Yates not surprised by UPS choice
By Mark Ashenfelter
Saturday, July 08, 2006
DAVID GRIFFIN/NASCAR SCENE /
JOLIET, Ill. - The announcement that UPS would follow Dale Jarrett to Michael Waltrip Racing didn't catch Robert Yates by surprise. The owner said Friday that he's been expecting the news for quite some time.
"This has been coming since New Hampshire last fall, so it really wasn't a surprise," Yates said.
Asked if UPS had notified him at that time that it wouldn't return in 2007, Yates said the news came from another source.
"Dale told me," Yates said. "He told me he controlled [the sponsor]."
Speaking earlier in the day, Jarrett said he played no role in the decision of a company that has sponsored him for six seasons now. He said he didn't want to be involved in the process.
"I obviously couldn't hold back after UPS started inquiring about what I was doing, so I basically said, 'Look, if you want to do something there, you have to talk to Ty Norris [Michael Waltrip Racing's general manager] and Michael - I'm not going to be a part of this process," Jarrett said. "... I certainly was hoping that the decision was going to be between Robert and our deal and wouldn't have been upset either way that it went. But this is big for us."
Yates made it clear he has no ill feelings toward the UPS executives who opted to make the move. He placed blame on himself for allowing the team's performance to decline the past few years. Yates, though, is optimistic things will turn around soon and still envisions a scenario in which Robert Yates Racing fields four Cup teams next year.
First, though, he must find a driver and sponsor for Jarrett's No. 88 Ford. A leading candidate on the sponsorship front is CitiFinancial, which sponsors RYR's Busch Series team. Stephen Leicht could move into that seat as well.
"We think enough of him and we feel like with enough effort this year and energy put forth, I think he'll be able to drive this Cup car very easily," said Yates, adding that Leicht could make a few Nextel Cup starts later this season.
Ward Burton's name has also been linked to RYR and the owner said that's a possibility. If CitiFinancial were to move up to replace UPS, and Burton brought a sponsor with him, that would give Yates at least a three-car program for next year.
"We certainly have room. He's talking to some really good sponsors and if they want to jump in and do something, I think that's a good package," Yates said of Burton. "If somebody believes in Ward, and Ward believes in them and he believes in us, I think that that would fill out 25 percent of our deal."
While there is still speculation Elliott Sadler could opt to move elsewhere for next year, Yates said his goal is to make the team so attractive that Sadler wouldn't consider leaving.
