| Brock Yates was
executive editor of "Car and Driver", a pit
reporter for the CBS coverage of NASCAR races in the
1980s, including the Daytona 500. He was also one of
two commentators on the TNN show American Sports
Cavalcade with Steve Evans.
Yates is a
best-selling author, most frequently about automotive
topics and motor sport, and a commentator for the
cable television Speed Channel. 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.
Yates was inspired by Erwin
G. "Cannonball" Baker,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 van. The first
actual race was won by Brock and Dan Gurney in a
Ferrari 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.
Yates along with friend,
director, and famed stunt man Hal Needham, wrote
"Smokey and the Bandit II". Yates also wrote
the screenplay for "The Cannonball Run" 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. The real life races
also served as inspiration for two earlier films:
Cannonball and The Gumball Rally.
His racing career
was chronicled in his 1972 book, "Sunday
Driver". Yates currently lives in Wyoming, NY,
with his lovely wife, Pamela, and has four grown
children: Brock Jr., Daniel, Claire and Stacy.
Frivolous sidelights include running the annual
Cannonball / Car and Driver One Lap of America,
occasional television blathering and collecting
vintage race cars. He has won numerous writing awards.
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