Yates says he has sponsorship for No. 88

By Mark Ashenfelter
Friday, November 17, 2006
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BAMBI MATTILA / NASCAR SCENE

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Robert Yates said Friday morning that he's secured sponsorship for his No. 88 team and that Robert Yates Racing will again field two full-time Nextel Cup Series teams in 2007.

A driver for the team has yet to be secured, and the sponsorship agreement hasn't been signed, but Yates said everything is in order. In recent weeks Yates had talked of taking on a partner, and Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Steve Hmiel said last week that DEI was negotiating to buy RYR's shop and other assets.

Several sources indicate Mars, which sponsors the No. 38 via its M&Ms brand, will also sponsor the No. 88, possibly with another of its brands.

Now, though, Yates is focusing squarely on the future and efforts to rebuild his Cup program, which has struggled in recent years. David Gilliland will drive the No. 38 Cup car next year, with Stephen Leicht running the No. 90 RYR entry full time in the Busch Series.

"All the scenarios, I can push those away now and concentrate on winning races. So things are wonderful," Yates said.

Asked if that meant RYR would stay "as is" Yates smiled and said that wouldn't be the case.

"No, not as is. As it used to be - wonderful," he said. "We've got to be back wonderful. Focus on racing. That's really what I know today. We're going to run our three cars ... and things are great."

While Doug Yates is listed as the team's co-owner, Yates made it clear there wouldn't be any additional owners outside of the family.

"I'll be the sole owner, responsible for ups and downs. I expect them to be all ups," Yates said. "Everything's agreed to and we're good to go. There's some great people behind us."

Who they are will be announced in due time. Yates said things didn't come together until recently.

Now that the sponsorship is secured, he'll focus on a driver.

"The other stuff's not determined," he said. "Right today, I can tell you we're wide open. That's what we're going to do next season. We're in business. We're happy."

Mentioned Drivers: David Gilliland

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