Yates to buyout Jack Roush? (Update)
12/06/14 Roush Yates Engines CEO Doug Yates responded yesterday to rumors that he will replace Jack Roush at the helm of Roush Fenway Racing when Roush steps down in the near future.
"Jack is committed to NASCAR racing," said Yates, son of legendary NASCAR engine builder and team owner Robert Yates. "He loves two things besides his family; racing and flying airplanes. He is not planning to stop the racing part, anyway. I know that for a fact."
Yates admitted, however, that he is interested in following his father into the ownership ranks one day.
"It's flattering to hear my name out there (in the rumor mill) and if the right situation came along, I'd love to carry on what my dad started and what he accomplished. But right now, my focus is on building great engines for Ford Motor Company and making Ford and Roush proud. That's what I'm going to try to stick with and be focused on in the near future."
RFR struggled to find speed in 2014, and while Both Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, neither was a serious contender for the title. Edwards finished ninth in the championship standings, with Biffle 14th and teammate Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 27th. The organization managed just three victories and 30 Top-10 finishes in 108 combined starts, and Yates said that performance does not sit well with Roush.
"Jack Roush is not going anywhere," he said, "…and one thing he's not going to do is quit before he gets (Roush Fenway Racing) back where he wants it."
Yates also said Roush has been instrumental in his success as an engine builder, adding, "He's been really good to me… a lot like my dad. I've been so fortunate to learn and watch and be around him. He's taught me a lot."