Somewhere Robert Yates has a (-25pts.) eating grin on his face. After all, to hear most talk, his organization was in trouble. The whispers and media queries, where was Robert Yates Racing going? Well, between the #38 and the #88, Robert and his crews showed us where they were headed- to the top. With the pole and the outside pole, RYR is proving that you should never count an owner down, unless you want him and his teams to come out swinging.

           Last years departure of Elliott Sadler raised a few eyebrows. David Gilliland was tapped to replace Sadler in the #38 for the final 15 races of the season. Although he didn't explode onto the circuit, Gilliland did capture the pole at Talladega. (He also won the Busch race in Kentucky.) I've watched David at lower levels and he is really good. Last year was for getting comfortable, this year he will shine.

Then Dale Jarrett announced that he would leave at the season's end to go to Michael Waltrip Racing, this caused all kinds of RYR rumors. Gilliland may not have the record yet, but Ricky Rudd comes to the team with 875 starts, 23 wins, and 373 finishes of 10th or better. With a rookie stripe (Gilliland is still officially a rookie, though he is not eligible for ROTY.) and a seasoned veteran sitting on the front row, RYR is showing no signs of slowing down.