"I miss him every day": Doug Yates feels the absence of his father Robert Yates on his 82nd birthday
NASCAR Hall of Famer Robert Yates' son celebrated his father's birthday and shared a message on social media to remember him.
Robert, who would have turned 82nd this Saturday, April 19, was a championship team owner of Yates Racing. He built some of the sport’s fastest engines and later bought the NASCAR Cup Series team in 1988. He passed away in 2017 after battling cancer and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame the following year.
"I miss him every day! I know that he would be proud @roushyates @FordPerformance @NASCAR," Doug Yates wrote on X.
Robert and Doug teamed up with Jack Roush to start Roush Yates Engines in 2003. The company is now one of the primary builders of Ford engines for the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series. It also supplies engines to teams in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Doug, who now runs the company as its CEO, also shared that the team celebrated the birthdays of Jack Roush, who turned 83, and Robert’s twin brother Richard, who turned 82.
"Our team at Roush Yates Engines, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, family, and friends honored and celebrated Jack Roush’s 83rd birthday and Richard Yates’ 82nd birthday. These legendary men along with Robert Yates provided the foundation for our company!" Doug wrote in a following tweet.
Doug took full control of the company in 2009, and Roush Yates Engines has since won over 380 races and 27 championships in NASCAR, IMSA, and FIA racing.
"You have to be tougher on the family" - Robert Yates on working with his son Doug
Robert Yates started out building race car engines in the 1960s and became one of the best in the business. He bought a racing team from Harry Ranier and fielded cars for drivers, Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett.
Doug Yates joined his father's team, Robert Yates Racing, in 1990 as an engine builder and helped win races at famous tracks. The team won the 1992 Daytona 500 and its first NASCAR Cup championship in 1999 with Jarrett.
The father and son duo reflected on their lives during a 2008 interview and Robert spoke about being tough when working with family.
"I've always said, if you have family in your business, you have to be tougher on the family than you do the other people. I don't think anybody's ever told me, 'Doug's getting all the gravy jobs,'" Robert Yates said via NASCAR AllOut (02:53 onwards).
Robert further opened up about his thoughts to Doug and said:
"I worried about it a long time, that I dragged you into something you wish you'd never seen. I feel good though—I could leave you with it. And, uh, I feel good that you've made it, and you've earned it by working hard." (04:23).
Robert Yates passed away at the age of 74 in October of 2017.