As the 23-race NHRA POWERade tour leaves Atlanta Dragway and heads north up I-75
for next weekend's event outside St. Louis at Gateway International Raceway,
two-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Jim Yates finds himself at a racing crossroads
that many drivers have faced before, competing with others for the precious
funding that is the lifeblood for any professional racer. But the veteran
remains upbeat and optimistic as he prepares his Pontiac GTO for a racetrack
where he's had success in the past, besting Allen Johnson for the win in 1999 as
well as finishing runner-up to Warren Johnson both in 1997 and
2001.
"Contrary to some reports, I'm not quitting or retiring," Yates
said. "I want to race, (son) Jamie wants to race, (wife) Toni wants to race,
Grumpy (engine builder Bill Jenkins) wants to race. We love to race and we think
we have something good together. Unfortunately, not only do you need half-inch
wrenches in your toolbox, you also need money in your toolbox. It's no secret
that to run at the winning level of Pro Stock it takes the proper funding and in
the past we have proven that we've got the talent to run with the best cars out
here.
"We had some very positive opportunities lined up at the end of
last year, but, unfortunately they just didn't work out. As a result, it left
our program in a hole financially. We still love what we are doing and we are
still the same talented team that has won POWERade championships and national
event races in the past. Bill (Jenkins) continues to improve the horsepower in
our engines every week and our new Pontiac GTO is working better than ever.
We're really excited about our program and the potential we have and we'd love
to have the money to stay out here and race."