Robet Yates still wants Martin for the 88 car
LOUDON, N.H. - Robert Yates says that he is close to landing a sponsor and he still has hopes that Mark Martin might drive the No. 88 Ford next year.
The Robert Yates Racing owner said he has not talked to Martin, but son Doug Yates has and he believes Martin is interested. Martin has said he hasn't thought about next season in the last few weeks and has not had any recent conversations with Robert Yates Racing officials.
"Doug has talked to him, and that certainly is a scenario that we all would enjoy doing," Robert Yates said Saturday. "He's interested. That's the feedback I get. I haven't talked one-on-one with him. But I'm interested."
Yates said he would like to have a veteran driver in the car and would prefer to have one driver instead of multiple drivers. Ultimately, a sponsor will make the call on who drives the car.
"The sponsors are the owners and the ones to make that happen," Robert Yates said following practice for the Sylvania 300. "That has to be the first order."
The owner said he has turned down some sponsorships that weren't worth what he wanted, and negotiations this past week have proved fruitful with a potential sponsor.
"I think it's going to happen," Yates said. "I'm anxious and I'm happy that we're getting our cars better because the order of doing this is [getting] the cars attractive and then getting a sponsor.
"I think it is all going to wind up on a positive. It looks like I may have a job for a while longer."
Yates was stoked with rookie David Gilliland qualifying the No. 38 car 15th for the Sylvania 300. Gilliland has never raced at NHIS.
"The product that we've had in the past, I'd be like the first one to want to leave. It wasn't very attractive for me, a driver or a sponsor. I think we're turning that around."
