Yates was deeply affected by Allison’s death in a helicopter crash at Talladega in July 1993. Robby Gordon and Lake Speed drove the No. 28 until the team hired Ernie Irvan to assume the driving duties of the No. 28. Irvan won on their fourth outing together at Martinsville and then two weeks later at Charlotte. Irvan was involved in a severe crash while practicing at Michigan on Aug 20, 1994 suffering massive life threatening injuries. During Irvan’s extended recovery, Kenny Wallace drove the No. 28 for the remainder of the 1994 season.

At the end of the 1997 season, Yates released Irvan and hired rookie Kenny Irwin, Jr. to drive the No. 28. In 1998, Irwin accumulated one fifth-place finish and four top-ten finishes and grabbed the pole at the final event of the season at Atlanta. He also won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year title.

Robert Yates Racing earned a reputation as the premier Ford engine builder in NASCAR competition and most deemed Roush Racing a close second. In 2004, Roush and Yates agreed to jointly build engines for both of their teams with Robert’s son Doug heading up the operation. Many would argue that Roush gained more from the arrangement than Yates gained.

Halfway through the 2006 season, Elliott Sadler was released from the No. 38 and moved to Evernham Motorsports. Yates tapped David Gilliland to fill the vacancy in the No. 38. At the end of the 2006 season, Dale Jarrett announced he would be leaving Robert Yates Racing to drive for the newly formed Michael Waltrip Racing team, ending an 11-year relationship. Yates named NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ricky Rudd as the driver for the No. 88 in 2007.

Robert Yates announced in September of 2007 that he would retire from racing at the conclusion of the season and that his son, Doug would take control of the organization.

In 36 years of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series, Robert Yates has enjoyed 57 victories, 48 poles, a NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship as an engine builder, and a NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship as a car owner.

Career Acomplishments:

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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