The weather has been frightful in Jim Yates’ hometown of Occoquan, Va., so visiting Phoenix this time of year provides a little sun and respite from the cold.
But Yates isn’t on vacation in Arizona; he’s here hunting for an NHRA Pro Stock victory in the CSK Nationals this weekend at Firebird Raceway.
“We’re at the race track, so it’s time to go racing, †Yates said Thursday afternoon. “We’ve been busy getting our new Wiley X/Sea Ray Boats Pontiac GTO set up. We have our (Bill Jenkins-built) motor in the car and we’ve been building transmissions and getting the clutch in the car.
“The track looks good; there’s a lot of rubber on it and there’s a lot of potential for good runs starting Friday. â€
Yates enters the season’s second race confident he will pick up the pace in the Valley of the Sun. He’s won here twice (1996-97) and was runner-up in 1998. “We want to make four good qualifying runs and be in good shape (i. e. starting in the top half of the 16-car line-up) for Sunday’s eliminations, †he added. “We have a lot more work to do on the car and chassis to get data. Every time we put a new motor in the car, we have to make chassis changes. â€
Yates, the 1996-97 Pro Stock champion, has two wins at Firebird (1996-97) and one runner-up (1998). He finished seventh in points last year and has built an enviable record, placing in the top 10 in 14 of the past 16 years in what is considered the toughest of NHRA’s pro categories.
He and Jamie Yates – his son and crew chief – will be ready when qualifying begins Friday with sessions at 1:30 and 4 p. m. and concludes with runs Saturday at noon at 2:30 p. m. Eliminations start at 11 a. m. Sunday.
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