Listed below are the guys who have been in the driver's seat for Yates Racing from the start.
Rank them according to what they did only while driving for Yates. You can't take into consideration what Jarrett did with Gibbs or Waltrip or what Labonte did with Gibbs or Petty, or what Rudd did on his own.
Davey Allison (15 wins 2 top 10 point standings finishes in a career and life cut short. He was considered the best of the best anytime he was on the track)
Dale Jarrett (29 wins finished in the top 10 in points 7 consecutive seasons from 1996 through 2002.)
Ernie Irvan (3 wins in another career cut short. He wasn't afraid to mix it up, which made him successful and fun to watch)
Elliott Sadler (2 wins and 1 top 10 point standing finish. It was back and forth between Sadler and Rudd for this sport, but the truth is Rudd gained his wins during Yates heyday. Sadler's came during the beginning of the end)
Ricky Rudd (3 wins and 3 top 10 point standing finishes the first stint with Yates, not much to show for the second time around)
Travis Kvapil (Top 25 points finish on a second tier race team is admirable)
Robby Gordon (Give him credit for a couple of good outings during his brief stint as a fill in driver. He's talented but a wildcard)
Kenny Irwin, Jr. (He never won a race in two years for Yates but he had 10 top 10 finishes and sat on 3 polls in two seasons. Yates might have given up on him a little too soon. He was a talented young driver)
David Gilliland (4 top 10 finishes in two years. He seemed to be in over his head because of a lack of experience)
Kenny Wallace (Filled in part time when Irvan was injured. Better in front of the camera than he is on the track)
Lake Speed (Honestly I barely remember anything about him in a Yates car)
Stephen Leicht (He only raced one time in the big leagues, but was a solid in the Busch series)
To early to tell:
Bobby Labonte (He is as talented as anyone Yates has had outside of Allison and maybe Jarrett, but he's also on the backside of his career)
Paul Menard (I get the feeling sometimes he has a ho-hum attitude about competing knowing his ride is safe. He is a mid-pack type of talent, which is what we had last year)