Cup out of reach, but Yates still has plenty at stake

David Gilliland's performance in the Chase will be crucial to the transition Doug Yates faces in taking over the team for his father. Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Robert Yates Racing didn't make the Chase, didn't come close. But this proud organization has plenty to race for in the remaining 10 races. It's called existence.

Doug Yates, Robert's son, will become owner on Dec. 1 and he takes over an organization without sponsorship for 2008. Will he find it between now and then? Probably. He's aligned the team with Roush Fenway Racing, which has pledged its substantial technical and marketing support. Ford has the power to make some business-to-business deals to contribute to the budget and is highly motivated to help Yates rebuild. Ford needs more than one competitive organization in the Nextel Cup.

Yates has re-signed David Gilliland and hired Travis Kvapil for next season and, with Roush cars and Roush-Yates engines, it can be an attractive package.

But the key is finishing in the top 35 in the owner points. Any sponsor that signs on the dotted line for millions of dollars wants to know it will be in the Daytona 500 next February.

The No. 38, driven by Gilliland, is 30th and 281 points in front of the 36th-place No. 22 of Dave Blaney. He's in pretty good shape. The No. 88 still has plenty of work to do with a 171-point margin over the No. 22. The No. 88 will be driven Sunday at New Hampshire by Kenny Wallace, subbing for the injured Ricky Rudd.

Sponsors are no fools. They know multi-car teams are the most successful and one-car teams are one step from the grave. Before one company makes a major commitment of $10 million or more for the No. 38, it will ask if there is another one to support the No. 88 at the same level.

Doug Yates will be selling hope and belief this fall. Those owner points give the pitch credibility.

"Right now, we're searching for sponsors and that's the reason why we wanted to make this announcement so soon and give them something that's gonna be attractive," Yates said. "We wanted to announce our driver lineup and put it out there because there are a lot of good sponsors that are looking for an attractive proposition such as this. We feel like we can give them the results they're looking for."

With Robert Yates retiring, Doug Yates decided to not complete the merger with Champ Car team Newman/Haas/Lanigan. It was his first good decision as owner. Newman/Haas/Lanigan is a winning organization and would have delivered resources, but Roush Fenway can do it immediately. Plus, they already have a partnership.

"The deal with Newman/Haas/Lanigan...we established a letter of intent working towards a goal and things just were not progressing fast enough," Doug Yates said. "When my father said, 'Listen, I'm ready to slow down. It's yours. You can take it where you want,' I felt like an alignment with Roush was a better fit for me and my company."

Jack Roush has been open about his desire to establish a satellite relationship with another team. He has five Cup cars and NASCAR has issued an edict that all organizations must pare down to four by 2010. If Yates can get to two cars for 2008, it could be three in a year or two.

"I think the infrastructure Roush Fenway has built is very strong and that's one of the things that's very attractive about this," Yates said. "They have professionals that do this [sponsorship] full time and that's some of the downfall, looking back, the things that Robert and I should have done."

The Roush cars will be major addition to Yates, too. It's been the area where the team has been the most deficient in the past three years.

"Jack [Roush] is gonna help us with all the hardware, all of the same things similar to a relationship that Hendrick has with Haas."

Ford's support should be substantial, too.

"They told me, 'Doug, if you do this, we're behind you,'" he said.

Kvapil has rebuilt his reputation by winning three races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season. He was the Truck champion in 2003 and gave Toyota its first win in the series in 2004. Kvapil drove the No. 77 in 2005 for Penske-Jasper, finishing 33rd in the points. When the team disbanded, the 31-year-old moved to the No. 32 PPI owned by Cal Wells and was 36th in the points. The team folded when Wells lost his sponsor.

Roush offered Kvapil a chance to drive in the Truck series. It was a gamble for Kvapil. Ricky Craven made the same move with the same team in 2005, finished 14th in the points, and wasn't invited back. He's been without a full-time job in NASCAR since then. Kvapil's three wins and third in the points earned him a reprieve.

"I think his confidence is ready to move back to Cup in a competitive car," Yates said. "We have two very young, talented drivers that we think can bring some value to sponsors moving forward."

Yates has a plan to rebuild the team that has 57 Cup victories, including three in the Daytona 500 and one championship, and it all sounds good. Two cars in the top 35 in the owner points at the end of the next 10 races will probably seal the deal.