Brock Yates

Sorry to hear about Brock Yates' losing battle with alzheimer's in the latest One Lap story. I've some experience dealing with that, and words cannot convey how tough it is to watch someone slip away from you. I used to read Car & Driver back in the day when it was still funny and good, and just finished reading the book "Cannonball" a few months ago. Brock is truly a legendary character and has lived a life most of us can only dream about.

I too was saddened to hear the news. Always enjoyed reading his articles and had the privilege of meeting him during One Lap in '03.

He was invited to speak at RIT several years ago (while I was still there) and he spoke about Cannonball and some of his other events. it was great to meet him. He even had an RIT FSAE nosecone in his restaurant for a while. The team just bought it back when some of the items were being auctioned off. He was a very nice guy to talk to.

I cared for my Mom for the last 8 years of her dementia.

It IS a gut-wrenching experience, no doubt. But I was facinated by the age regression and will always treasure knowing The Mom in that way.

My Mom taught me to drive, and her only pleasure in life was going for rides. ("Let's go!") She loved the V8 Miata, and there were a few month where during the acceleration onto the freeway she would chant "Zoooom Zoooom!"

The old Brock is still in there, I am convinced. Maybe not recognizable to all but still there. I'm sure we all wish him well - he sure brought us all a lot of enjoyment.

Godspeed Brock.

If there is anyone who made me an automotive journalism enthusiast, it was Brock Yates. His wit, wisdom and pith drew me into an automotive world beyond flashy paint jobs and sensationalist comments about speed and power. He broadened my mind to appreciate the automobile to the fullest and to look into to the politics altering is development.

Along with Pat Bedard, David E. Davis and William Jeanes, Brock Yates helped me develop not only a deeper love for all things mechanical, but for the beauty of twisty country roads, the diverse scenery which makes up America, the different ideas from around the world of what an automobile should be.

Brock was also responsible for my becoming a writer. Although I write Bond Market strategy, not auto-related articles, he turned a kid who hated writing due to poor penmanship into a person with a deep love for the written word. Although he will never know it, I will always been in debt to Brock Yates.

I met Brock Jr. once as well. It was at and SDAC event at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, MD, about ten years ago. He needed to borrow a helmet and asked to borrow mine. We chatted only briefly, but I found him to be a friendly, engaging and high-spirited fellow.

My prayers go out to Brock and the entire Yates family.

Folks,

Thanks for the kid words about my father, he has been an inspiration, teacher, entertainer and frankly, an irritant to us all. The effects of the Alzheimer's are horrible for all stricken with the disease. Not only is my father slowly losing all his memories of Indianapolis, the race he enjoyed most, of the history of motorsports and the people that made it great, the car industry and the great changes he foretold and witnessed, but we are all losing all that too. We are lucky for the vast collection of writings and film that he created before all this came to pass.

Currently his health and spirits are very good. My Stepmother with help from her daughter and son-in-law have most of the duties and are doing a great job keeping him comfortable. The good thing about his current condition is that his personality is intact. He is himself, caring, bright and aware, but based on his lack of any short term memory, bored and somewhat frustrated. He still enjoys his grandchildren and meeting fans and friends. It is only when the conversation gets into specifics that anyone can see the changes.

I will pass along the your thoughts to him the next time I see him.

Thanks, the other Brock Yates

BTW, thanks for the use of the helmet. That was a fun day.

Brock2,

Your candor is appreciated. So often our heros just fade away, leaving us wondering why they are no longer in the public eye. You have given us all a chance to reflect upon your father's life and work while he is still here.

As a kid who grew up hating to read because I was forced to, your father's column was one of the first things that I remember choosing to read on a regular basis. I think I turned out okay.

Please tell your father that I enjoyed his work.

Jeff

Thanks so much for allowing us an insight into how your family is dealing with dementia. It's a difficult process that many of us choose to ignore, pretend everything is fine as usual when people are wasting away without care. We have this willful ignorance of the disease that's not helpful to anyone.

Everyone deals with their own dementia differently. I've found that many women are "pleasantly demented," somehow better able to deal with the difficulties of Alzheimer's. Some men get angry and bitter, especially towards the end. It's wonderful to have those they know and love nearby, as difficult as that can be at times.

Brock,

We met in an elevator at CMP Lemons a couple years ago.

One of the best automotive weekends of my life was when my brother and I went to Road Atlanta to spectate when One Lap came through in 03 or 04.

Mike (can never remember his name) of team EBBQ had terminated the engine in his nitrous-fed civic. As we were building a honda for our first Challenge car, we ran over to see if we could lend a hand.

Mike ended up selling us his nitrous kit to fund repairs and we ended up giving him a lift to the next leg of the race.
Anyway, your Dad somehow caught wind of this and approached us in the pits while we were removing the kit from Mike's car.

He introduced himself. We were kinda starstruck. Told him what big fans we are, etc.

After a couple minutes of chit-chat he says "So lemme get this straight: This guy just blew up his Honda with nitrous?"

"Yes sir."

"And you're buying the nitrous kit to put on your Honda."

"Yes sir."

"Sounds like a great plan guys. What could possibly go wrong!?"

Your Dad is the most down-to-earth "big name" car guys I've ever met, and you ain't so bad yourself! Best of luck through these trying times.

Mike

In reply to Brock2:

I actually wore that helmet today while riding my motorcycle.

In reply to Brock2:

Brock, I say this with all due respect to your dad (I'm also one who was inspired by his work in Car and Driver during the 70s-80s), and to your family. I've also had to watch a relative as that stinking disease slowly whittled away a brilliant mind. My comment:

Being an "irritant" to social norms was probably the best expression of his genius, at least as far as his love of things automotive goes.

I only met your dad once, at Road Atlanta in the late 1980s. The "One Lap" folks were actually running a time trial at "O:dark Thirty" in the morning before our SCCA race. He saw my Corner Worker uniform, and thanked me for showing up. And then apologized for the folks running in One Lap that didn't know what the hell the flags meant. I just mumbled something about appreciating his writing, and he said, "Well, that's what I get paid to do!"

Wishing you and the family well..I know that it's not a pleasant experience.

I am really sorry to hear about your Dad. Most of the mags I have kept over the years have been ones with stuff by him in them.

A few years ago I was at the Amelia Island Concours and ran into Brock Sr.

Like a lot of us here, Car & Driver was my bible as a kid. I pretty much memorized every issue from 1979-1990 or so.

I let Brock know how much I had enjoyed his writing over the years, and how his stories had inspired me to live the life I'm living now. He blew me away by telling me how much he loved GRM and CMS, and what a wonderful job we were doing. He went on about the mags, and it was clear he wasn't just blowing smoke.....he really read and enjoyed them. We spoke for about 10 minutes and then walked on our separate ways.

It blew me away at how friendly and approachable he was......especially considering his history.....a true legend.

I mean who hasn't thought about driving from "sea to shining sea" as fast as they can before? This guy not only did it, he organized it, ran it, and wrote about it. And this was only a small part of his resume.

Amazing guy...I'm so glad to have been able to meet him. Thanks for posting Brock 2----- Please give our best to Brock Sr!

I met Brock Sr at the Mitty a few years ago, and came away thinking "i hope i'm that cool someday." it'll probably never happen, but at least i've got something to shoot for.

Brock 2:

I met you when I was instructing for the Del Val Street Survival school back when we used to do it at the CC in Blue Bell. There was no actual introduction - so I never made the connection until later. One of these days...

In any case - I loved your dad's work and read his column from the time I was a little kid. I'm sorry to hear Alzheimer's in anyone's list of ailments but it seems especially cruel for someone with so many great memories to share. Sorry, and best of luck.

Joe Gearin wrote: Like a lot of us here, Car & Driver was my bible as a kid. I pretty much memorized every issue from 1979-1990 or so.

Me too, except from 1974 to the present, except for a brief period in the 90's when they were more about SUV's than cars. Brock and Bedard were my heros. I attended the fourth C&D Challenge race in Lime Rock where Pat and Stig had an epic battle in matching Saabs.

As you guys will read in my column in the October issue, my dad, Paul, who has been in pictures, helping me with project cars, in so many issues of the magazine over the years is also losing a battle to Alzheimer's.

It truly sucks. And thanks Brock Jr. for joining in.

Way back before there was even a SpeedVision, the only car stuff that you could find on TV was on The Nashville Network. It seemed as if Brock and Steve Evans hosted everything car related on that channel. I can still hear his voice explaining the nuances of racing a swamp buggy through the Sippy Hole.

Yep, I remember watching those shows on TNN. I also have been a fairly regular C&D subscriber dating back to the early 80's. I was about 8 or 9 years old when my parents got me my first subscription. Some of my fondest childhood memories were staying up late at night, hiding under the blankets with a flashlight so my parents wouldn't know I was awake, and reading the columns written by Brock Yates and others.

Wishing all the best to the Yates family. Also all the best to you and your family Tim. We appreciate all you folks do for us car geeks....uh...dorks.

A +1 seems so inadequate.

But most of the previous posters have stated my feelings, some more eloquently than I could have. I too have seen the plague that is Alzheimer in my immediate family, and I too have turned to Brock's column first, after unsheathing a new issue of C&D. And have had my automotive viewpoint shaped for the better by Brock. The automotive world is getting less colorful every day, with the loss off so many ground-breakers. Some suddenly gone, some slowly fading away.

I met Brock at the C&D 50th Bash in Indy. Very personable, down to earth and talked with me at length about cars, roads, writing and just about enjoying it all.

Great man.