Yates Racing on Tuesday announced that Experian Consumer Direct, the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring products, will sponsor the No. 38 entry for seven races at the beginning of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. David Gilliland will drive the No. 38 FreeCreditReport.com Ford which will feature the company’s Web site. Gilliland has a history with Experian Consumer Direct as a sponsor, racing 19 times in the FreeCreditReport.com Ford during the 2007 Busch Series season.
Yates Racing will resurrect the No. 28 next season with driver Travis Kvapil. The number, which has been driven by 10 of the 40 winningest drivers in NASCAR history for 76 victories, hasn’t been used since Ricky Rudd was behind the wheel at RYR in 2002. “Hopefully, we can do the things we used to do with it,” said Doug Yates, the co-owner of RYR. Among those that have driven the 28 are Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Davey Allison, Dale Jarrett and Ernie Irvan. Davey Allison won 19 races with the number between 1987 and his tragic helicopter death in 1993.
Robert Yates announced Friday that he is retiring and turning the team over to his son, Doug, effective December 1. The team will be known as Yates Racing and will compete with two Ford Cup teams in 2008, driven by Travis Kvapil (No. 88) and David Gilliland (No. 38). Kvapil, who is driving the No. 6 Ford in the Truck Series for Roush Fenway Racing, replaces Ricky Rudd, who is retiring.
Doug Yates confirmed his team has been approached by a representative of Hendrick Motorsports about securing the No. 38 for Dale Earnhardt Jr. next year, but if Yates gets his way, there will be no such transfer. Earnhardt recently was denied the opportunity to take the No. 8 from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick and now is considering other number options. The No. 38 currently is being used by David Gilliland. “Dale Jr., since he can’t have what he wants, he might want the 38,” said Yates, president Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “They’re asking for the 38, and the 38 and 88 are our numbers. It’s almost a little strange. It’s like somebody asking if they can take your girlfriend or your wife out. We feel we’re going to have the 38 and 88 [next year].”
J.J. Yeley, Nextel Cup’s latest free agent, has said he is in conversation with four teams, which he would not disclose, but Robert Yates Racing president Doug Yates is happy to report his team is extremely interested in hiring Yeley. Yeley will not return to Joe Gibbs Racing after this season. Kyle Busch will drive the No. 18 that Yeley, in his final year of a contract, is vacating.
RYR will have a vacancy now that veteran Ricky Rudd has announced he is retiring from full-time Cup racing after this season. David Gilliland also drives for RYR. Yates said there is no timetable to get a deal done. He said he is convinced that with the right team chemistry, Yeley can succeed. Yeley currently is 20th in points, while his JGR teammates, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, are firmly in the Chase.
SPEED’s Bob Dilner reported that Robert Yates Racing has asked NASCAR if they could transfer the No. 38 to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 for Dale Eanrhardt Jr. to use, the No. 3 in honor of his father. The late Dale Earnhardt who ran the No. 3 a few races in 1981 and then from 1984 until the 2001 Daytona 500 and won 6 of his 7 championships using No. 3. No word what number David Gilliland would switch to, but RYR still has the license on the No. 28, last used in 2002 with Ricky Rudd and has used the No. 90 in the past.
Robert Yates Racing and Newman-Haas Racing will reveal on Friday its plans to merge, a source close to the situation confirmed. Actor Paul Newman, an avid racer and long-time team owner in open-wheel racing, and partner Carl Haas own the team currently leading the Champ Car series with driver Sebastien Bourdais, a three-time champion in the series. Yates last month at New Hampshire International said he had personally abandoned pursuit of a business partner, saying he had no debts and didn’t need to get into a more pressure-packed situation answering to a partner’s business demands.
Robert Yates Racing has signed a five-year extension with the Ford. There will be a formal announcement today at Dover International Raceway. This deal seems to close the door on Yates’ potential merger with DEI.