Robert Yates Retires
Robert Yates announced earlier today his intention to retire as President of Robert Yates Racing following the last race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Certain facets of Robert Yates Racing are being transferred to a new company presided over by Doug Yates. The new entity will be called Yates Racing. Robert Yates Racing will continue with its joint ownership of Roush Yates Racing Engines as well as other ventures.

“As many of you know I announced at the Brickyard, earlier this year, my decision to enter into a partnership with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing”, said Robert Yates. “The goal of this partnership was to build a team to contend for the championship. The more I thought about it the more I realized instead this was the perfect opportunity for me to pass the torch to the next generation. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to the Newman/Haas/Lanigan group for their support and belief we could get to the top. I’m closing this chapter of my life, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for me next. Carolyn and I look forward to watching Doug build Yates Racing into a championship caliber team”.

Since Robert Yates Racing was formed, the now two-car Cup team has posted 57 victories and 48 poles in addition to winning the 1999 NASCAR championship with Dale Jarrett. Current Nextel Cup drivers Ricky Rudd and David Gilliland pilot the No. 88 and No. 38 Ford Fusion’s, respectively.  On February 11, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway, both of Robert Yates cars qualified on the front row for the Daytona 500. David Gilliland qualified on the pole with Ricky Rudd was alongside in second. Robert Yates Racing also fields the No. 90 Ford Fusion driven by Stephen Leicht in the NASCAR Busch Series.  Drivers such as Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Kenny Irwin, and Elliott Sadler have driven for RYR.

Doug Yates Takes Over
Doug Yates announced today he will field two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) teams in 2008 with drivers David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. These teams will be operated under a company called “Yates Racing” which has agreed to acquire operating assets from Robert Yates Racing, including the transfer of car numbers and owner points. The transaction will be effective December 1, 2007.

“With this announcement it’s clear that the letter of intent with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing will not proceed. We’re thankful for their support and would welcome the opportunity to work with them in the future,” said Yates Racing CEO Doug Yates. “I am very excited to carry the Yates Racing heritage into the future. I believe I have the experience and understanding of the competition and business requirements that are necessary to be an effective team owner.

“My first order of business is to revamp our infrastructure into one that can field race teams that can compete successfully with the pre-eminent teams in the sport. I personally think the best business and competitive model in the sport to emulate for long-term success is that of Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing,” continued Doug Yates. “I have gotten to know Jack and his organization very well through our joint engine company and before I undertook this commitment I asked Jack for advice.

“I am pleased to announce that Yates Racing will have full support from Roush Fenway Racing, including hardware, engineering, marketing and operational practices,” added Doug Yates. “By the 2008 Daytona 500, Yates Racing wants to be in an elevated position where we are competing successfully against any race team in the sport. With David, Travis and Roush Fenway Racing, we will continue to work on finding the right sponsor partners to join our programs.”

Neither Jack Roush, Roush Fenway Racing, John Henry or Fenway Sports Group will have any ownership interest in Yates Racing.

Johnson On Cup Pole
Jimmie Johnson is on the pole for Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Johnson turned a lap of 21.378 seconds around the .75-mile track for a speed of 126.298 mph. Teammate Jeff Gordon will start on the outside of the front row and another Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Busch, will roll off in the third spot. Ryan Newman qualified fourth followed by Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, rookie David Ragan, Elliott Sadler and Bobby Labonte to round out the top ten. Four drivers failed to qualify: Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton and Kevin Lepage.
For Full Starting Lineup...     (Insider Racing News)

NASCAR - AT&T Settle Lawsuit
AT&T, wanting to use the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing car to promote the transition of the Cingular to the AT&T brand, has settled its lawsuit with NASCAR and Sprint over the logos on the Jeff Burton entry. AT&T will be allowed to sponsor the NASCAR Nextel Cup car through 2008 but must come off after next season, said David Garver, AT&T executive director of business development and wireless sponsorship. As part of the agreement, NASCAR agreed to drop the $100 million countersuit against AT&T.

AT&T wanted to replace the Cingular logos after the two companies were involved in a merger in December 2006 and the Cingular brand was being phased out. With NASCAR approval, the AT&T logos were being put on the Burton car on Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.

"The primary importance for us in this whole situation has been through our brand transition," Garver said. "The opportunity to ensure that we'll be able to use the No. 31 car as a brand transition vehicle for the next 16 months is of real importance to us. Looking across the spectrum of potential outcomes, we were interested in making this agreement so that we were guaranteed the opportunity to have our branding on the car during this all-important brand transition."

NASCAR had denied the use of the AT&T logo, saying it violated the NASCAR contract with Nextel (now Sprint Nextel) that granted Nextel exclusivity beginning in 2004 with sponsorship of the Cup Series.

AT&T sued NASCAR in March and won an injunction in U.S. District Court to get the logos on the car May 18. The injunction was overturned by an appeals court Aug. 13. There was another injunction hearing scheduled for Sept. 18, but that is no longer necessary.

"We are finalizing an agreement that protects the integrity of our sponsorship," said Dean Kessel, director of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series marketing for Sprint Nextel. "We are giving RCR and Jeff Burton an appropriate amount of time to transition to a new sponsor while remaining focused on winning the championship. That is the best solution for RCR, NASCAR, Sprint and racing fans."

Kessel said that the key reason for the settlement was that it put an end date on the AT&T sponsorship.

"The certainty is key," he said Friday in a news conference at Richmond. "Having that date certain, knowing at a point in time where this takes place and where this transaction will come to a conclusion is important. When you get into litigation, you just don't know. You don't know how much further it is going to go or what the process is going to be moving forward. You've got the certainty in hand, and that's attractive."

Team owner Richard Childress expressed relief that the settlement had been reached.

"We're very pleased to have the AT&T logos back on the No. 31 Chevrolet and to have AT&T continue as a primary sponsor for Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing," he said in a statement.(scenedaily.com)

Stremme Out-Franchitti In?
The rumor in the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage at Richmond International Raceway is that David Stremme has been told that Chip Ganassi Racing wouldn't be needing his services next year. Also at the same time, Marty Smith at ESPN is reporting that, IndyCar Series points leader, Dario Franchitti, would be in the car next year. The rumor has been that Franchitti would try running NASCAR and he has had talks with Richard Childress, but apparently it will be with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2008. Nothing official on this yet, will keep you updated as soon as we get the information.

Goodyear Tire Notes
This is Goodyear's flat track/mile track tire set-up for 2007 and was run at Richmond in May -- other major NASCAR tracks at which this combination of left- and right-side tires has been run this season are Phoenix, New Hampshire, Milwaukee, Gateway and Indianapolis Raceway Park -- also, this left-side tire code (D-4104) was run twice by Nextel Cup teams at Pocono in 2007 -- as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Richmond.

DEI Names Driver Lineup
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.’s four-car lineup has been settled for the 2008 season, with Regan Smith being the latest driver to join the organization. Smith is the final piece to the driver corps that includes Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, Mark Martin and Aric Almirola.

“Our lineup is a perfect blend of veteran leadership and youthful promise,” said Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “The addition of Mark Martin’s leadership and his desire to mentor our drivers is huge for us. Paul Menard and Martin Truex Jr. have been with our company for several years and we have confidence and great expectations in both of them, which allows us to further develop our future with two rookie drivers in Regan and Aric.”

Martin, a 26-year NASCAR veteran, will take the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet in 2008, which is set to be sponsored again by the U.S. Army. Martin will run a limited schedule similar to the one he ran in 2007, with rookie Aric Almirola driving the balance of the races.

“This has been a great opportunity for me and this team,” said Martin. “It’s a great honor to drive for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and it’s a great honor to drive the No. 8 car for this organization. I raced against Dale Earnhardt for a lot of years and I know what kind of competitor he was on the track. We have a really big legacy to live up to, but I’m confident that we are putting together an organization that he would be proud of.”

Truex, who is currently 10th in the Nextel Cup Point standings, returns for his third full year behind the wheel of a Nextel Cup entry - again handling the driving duties for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. Menard returns in the No. 15 Menard’s Chevrolet for his second full season.

Smith’s car number and sponsor will be announced at a later date. He has shared duties in the No. 01 Chevrolet with Martin, making six Nextel Cup starts this season. He will contend for rookie of the year honors in 2008.

The stable of drivers will showcase a powerful mix of experienced and youthful talent. Martin has compiled one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history. Voted one of the 50 greatest NASCAR drivers ever, the veteran has amassed 35 wins and 41 poles in his Nextel Cup career.

Martin Truex Jr. has emerged as one of the premier young talents in NASCAR. A two-time Busch Series Champion, Truex enters this weekend having posted 10 top-10 and five top-five finishes, including a dominating performance in a win earlier this year at Dover.

The two will anchor a group that adds the unlimited potential of Menard, Smith and Almirola. The five DEI drivers that will drive in Nextel Cup in 2008 have combined for 105 NASCAR victories, along with 91 poles and over 670 top-10 finishes in all three of NASCAR’s major series.

Villeneuve To Test New Car
NASCAR neophyte Jacques Villeneuve said he's still enthralled with testing following a 243-mile day Wednesday at Kentucky Speedway. Thursday he received NASCAR's approval to do the manufacturers' Car of Tomorrow test next week at Talladega Superspeedway. The steps are the latest in the former Indy car and Formula One world champion's journey toward his NASCAR debut, planned for the Craftsman Truck Series' Smith Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 22. Villeneuve will next test a Car of Tomorrow with Bill Davis Racing driver Dave Blaney next Monday and Tuesday at Talladega.

Team owner Bill Davis has talked of having Villeneuve do the ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Talladega next month. An ARCA test is scheduled at Talladega's 2.66-mile oval on Sept. 24-25. Villeneuve got his first taste of NASCAR from the driver's seat in a No. 27 BDR truck over two days at Chicagoland Speedway last week. Wednesday, according to crew chief Slugger Labbe, he did 162 additional laps on Kentucky's 1.5-mile layout in a Toyota Car of Tomorrow.

Last week Labbe had predicted the COT's performance would be more of what the former open-wheel standout had expected in NASCAR, and Villeneuve confirmed it. Labbe, who spoke of his latest rookie in glowing terms last week, had more of the same to say driving away from Kentucky.

"He did a good job," Labbe said. "It would have been easy to get frustrated at the start, but he stayed with it and kept working on it and made good changes and at the end of the test it was a fun car to drive, so that was good. I'm glad we came. We've run right at 600 miles of testing with him and it's been very enjoyable, so that's real promising."(nascar.com)

ISC Hires Edsel B. Ford II
International Speedway Corporation ("ISC") on Thursday announced changes to its Board of Directors. ISC Chief Executive Officer James C. France was elected to Chairman and President Lesa France Kennedy was elected to Vice Chair of the Company. In addition, Edsel B. Ford II, a long-time executive at Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, has been nominated to fill a vacant directorship. William C. France, who passed away in June 2007, had been elected to a three-year term at the Company's April 2007 annual shareholders' meeting. Ford's formal election by the current directors to fill the remainder of the unexpired term is expected to take place in November.

James France said, "Edsel Ford is a top leader from the business community, with an extensive background in the automotive and motorsports industries. He will certainly become a highly valued board member and we look forward to his future contributions to ISC."

"ISC is a strong company with a long track record of success and I look forward to helping them continue on that path," said Ford. "I welcome the opportunity to join such a distinguished Board, and to work closely with Jim, Lesa and the other talented executives at the Company."

"We are thrilled at the possibility of having an executive of Mr. Ford's caliber join our Board," said Ms. France Kennedy. "He will bring a wealth of experience and talent to our organization."

Ford, 58, has been a member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company since 1988. He began his career at Ford Motor Company in January 1974, was named president and chief operating officer of Ford Motor Credit Company in May 1991, and elected a company vice president in 1993. Ford is also the sole owner of Pentastar Aviation, formerly DaimlerChrysler Aviation, and the majority owner of Marketing Associates, a Detroit based marketing services organization. Lastly, Ford is the majority owner of The Ryder Group, a golf tournament services company based in Farmington, Michigan, and is the former Chairman of the Detroit Branch of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. money.cnn.com

Kyle Busch Wins Easily At Richmond
Right from the beginning of the Emerson Radio 250 Busch Series race at Richmond International Raceway it was apparent that the rest of the field would be running for second place. Starting from the pole in Friday night's event, Busch could seemingly pull away at will, was challenged only one time -- by Matt Kenseth, but as hard as Kenseth was pushing his Ford, it was understandable to see him spin on lap 143 in an attempt avoid a spinning Paul Menard.

On pit road during the caution, Kenseth fell to sixth during the yellow-flag stops. The loss of track position effectively ended Kenseth's chance to win the race. "Kenseth had the car to beat today, and I knew that," Busch said. "But our car was right there with him. He got the lead from us a couple of times. Then he spun himself out over there with the lapped car." -- Kenseth said the spin was unavoidable. -- "The 15 was so close to me I couldn't stop," Kenseth said, "so I had to turn the wheel a little bit, and my car was so loose it just spun out."

The race ended under green-white-checkers and Busch had no problems there either, holding the field abay for the two laps. The victory was the ninth for Busch in the series in 104 career races. Busch was so dominate that he led 227 of the 252 laps in taking his second win of the year.

"We wouldn't want it any other way," said Busch, who finished second to Jeff Burton last weekend at California Speedway after surrendering the lead with seven laps remaining. "We had two great chances at Bristol (where he finished fourth) and California and didn't get it done. This is halfway payback, because we want the Cup Series (win on Saturday), too."

Points leader Carl Edwards had nothing for Busch and finished second over Ryan Newman and Kenseth. A strong run for Mike Bliss put him in the fifth spot followed by Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, Scott Wimmer, Kasey Kahne and Jason Keller to round out the top ten. Edwards lengthened his lead in the standings to 733 over Kevin Harvick and David Reutimann, who are both tied for second place. The Busch Series is off for the next two weeks and will return to action on September 22nd -- at Dover International Speedway.