MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 20, 2006) – Robert Yates Racing (RYR) announced today that driver Elliott Sadler has requested and been granted a release from his contract to take effect at the conclusion of the 2006 season. Yates has started searching for a driver to take over the # 38 Ford Fusion for 2007.
Quoting Robert Yates on this...
"We would like to thank Elliott for his commitment to our organization over the past four seasons and for all the success we've enjoyed together. We are excited about the opportunity to find a new driver who will continue the successful run of the #38 Ford as we maintain our focus on the future of our organization.
"Our objective this year is to finish the season on a strong note. It is our goal to continue to build this team so we will be better positioned next season to contend for the championship."
M&Ms statement regarding this...
"M&M'S has enjoyed an outstanding relationship with Elliott Sadler over the past four seasons, including four wins and our first pole position. We wish him continued success. Since joining forces at Robert Yates Racing we have enjoyed a great partnership, including our first win as a primary sponsor in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. We are counting on continued success with this organization as Robert and Doug actively search for the new driver of the M&M'S Ford Fusion." ~ William Clements, Director of Sponsorship and Sports Marketing for Masterfoods USA
Update 7.21.06
Quoting Elliott Sadler on this...
CAN YOU OUTLINE YOUR DECISION? "Before I get into why and where and
all that good stuff, I do want to say that this past week has probably
been the toughest week of my life as far as decisions being made. As
far as going in and having a heart to heart talk with Robert this past
week has been one of the hardest couple of hours I've ever spent in my
life. It's been very tough this week to kind of get through all of
this. I have decided to leave Robert Yates Racing, not from my
relationship with Robert or Doug Yates. They're great, great people
and I've definitely enjoyed driving for those guys, but pretty much
just have come to differences of opinion on which way the sport is
going. This is not the first meeting that we've had. We've had
meetings all year long to try to meet in the middle and try to make
some good decisions on what we think we need to do to make our race
team better, but could never get going in that direction. I just have
a difference of opinion on which way the sport is going than those guys
did. I couldn't really make myself buy into the system in which way I
think the company is going, so we just decided to split ways and do
something different. That's kind of what has brought us here to
today. I think Robert and I did sit down and decide that no matter
what we do, no matter what goes on, we still have a lot of racing left
to do this season. We still need to try to run very, very good to make
the 38 car exciting for somebody to get in next year. We have a lot of
great sponsors on board that we need to take care of this year and
pretty much when we got out of the meeting we pretty much said to each
other that we want to be able to look each other in the eye at
Homestead after the checkered flag and be able to shake hands and say,
'We did everything we could together this year to have a successful
season,' so that's pretty much where we're at today."
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT IF A BUYOUT WAS INVOLVED AND WHEN DID YOU REALIZE
YOU DIDN'T WANT TO STAY AT RYR? "I can't talk about anything as far as
my contract and stuff is concerned. I don't need to get into that. I
had an out in the contract the same way Robert had an out in the
contract. We both did just in case things don't go right. Most teams
and drivers have that. As far as realizing if I wanted to stay or if
I didn't want to stay, we have given it every possible chance we could
to make this relationship go forward. We've given each other the
benefit of the doubt for the last couple of months on trying different
things and trying different situations to make our race team better and
we've had a lot of good meetings and a lot of heart to heart meetings.
I've had a couple of meetings with Robert where both of us are sitting
in tears trying to figure out what we need to do as far as our future
is concerned, but I just decided this week that it's best for me to let
Robert know now, so he has plenty of time to get in a good driver to
come fill the 38 car and just decided that maybe this is not gonna work
for Elliott Sadler. I'm not saying it won't work for somebody else. I
think if you get a good driver come in here and buy into what Robert
and Doug are doing at their company, I think they're gonna run good
next year. But as far as me personally, I just couldn't buy into that
system. I really 100 percent decided this week to go have this
sit-down with Robert – tell him what my intentions were – try to work
through it – get everything done and then move forward."
WHERE DO YOU THINK THE SPORT IS GOING AND WHERE DO ROBERT AND DOUG
THINK THE SPORT IS GOING? "I just think it's a difference of opinion.
All of you are media, but you all do it different ways also. It's like
each race team – we're all here racing but we all do it in different
types of ways. It's not that one way is bad and one way is good, it's
just that everybody has a difference of opinion. I'm not gonna sit
here and say that my way is the right way and somebody else's way is
the wrong way. I think Doug and Robert are doing good things at their
shop. They're making a lot of commitments to a lot of people to turn
their shop and their race teams around and get it back to the old
Robert Yates Racing, but sometimes people just don't agree on things.
It doesn't make one right or wrong. It doesn't make this person a bad
person or the other person a bad person, it's just sometimes you don't
agree on which way you think the sport is heading. We just have a
difference of opinion on that. We tried to work through it and it
didn't work out. There are no hard feelings. We're gonna go race our
butts off the rest of the year for M&M's and everybody involved at
the race shop. It's made me more determined to run good these last
races than I probably have been in three-and-a-half years. I want to
go run good for these guys. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.
That's just the way it goes."
WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS SPORT IS HEADING? "I don't think that's
important for me to sit here today and say, 'I think the sport is going
in this direction and that's what I believe.' I just think it's just a
difference of opinion on where we think it’s heading – what I think you
need to do to be successful and what they think they need to do to be
successful. It was getting hard for both of us. I can sit here
honestly and look you guys in the eye, I cannot say one cross word
about any one employee at Robert Yates Racing – not one. They all work
their guts out each and every week. We've been cutting stuff up and
changing stuff and they've been working pretty much 24 hours around the
clock to make our race teams better. It's just that we're getting to a
point where we started believing in different things and that is really
all it is. As simple as that may sound, I think that’s a lot to do
with confidence and working together and things like that."
WHAT'S A COMPELLING REASON FOR YOU TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S
ALMOST A LATERAL MOVE? "That's a good question, but I haven't made a
move yet. I just got done getting all my stuff straight with Robert.
I know there's a lot of speculation and a lot of stuff going around the
garage and TV and news. But as of right now I do not have a ride for
next year. I appreciate you guys getting it out that I'm free now
because my phone has been ringing off the hook this week. Some teams
you guys know that I'm talking to and some teams that you guys have no
idea who that I'm talking to. I actually did not know that there were
that many seats available for next year until this week, so now I'm
kind of re-thinking my thought process and what I think I need to do to
get in a really good race car. I'm pretty excited as far as some of
the chances that have come up and some of the talks I've had this week,
but nothing concrete yet. All we've gotten into is, 'Oh, this is
available? OK, good. We need to sit down and talk about this.' I've
had some good talks this week. I'm not gonna bring up any names of any
teams because contracts with sponsors and other things like that, I
don't want to get in the middle of all that stuff, but I have had some
good talks this week and that's pretty much all I can give to you. But
I have had some surprises this week, too, on some calls so I'm pretty
excited about that."
A KEY MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM LEFT ABOUT SIX WEEKS INTO THE SEASON. WAS
THAT A SIGN THAT SOME THINGS WERE COMING APART? "I don't know. When
you get into team members going from different teams to different
teams, it's more between the relationships on the guys on the team and
the crew chief and things like that. I think it's more that than the
relationship they have with the driver. I wasn't always around at the
shop and most drivers are not to know what's going on day to day. I
know who you're talking about and that was a big loss to our company I
think, as a group. Does that have an effect on what I'm doing here
today? No, but I think it did effect Robert Yates Racing some, but
they've gone out and I think replaced that position and moved ahead
with it. That's not why I'm here, but of course losing somebody like
him is definitely tough for any group I think."
IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE A DRIVER RIGHT NOW ISN'T IT? "I agree with
that. Right now it's a great time to be a driver because we're pretty
much in high demand right now. There are a lot more seats open than
there are drivers available I think, and that's what caught me off
guard this week with some of the phone calls I got. You don't realize
who is looking for drivers and who is not. There are a lot more people
stirring the pot underneath than you really think, so it's great to be
a driver like this. I'm not in any hurry to try to make a decision. I
have no timelines that I need to have something done by this date or
this date. I pretty much want to sit down with each person that I'm
really interested in and each team and decide, 'Is this good? Is it
bad? What do you guys have to offer? What do you think we need to
do? What will make us successful or not?' A lot of it will depend on
teammates and stuff also as far as getting along and things like that,
so right now is a great time to be a driver. I think it is. It's a
pretty exciting year, I think coming next year with Juan Pablo
(Montoya) and stuff like that coming in. I think that's great for our
sport, so it's pretty cool to be a driver right now."
IF ELLIOTT AND DOUG ASKED YOU FOR TWO OR THREE GUYS WHO COULD REPLACE
YOU WHO WOULD THEY BE, AND CAN THEY LAND A MARQUEE NAME? "I hope they
don't have trouble. That's something that we talked about this past
week. Anything Elliott Sadler can do to help Robert Yates Racing the
rest of this year, that's what we're gonna do. Any kind of extra
testing; any kind of help with driver development; anything I can do.
With Stephen Leicht coming aboard, he's got a lot of talent and just
needs some racing experience. I was out with him this morning at
Pocono Raceway trying to get him used to this track. We helped test at
Indy last week with him, so anything I can do to bring a driver along
or get somebody in the 38 that's what we're gonna do. It was a great
heart to heart we had with Robert his week. The first thing I did this
morning when I got to the race track is Doug Yates and myself had a
great heart to heart and we all pretty much can look each other in the
eye and say, 'Man, we've had some great times.' I've had a ball at
Robert Yates Racing, but sometimes in people's lives you just come to a
point where something has to give or something has to change, but we're
gonna race as hard as we can to the end of the year. We're still gonna
be great friends. I still have the utmost respect for these guys and
anything I can do to help them, I’m gonna help them. They have been
great to me. Unbelievable. When I was talking to Robert this week I
felt like I was talking to my dad, so whatever I can do to help those
guys this year is what I want to do."
More from Robert Yates on this...
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO ELLIOTT'S DECISION? "Elliott saw the way
things were shaping up within our organization and he decided that he
felt he had a better opportunity somewhere else. There are some big
shoes to fill right now within our organization. We need a leader and
need somebody who can carry the team back to where it needs to be and
he felt like he had a better deal somewhere else. But with that said,
we want to make sure that we realize we've had four really good years
together. We've won races and sat on poles throughout the time we've
been together and we've made the chase. I think that we need to make
sure that we both appreciate what we've done together. I think we've
helped Elliott's career. Was it a stepping stone to get somewhere
else? Maybe, but I think Robert Yates Racing has some good things in
store in the future and we've just got to go out and prove that."
YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE – HAVING TO FIND A DRIVER – AND
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER TRANSITION PERIOD ISN'T IT? “Yeah, it’s a
transition period. The times have changed so much that it’s hard to
relate back to the way it was back in 1995 and ’96 (when the team went
from one to two teams), but in today’s world the most encouraging thing
is you look out here in this sport and you look at the young drivers
that are here and the talent that’s coming up and it’s really
impressive. You’ve got Kyle Busch, who is 20 years old, winning
races. Guys are getting into these things and doing a really good
job. There’s a lot of good talent out there and we just have to latch
onto some of that and build our team back to where it needs to be.”
YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A DRIVER FOR THE 88 FOR A FEW WEEKS. WHAT IS
THE MARKET LIKE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW? "First of all, to define what we
want as a driver. We want somebody that wants to be with us; somebody
that's willing to dig in and be part of the organization; live it and
help us do the things that we need to do. It's very critical to get
somebody that wants us. There needs to be a mutual attraction.
There's some good young talent out there that we're looking at. I
think we’ll have some announcement soon on at least one of the cars.
We're running Stephen Leicht here at Pocono for his first Cup start and
he's been very impressive. Every race this year in the Busch Series
he's run equally as well or better than Elliott and we feel we have a
future with Stephen Leicht. Is he ready for Cup next year? I don't
know. We'll let that take care of itself these next few weeks and the
rest of the year. Then there are a lot of guys available that maybe
need to revitalize their career or another chance, so we'll look at
that as well. The main thing is that M&M's is committed to our
team. We've done a lot of great things together. We brought them
their first win in 15 years in this sport and they appreciate that. So
having M&M's, along with Ford Motor Company being behind our
organization, is what’s keeping us going forward and will make this
team strong."
YOUR NAME IS ON THE BUILDING AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A BUSINESS, IS IT
HARD NOT TO TAKE A DECISION LIKE THIS PERSONALLY? “If you do this long
enough, you get some pretty thick skin. Everybody has to realize that
we’re going to be doing this for a long time and you have to appreciate
today and tomorrow. Sure, when people decide to do something different
it’s not an easy thing, but you know what, since the decision has been
made, now we can breathe and now we can go and work towards the
future. That’s what is most exciting. We would have liked for Elliott
to stay because we’ve done some good things together, but if he wants
do something else, then he should go do something else. Since the
decision has been made, now we can go and live the rest of our lives.
It’s a really good thing for our company to have this behind us. We
wish Elliott well. Do I wish he would have stepped up and be the
leader of the team? Sure, but he didn’t and I’m not going to hold any
hard feelings toward him in that respect. Elliott Sadler is a good
person. Dale Jarrett is a good person and 10 years from now we’re
going to be sitting around laughing about and talking about the good
things we did together. We’ve got to remember that today and not get
caught up in today. What Robert and I have to do is really focus on
getting our program where it needs to be. If we do that, then
everything will be fine. If we don’t, then we don’t deserve to be
here.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FUTURE AT RYR? “I’m really encouraged about
what the future holds. You don’t want to go around lying to people.
People in our organization need to know where we’re going to be. We
have a lot of responsibility as team owners because we provide for a
lot of families and they provide for us. When you can look them in the
eye and say, ‘Good things are happening,’ and really believe that, then
that’s a great feeling. It’s hard to walk around and hide what you
really feel.”
