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NHRA: Jamie Yates to Make Driving Debut

15 July 1998

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A second SplitFire/PEAK Pontiac Pro Stock car will compete at this weekend's NHRA Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals (July 17-19) at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver.

Jim Yates, two-time defending NHRA Winston series champion, has announced that his 21-year-old son, Jamie, will make his driving debut at the Mile-High Nationals.

"As Jamie's dad, I am extremely excited to have him race one of our SplitFire/PEAK cars," Jim Yates said. "Jamie has been with our race team since we first went professional in 1989. He has grown up with our racing program. He has been an excellent crew member, specializing in the clutch, transmission and electrical system of the car.''

Jamie earned his Pro Stock driver's license in June at Roy Hill's Drag Racing School in Rockingham, N.C. "That was a lot of fun for me,'' Jamie said. "Having worked so many years on dad's Pro Stock car, I got a completely different perspective while learning to drive a car at Roy's school. There's a lot to do in a very short time.''

Jamie had additional seat time last weekend while testing the SplitFire/PEAK Pontiac in the mile-high altitude at Bandimere Speedway. His best run was a 7.54-second elapsed time and a speed of 183 miles per hour.

Jamie, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Maryland, will race "occasionally,'' Jim Yates said. "Jamie's first priority is attending college and doing as well as he can in his academic pursuits.He knows that. He is also aware that we want him to reflect on his performance each time he does race - to learn from what he does each time he competes."