Robert Yates Racing
Yates Racing merged with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009.
Robert Yates Racing is based in Mooresville, North Carolina and is an official NASCAR racing team. Robert Yates owns the team and at the moment has two cars, number 88 and 38 Fords that are racing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. David Gilliland drives #38 and has sponsorship from Masterfoods, USA. Number 88 will be driven by Ricky Rudd during the 2007 season and is also sponsored by Masterfoods.
Ford Racing motors in partnerships with Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing produce the powerful engines Robert’s cars have. In the past Robert’s motors have been known as the most powerful engines in NASCAR, whereas Roush has been known as a consistent motor. The combination has produced excellent and dominant engines since 2004 and since 2006 all Ford teams in the NEXTEL Cup have been using the Yates/Roush engines.
In 1996 Dale Jarrett took over driving #88 and is still part of the Robert’s team. Dale has had numerous wins over the years and has recorded the most wins out of all the drivers in Robert’s team. For the 2006 season Jarrett will move to Michael Waltrip Racing team, but #88 will still be raced in 2007.
Robert Yates took on Davey Allison as his first driver. Allison drove the #28 Havoline Ford till the mid-1993, making 15 wins and finishing 3rd in points twice over the years. A disastrous crash in a helicopter tragically killed Allison in 1993. Lake Speed, Robby Gordon and Ernie Irvan split the rest of the duties left in the season. Irvan successfully won twice and the following year he won three times in the #28 but was badly injured in a crash, leaving Kenny Wallace to take over.
In 1995 Dale Jarrett replaced Irvan who was still struggling to recuperate. That year he won at Pocono Raceway, finishing 16th in points. Ernie Irvan competed in three races in the #88 but soon switched over to the #28, expanding the racing team to a two-team setup. By 1997 his term with Robert Yates racing team came to an end. In 2003 Elliott Sadler was hired to drive #28 and with the car he won twice. Yates made a few changes; firstly he changed sponsorship to M&M’s and then changed the car number to #38. David Gilliland is the current driver of #38 and will drive in the 2007 season.