Together again—and better

Sporting News, The, March 10, 2003 by Lee Spencer

From different locales in North Carolina and from different points on Winston Cup racing's time line, they shared a dream. Dale Jarrett, Brad Parrott, Todd Parrott and Doug Yates watched their fathers become heroes among NASCAR's elite. In turn, the boys followed the trails blazed by their famous fathers.

These "boys" teamed to win a Winston Cup championship in 1999. Now back together in 2003--though only Jarrett is in the same role--they are more prepared to win their second Cup title than they were the first.

When Jarrett, 46, and the No. 88 team won two weeks ago at Rockingham, past success flowed smoothly into the fulfillment of tomorrow's promise. For Brad Parrott, it was the first victory as a Cup crew chief. Brother Todd Parrott, Jarrett's former crew chief, won for the first time as competition director for Robert Yates Racing. For Doug Yates, son of team owner Robert Yates, it was the first win since his promotion from chief engine builder to general manager at the start of this season.

Now that all of the cars are matched aerodynamically, the strength of the teams and the power of the engines will separate the winners from the losers. The No. 88 team has the right pieces and, more important, has them in the right places.

These boys learned from some of the best. Jarrett's father, Ned, won series championships in 1961 and 1965. D.J. won his first of three Daytona 500s in 1993, with his father calling the action from the "IV booth. When Dale won the Cup title, Todd Parrott was the crew chief.

Brad and Todd Parrott got a firsthand look at the successes of their father, Buddy Parrott, whose career covered more than two decades and produced 61 whys as a crew chief or general manager. Buddy worked under Harry Hyde on Bobby Isaac's 1970 championship team and won titles with Darrell Waltrip in the early 1980s. As crew chief, Parrott guided Derrike Cope to a 1990 Daytona 500 win; Parrott finished his career with successful tenures as crew chief for Rusty Wallace and left Burton.

"It's my dad who got me where I am today," Brad Parrott says. "He told me to work hard and pay attention to every detail on the racecar and the team. But most importantly, he said, `Brad, work your team.' That's what I'm doing here today."

The Parrott brothers worked with their father on Wallace's team, but both left when Todd was offered the opportunity to build a team with Robert Yates in 1995. Yates, one of the premier engine builders in NASCAR, had honed his skills at legendary shops such as Holman-Moody, Junior Johnson's and DiGard, where Yates won the title with Bobby Allison in 1983.

Five years later, Yates was working as the team manager for Harry Ranier, who put the No. 28 team on the auction block. Yates mortgaged everything he had to buy the No. 28, The son of a Southern Baptist preacher, Yates put his faith in God, family and his people. With Davey Allison behind the wheel, the team won two races and a pole in 1989, Yates' first year as owner.

During the 1990s--when D.J. was proving himself as a driver and the Parrotts were learning the intricacies of teamwork--Doug Yates got a degree in mechanical engineering at N.C. State to complement the years of experience he gained from working with his father. Soon Doug was making a name as an engine builder.

A year after the foursome won the title with the No. 88, Brad Parrott, then a car chief, was offered his first crew chief job with PPI Motorsports. The move proved to be premature. He returned to Yates after just nine races but left Yates again in 2001 after a disagreement with his older brother. Brad found a home with Roush Racing as the crew chief for Button's Busch Series team in 2002. In just 13 starts, Burton won five races.

The No. 88 team rode out a tumultuous 2002, and it was clear changes were needed. After 14 years at the helm, Robert Yates turned over day-to-day operation to Doug Yates. Todd Parrott was promoted to competition director for both Yates teams (including Elliott Sadler's No. 38), and Brad returned to become the crew chief.

Now Brad, 35, has the confidence and the backbone to lead the No. 88 on another title run. The 41st-place finish last week at Las Vegas, where Jarrett was caught up in a wreck, is a minor setback. "It's all about the team," Parrott says. "I'll go in tomorrow night, and if I have to sweep the floors, I'll sweep the floors. I want them to understand that I'm a winner at heart."

Parrott's success at Rockingham shows he has control of the team. He says Robert Yates has "opened the checkbook" to provide him with the resources he needs to win. And there's no question the people are in place.

SPEED READS

* Ray Evernham's No. 19 team isn't ready to win a race yet, but it is operating with confidence that is hard to miss. Driver Jeremy Mayfield credits an increased level of communication for the turnaround. But the technical teamwork of crew chief Kenny Francis and team engineer Josh Browne can't be ignored. They have increased Mayfield's comfort level, bringing a new cohesiveness to the team.