement from racing on August 20. On September 14, 2007, it was revealed that Yates has transferred the #88 to Hendrick Motorsports for Dale Earnhardt Jr's new car. Travis Kvapil will be in the car fulltime, with the car switching to #28 in the 2008 season, 20 years since the Yates family took over Ranier-Lundy Racing. The team has managed to stay afloat with race to race sponsorships. Those sponsors are K&N Engineering, Zaxby's Restaurants, Ford Motor Company, Discount Tire, California Highway Patrol, Hitachi Power Tools, Northern Tool + Equipment, Lafayette Ford Lumber Liquidators, and All Sport.
Car #38 History
After purchasing the assets of Ranier-Lundy Racing in October 1988, Robert Yates' first driver was Davey Allison, who had driven for the Rainer-Lundy banner since 1987, and drove the #28 Havoline Ford from Yates' takeover of the team until mid-1993, racking up 15 wins and twice finishing 3rd in points. He was killed in a helicopter crash in 1993; Robby Gordon, Lake Speed, and Ernie Irvan split the rest of the driving duties in 1993, with Irvan finding Victory Lane twice. In 1994, Ernie Irvan drove the #28, winning 3 times before being injured in a crash at Michigan in August. Kenny Wallace took over the driving duties for the remainder of the season.
While Irvan was still recovering from his injuries, Dale Jarrett replaced him in 1995, starting at Robert Yates Racing after being with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1992. Jarrett won one race at Pocono Raceway and eventually finished the season 16th in the points standings. Ernie Irvan, who had returned for 3 races in 1995 in the #88, switched places with Jarrett in 1996. Irvan won at New Hampshire in July, his first win since returning from his injuries, and at Richmond in September. Irvan won at Michigan in June 1997, the same track he almost died on three years earlier. Irvan left at the end of the 1997 season to drive for MB2 Motorsports.
Kenny Irwin, Jr. drove the #28 car for Robert Yates in 1998 and 1999 but failed to find victory lane in his two seasons. The next season, Ricky Rudd joined the team after his Rudd Performance Motorsports team was sold. He would go on to drive 3 seasons in the Havoline Ford, from 2000-2002, and won his first race for the team in 2001 at Pocono after going winless since 1998. Rudd drove the #28 to Victory Lane two additional times (at Richmond later in 2001 and at Infineon in 2002, his last win to date) and finished in the top ten in the standings all 3 seasons, including 4th in 2001, his 2nd highest career points finish.
Elliott Sadler was hired in 2003, and Yates brought M&M's in as the sponsor, replacing longtime sponsor Havoline. Yates also changed the car's number from 28 to 38. Sadler collected two victories for the team, and finished a career-best 9th in points in 2004. On August 14, 2006 Sadler left for Evernham Motorsports to drive the #19. David Gilliland replaced Sadler in the #38, beginning with the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan. He finished out the 2006 season, and continued to drive the #38 in 2007, after which M&M's left the team for Joe Gibbs Racing's #18. David Gilliland drove for Yates again in 2008, and on May 9th, it was announced that FreeCreditReport.com would sponsor the car for the remainder of the 2008 season. Later in the year Gilliland would record his best career finish of second at Infineon Raceway.
The #38's owner points were sold to Hall of Fame Racing to field the #96, but Yates intended to field the #38 in 2009. Unable to find sponsorship, the team was folded and Gilliland was terminated on February 20, 2009.
Car #98 history
The #98 car debuted in 2006 as the #90 Ford sponsored by Citigroup. Stephen Leicht would make the team's first race at Pocono Raceway, starting 36rd and finishing 33rd.
In 2009, the team will switch to the #98, and Paul Menard will drive with sponsorship from his father's company Menards. In late 2008 it was announced that Larry Carter would move over from the #26 Roush Fenway team to be Menard's crew chief for 2009. This team will take over the owners points of the #28 Ford.
Nationwide Series
The # 90 car would debut in the 2005 season sponsored by Citifinancial being split by Yates' former NEXTEL Cup drivers Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett. The team ran a part-time schedule that season, finishing thirtieth in points, with Jarrett and Sadler posting a combined total of six top-fives. In 2006, Sadler shared the ride with development drivers Stephen Leicht, Matt McCall, and Justin Diercks, with Marc Goossens driving on road courses. The team remained in 30th in the standings, and McCall and Diercks were let go from the team. Leicht was named full-time driver of the 90 in 2007, and picked up his first win at Kentucky Speedway. This team will not run in 2008 due to sponsorship issues and was "sold" to Germain Racing, where Mike Wallace will drive it in 2008 as the #7 Toyota.
Partnerships
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
During the race weekend of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Robert Yates announced a technological partnership with the Champ Car World Series team Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Yates formed this partnership primarily for technology purposes and with the team's assosciation with the Ford Motor Company, former engine supplier for the CCWS. However, with the retirement of Robert Yates at the end of the 2007 season, this partnership was canceled.
Hall of Fame Racing
On January 13, 2009 it was announced that former Joe Gibbs Racing satellite team Hall of Fame Racing would enter a technical alliance with Yates Racing. This partnership involves the switch of the #96 from Toyota to Ford, as well as the #96 being run out of Yates Racing's shop. It was also announced that Bobby Labonte, rumored to be heading for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's #41, will drive the car with rumored sponsorship from search engine Ask.com. This team will inherit the owners points of Yates Racing's now defunct #38.
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