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Looking back, I find myself sitting here thinking of what could have been if Robert Yates had gone down the path of expanding rather than deciding to stay as a two car team as long as they did. Eventually a two car operation where their only Ford Racing teammates were a single car family operation from the 50s (Wood Brothers Racing), and an eventual rival five team power house (Roush Racing).

The way I see it, towards the end, Robert Yates Racing was the definition of bad luck starting in 2003 when Dale Jarrett finished 26th in driver points, posting just one win, and seven top tens. From the time Dale started sliding down the points standings within' the first few races, I could tell the outlook for RYR wasn't looking all that great. With the departure of Ricky Rudd after the 2002 season, RYR was left with champion Dale Jarrett, who's glory days were behind him, and unproven young blood in Elliot Sadler. If there ever was a time to expand to a third team, it was now. However I guess it just never fell into place. Super teams were being born, sucking up all the big name sponsors, and drivers, leaving smaller operations like RYR behind.

In 2004 I thought there might be some promise for the RYR operation. Elliot Sadler was in the inagural chase, and Dale Jarrett wasn't far behind, finishing a respectable 15th in points. At the same time, Roush Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Richard Childress Racing were well on their way to establishing themselves as the super teams of the sport, commanding drivers like Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, as well as many other talented drivers and engineers.

2005 was a defining year for RYR. Despite the rivalry between Yates and Roush, the joint operation of the Ford Racing engine program known as Roush Yates Engines was powering the majority of the Ford teams, taking 16 wins between Roush and Yates Racing, the only win for RYR that season coming with Dale Jarrett in the fall race at Talladega. I remember sitting there watching that race. I think it's pretty safe to say when I saw that caution flag waving, and Dale Jarrett's #88 UPS Ford Taurus in the lead, I nearly had a heart attack. At the same time, once I'd settled down from the initial bliss of seeing Dale drive back to victory lane, I knew the way time had passed RYR by that there was a very good chance that this was Dale's and Yates last win -- and I was right.

2006 brought nothing but dissapointment for the Ford Racing camp. Hendrick Motorsports had basically established themselves as the team to beat, and with only Mark Martin's #6 Ford Fusion, and Matt Kenseth's #17 Ford Fusion finishing in the chase, I was left at the end of the season shaking my head while not too pleased about the eventual departure of Dale Jarrett to Micheal Waltrip's start up team, taking with him his UPS sponsorship. As well earlier that season, Elliot Sadler departed for what was Evernham Motorsports part way through the season, leaving David Gilliland to finish out the season in the #38 Ford Fuison. Jarrett finished the season 23rd in points, while the #38 team struggled to hang on to 25th place in owners points between drivers Elliot Sadler and David Gilliland.

2007 was the beginning of the end. Ricky Rudd returned to RYR after leaving in 2002, to drive the #88 car. Rudd and Gilliland struggled all season to even begin to be competative. By the end of the season, Rudd had missed five races due to an injury suffered in an accident and finished 33rd in driver points, while Gilliland finished 28th.

2008 and brought back a glimmer of hope for the renamed Yates Racing operation. Finally the team was working closer with Roush Fenway Racing than ever before, and with Travis Kvapil replacing Ricky Rudd in the #88, renumbered as the #28, while Gilliland continued to wheel the #38 they managed to pull off 23rd and 27th place points finishes respectivly. The season wasn't easy though. Neither team had a full time sponsor through the season, fielding cars with whatever sponsors they could scrape up, or no sponsors at all. With the economy about to hit it's worst slump since the great depression, it was obvious that life support wasn't far from being shut off.

2009 saw major cut backs in the operation. The team formed a technical alliance with Hall of Fame Racing, a former Joe Gibbs Racing satellite team, and had their cars run out of the Yates shop to keep it as a two car operation. This brought Paul Menard and a full sponsorship for the #98 Yates Racing team, and Bobby Labonte with nearly full sponsorship in the #96 team. Gilliland missed the Daytona 500 because he didn't have a ride, and Kvapil ran four races in the #28 car, missing one race on time, before sponsorship money ran out. By the end of the season, Menard and Labonte were far from competative and the assets of Yates Racing were distributed among the now Richard Petty Motorsports (#98 team and equipment), and Front Row Motorsports (Doug Yates, #96 and #98 owners points).

Texaco left the 28 team after 2002 eh.