Brock Yates

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Brock Yates is an American journalist and author. He was longtime executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. He was a pit reporter for CBS' coverage of certain NASCAR Sprint Cup (at the time, the Winston Cup) series races in the 1980s, including the Daytona 500. He was also one of the main commentators on the TNN motor sports TV show American Sports Cavalcade with Steve Evans. Paul Page, Gary Gerould, and Ralph Sheheen also occasionally appeared on the show. He currently serves as a commentator on racing and vintage cars for the Speed Channel, a U.S. cable television channel affiliated with Fox Sports.

Yates is a best-selling author, most frequently about automotive topics and motor sport. Some of his articles and commentaries for Car and Driver magazine and other publications have had considerable impact within the auto industry and the general public, beginning with his 1968 critique of the American auto industry, its management and its products, "The Grosse Pointe Myopians." A recurring theme of his nonfiction work has been the way American automotive management has frequently grown arrogant, lost touch with its markets, and failed to respond to changing public needs and tastes, technology, and energy and environmental concerns.

His first articles appeared in Science and Mechanics Magazine when he was 16 years old.^[1]

Yates wrote for The Truth About Cars^[2] briefly in January and February 2008.

Cannonball Run

Yates was inspired by Erwin G. "Cannonball" Baker, (1882–1960), who set several coast-to-coast records, to initiate the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. This cross-continent road race was a protest against the perceived loss of personal freedom in America, and speed limits in particular. The first run was completed as a reconnaissance by Brock and a friend traveling coast-to-coast in a full size Dodge van. The first actual race was won by Brock and Formula One and Le Mans winner Dan Gurney in a Sunoco blue Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. The duo traveled from New York to Los Angeles in a then record time of 35 hours, 53 minutes. In all, five Cannonballs were run between 1971 and 1979, although Yates never again won.

The event has continued on in the form of the Tire Rack One Lap of America Presented by Grassroots Motorsport Magazine. The event is now run by his son Brock Yates Junior. 2013 will see the 30th anniversary of the event. www.onelapofamerica.com

Screenwriting

Yates along with friend, director and stunt man Hal Needham, wrote Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). Yates also wrote the screenplay for The Cannonball Run (1981) film with the intention of giving the lead role to Steve McQueen. McQueen, however, was diagnosed with cancer early in 1980 and was unable to do the film, leading to the casting of Burt Reynolds. Yates had a brief cameo in The Cannonball Run as the race organizer who lays out the ground rules before the beginning of the race.

While Yates was not involved in them, The Cannonball Run was followed by one sequel using his characters: Cannonball Run II (1984), and a third, Speed Zone! (1989), which apart from being about the race, and a small cameo by Jamie Farr's character, had no other connections.

Background

Yates is the son of author Raymond F. Yates.^[1]

He graduated from Hobart College and spent time in the U.S. Navy.^[1] He was born, and raised, in Lockport, NY. Before attending Hobart College, he graduated from Lockport High School in 1951. Brock's wife Pamela and his son Brock Jr report that he is now suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Books by Brock Yates

Against Death and Time: One Fatal Season in Racing's Glory Years
Cannonball!: World's Greatest Outlaw Road Race
The Hot Rod: Resurrection of a Legend
Outlaw Machine
Enzo Ferrari
The Critical Path
The Indianapolis 500: The Story of the Motor Speedway
Racers and Drivers
The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry
Sunday Driver
Dead in the Water
The Great Driver
Guide to Racing Cars 1962 Stirling Publishing Co LCCN 62-12613

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Yates, Brock W. "The Indianapolis 500: The Story of the Motor Speedway." Harper and Brothers: New York. 1956. Back flap cover.
↑ http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/

External links

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Name	Yates, Brock
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Short description	American motorsport journalist
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v t e NASCAR on CBS

Commentators	Buddy Baker Dick Berggren Neil Bonnett Dave Despain Chris Economaki Eli Gold Greg Gumbel David Hobbs Ned Jarrett Mike Joy Bud Palmer Benny Parsons Richard Petty Ralph Sheheen Ken Squier Bill Stephens Brock Yates

Lore	The Fight Fastest 500 In History The Bumpergate The Slingshot Pass Elliott's Dominant Performance Beginning of the Curse of Dale Earnhardt Like Father, Like Son Waltrip's Fuel Milage Derrike Cope's Upset over Earnhardt The Dale and Dale Show Smith/Bonnett Incidents and Photo Finish Marlin's First Win/Tragedy in Speedweeks Miller edges Skinner by 0.001 seconds The Dale and Dale Show II Earnhardt's Big Wreck at Talladega This One's For You (Hendrick Podium Sweep) Earnhardt's Daytona Win Junior Breaks Through Adam's lone start/Junior's First Cup Win Jeff Burton wins the final NASCAR Winston Cup race on CBS

Daytona 500	1960 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

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