Robert Yates Racing (RYR) has been in the headlines for a large portion of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, as media outlets documented the struggles of the organization, from the announcement that Jarrett would leave at season's end, to Elliott Sadler's premature exit from the organization, to crew chief changes. Car owner Robert Yates and son Doug Yates have been questioned about how the team plans to turn around the seeming collapse of a once perennial championship threat.
The bright spots of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season have been few and far between for this former powerhouse organization. One such bright spot occurred recently at Talladega Superspeedway, where the pair of Yates-owned cars swept the front row starting spots for the UAW-Ford 500. Rookie driver David Gilliland earned his first career pole and his veteran teammate, Dale Jarrett, earned outside pole honors. Gilliland, who is in the process of negotiating the learning curve associated with NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, has less than 20 starts behind the wheel of the #38 M&M'S® Ford.
Working with a rookie driver is not foreign to Jarrett, a series champion and seasoned veteran of the sport. The late Kenny Irwin spent the first two years of his career in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition as a teammate to Jarrett, driving the #28 RYR-owned Ford. The 1998 and 1999 seasons marked Irwin's first in the sport, with the 1999 NASCAR season being the year Jarrett secured his NASCAR championship. Jarrett has worked with both experienced teammates and those with little to no experience and has become a decent judge of talent. While Gilliland still has much to learn, Jarrett sees potential in the talent Gilliland possesses.
"He's (Gilliland) got a lot of talent," Jarrett said. "It wasn't like Doug or Robert (Yates) went out and grabbed the first person that they could find. They were keeping their eye on a lot of people out there and I think he showed that he can be fast at some race tracks already, and that's something that I'm not sure you can teach. You get that with a lot of these young guys that they can go fast. Then, it's just a matter of learning how to run 400- and 500-mile races."
That is the part of the learning curve in which Gilliland currently finds himself - consistently running fast during the course of a Nextel Cup Series race. Jarrett said he has made himself open to discussions and that Gilliland has approached him on occasion seeking advice from the veteran. While it is good to seek out that situational advice, Jarrett said that all the advice in the world isn't the same as actual time behind the wheel of a stock car.
"I can talk to him, Doug can talk to him and Robert and Todd Parrott can give him all the advice and tell him what to expect," Jarrett explained. "But until you go out there and experience it for yourself, you can't comprehend exactly what's going to happen over those three-and-a-half hours."
The race at Talladega was Gilliland's first in a restrictor-plate race where the draft has so much impact on the running order of an entire 500-mile event. It is an experience, Jarrett believes, invaluable as the rookie continues preparing for the start of the 2007 NASCAR season.
"The opportunity to race at Talladega was good and it will be a big help as he gets ready for next year and the Daytona 500," Jarrett said. "That kind of experience will end up being very helpful for him. He is a very good talent and I hope we'll continue to hear a lot about him and watch him race his way toward the front the next couple of years."
