Robert Yates

James Robert Yates (April 19, 1943 – October 2, 2017) was a NASCAR engine builder and former owner of the Sprint Cup Series team Yates Racing, owned since 2007 by his son Doug. He purchased the team from Harry Ranier in 1988, with driver Davey Allison. In 2018, Yates was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Biography The son of Rev. John Clyde Yates, he grew up as one of nine children in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has a twin brother, Richard. As a youth, he raced his own dragster in the late 1950s. During his formative years, he moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina to live with his sister's family. In 1961, he graduated from Wake Forest High School a straight-A student. In 1964, Yates graduated from Wilson Technical College in North Carolina, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. Yates joined Holman-Moody in 1968 as head of the air gauge department, and two years later, he was hired by Junior Johnson to manage his team's engine department. From 1976 to 1986, Yates was at DiGard Motorsports, where he was chief engine builder. During that time, Bobby Allison won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series title in 1983.