Robert Yates 1999 Winston Cup Championship Team Owner Interview

CT: Didn't you also lose a large sum of money in the form of equipment when you left DiGard in 1986 after about 10 years as manager and chief engine builder?Yates: I was 50 percent owner of DiGard Engine Development for 10 years. I had accumulated a lot of equipment and had the best engine shop around. Because I didn't pay attention, my equipment was hocked out from under me to satisfy loans totaling more than $1 million. A lawsuit wouldn't have gained me anything, so I walked away. From experience, that won't happen again.

CT: Considering, at this writing, that your teams have grossed about $30 million in Winston Cup prize money, exclusive of '99 postseason awards, haven't you recovered nicely?Yates: Is that how much it is? As the Bible says, my returns are any fold.

CT: But success has not spoiled you?Yates: I think when I was born the son of my wonderful mom and dad, I was wealthy. Money is a means of redistributing things. I was lucky to be born in a good family that helped me understand at an early age what this life's about. It's not necessarily about how many marbles you get-it's how you get them.

CT: You were highly successful with the late Davey Allison driving #28, losing the '92 championship in the final race at Atlanta. You were so devastated by Allison's '93 death in the crash of the helicopter he was piloting, did you consider getting out of racing?Yates: No, but that tragedy put me on my knees. My world stopped. I had to get up, and when I did, I needed a job to support my family. I knew, from the experience of going through his brother Clifford's death in 1992, that Davey wanted us to carry on. It wasn't a mistake that we had made.

CT: What were the last words you spoke to Davey?Yates: "Davey, don't fly your helicopter without having your instructor with you."

CT: Then, Ernie Irvan, who appeared on his way to the championship, was nearly killed in a crash at Michigan. How have you coped with this uncommon sorrow and grief?Yates: With a lot of faith. Ernie's recovery and return to the winner's circle was a huge lift. The greatest day of my life, in terms of the situation, was in 1997 when he won at Michigan Speedway, the scene of his near-fatal accident. Ernie's accident (during practice) was in one of my race cars, and that was extremely difficult to deal with. An owner's greatest fear is hurting a driver. That fear is compounded if equipment fails. But I'm confident that wasn't the case. At the time, Goodyear and Hoosier were involved in a tire war. I think we abused one of the tires, and it went flat.

CT: Did you ask, "Why me?" Yates: No, I asked myself if I could recover from everything that had happened. People asked me, "Why you?" I opposed the tire war and became real vocal about safety. I'm not a bit ashamed of that.

CT: Is winning the championship something of a reward for all the heartaches?Yates: It certainly covers up some of the toughest times.

CT: Given that your engines are second to none, do you still help build them, or has your role at Robert Yates Racing changed?Yates: My son, Doug, is the engine chief and has set a pace I couldn't begin to keep up with. I enjoy it when Doug asks me to take a look at something. I love to work on engines and wish I had more time.

CT: Have Winston Cup engines changed much over the years?Yates: Not over the past decade. We've had the same Ford cylinder heads and a very similar engine since 1991. But we've taken them from 600 to 800 horsepower during that period.

CT: How many employees does Robert Yates Racing have?Yates: 115.

CT: As a car owner, you have 42 victories. Do you know how many winning cars your engines have powered in your 31-year career, which began at Holman and Moody in 1968?Yates: It's a guess, but I'd say more than 130.

CT: How many Daytona 500s have your engines won?Yates: Four: 1969 (LeeRoy Yarbrough), 1982 (Bobby Allison), 1992 (Davey Allison), and 1996 (Dale Jarrett).

CT: Assuming that winning the championship is your biggest thrill in racing, what are a couple other fond memories?Yates: Winning the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, and the Southern 500. Every win is special, though.

CT: Why are you a very sensitive, caring, and generously giving person?Yates: Charity goes along with faith and hope.

CT: You were born in Charlotte, the ninth and youngest child of a prominent Baptist minister and 19 minutes after twin brother Richard, RYR's business manager. Why have you said you were the black sheep of the six girls and three boys?Yates: Well, because I was. I was rebellious, different, and terrible in school. I didn't have the same learning capabilities, the focus, or the attention span as the others. They made the honor roll, and my teachers wondered where I came from. I just didn't get it the first time. So I stood out in the flock.

CT: Is it true that your father, Rev. John Clyde Yates, supported nine children on $25 per week? Yates: Not exactly. When his first child was born, he was attending seminary and making $25 per week. Eventually, he got up to $7,200, good money at the time.

CT: What was your first car?Yates: A '57 Chevy.

CT: You weren't exactly a model preacher's son as a teenager. How did your lust for speed and a preoccupation with things mechanical get you in trouble?Yates: I got numerous tickets, and at one time, I think there was one particular cop assigned to me.

CT: Having drag-raced at a Charlotte track, why didn't you pursue a driving career? Yates: I worked second- and third-shift jobs after school to support my drag-racing habit. And I wouldn't have felt comfortable going to racetracks because it was out of line with what my father preached. I had a lot of respect for my dad and didn't want to embarrass him or my family. I wasn't mean-I just loved cars and speed, to work on a car and then go see how fast it would run. Also, because of an ear canal problem, I would have had trouble turning left.

CT: What formal training, other than high school, do you have?Yates: A two-year degree in transportation technology from Wilson (North Carolina) Technical Institute, and one year each at Mars Hill (North Carolina) College and at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.

CT: What did a professor at Mars Hill say about you?Yates: The professor had seen me on the side of a hill installing a clutch in a tractor instead of studying for his exam. He told the entire class that I never would amount to anything because I wanted to be a mechanic. I was so embarrassed, I couldn't muster the strength to walk out of the class, but I vowed to prove him wrong.

CT: You and your wife Carolyn were married in 1966. Hasn't she stood by her man?Yates: Absolutely. The most wonderful part of winning the championship is that I still have the same wife. She has dealt with a lot over the years.

CT: In addition to a son, Doug, you have a daughter, Amy, 28. What's she doing?Yates: She has a master's degree in nutrition and has been working in a hospital in Phoenix. Before this gets into print, she should be serving an internship at a hospital somewhere in the Carolinas. She wanted to be a doctor, but she changed her mind after taking several courses.

CT: Has your long racing career been worth everything you've been through?Yates: Yes, extremely enjoyable.

CT: You're 56-what do you hope to accomplish in the future?Yates: Well, I used to think 50 was old. Now I think 56 is quite young. I want to be involved with the physics, technology, chassis, and engines of automobiles.

Robert Yates: 1999's Indisputable King of SpeedTo win a crown for anything, you gotta do something significant. In the case of winning the 1999 Winston Cup title crown, that's exactly what car owner Robert Yates has done. Robert Yates Racing and its team members amassed a record in 1999 that quite literally blew the rest of the field away, and in doing so, became 1999's indisputable King of Speed. As evidence of that, check out the stats for #88 Dale Jarrett in 1999.

This record is astonishing when you consider that of 34 races, the Yates-powered #88 finished in the top ten 29 times in 1999. That's a powerful statement of power!

All of this, of course, does not happen by mischance-indeed, Robert Yates has been a horsepower master for some time. And if not for some tragic events along the way (Davey Allison's death and Ernie Irvan's horrific crash at Michigan), it can be argued that Yates was on track for more than one championship.

Yates' mastery of power began well before he purchased the former Ranier Racing in 1989. However, his renown was more evident as his racing organization came into full flower. In the years since he bought the team, he has amassed a rather substantial record of accomplishments. From 1989 to 1998, Yates cars left a impressive mark on the record books-they finished in the top 10 a whopping 202 times. Take a look at the teams statistics from 1989 to 1999, and you will see the facts tell an impressive story.

*Second car was added to the Yates stable.

With records like these, it's easily understood how Robert Yates has become NASCAR's newest Winston Cup championship team owner and 1999's indisputable king of power.