The announcement that UPS would follow Dale Jarrett to Michael Waltrip Racing didn’t catch Robert Yates by surprise. The owner said Friday that he’s been expecting the news for quite some time.

“This has been coming since New Hampshire last fall, so it really wasn’t a surprise,” Yates said.

Asked if UPS had notified him at that time that it wouldn’t return in 2007, Yates said the news came from another source.

“Dale told me,” Yates said. “He told me he controlled [the sponsor].”

Speaking earlier in the day, Jarrett said he played no role in the decision of a company that has sponsored him for six seasons now. He said he didn’t want to be involved in the process.

“I obviously couldn’t hold back after UPS started inquiring about what I was doing, so I basically said, ‘Look, if you want to do something there, you have to talk to Ty Norris [Michael Waltrip Racing's general manager] and Michael - I’m not going to be a part of this process,” Jarrett said. “… I certainly was hoping that the decision was going to be between Robert and our deal and wouldn’t have been upset either way that it went. But this is big for us.”

Yates made it clear he has no ill feelings toward the UPS executives who opted to make the move. He placed blame on himself for allowing the team’s performance to decline the past few years. Yates, though, is optimistic things will turn around soon and still envisions a scenario in which Robert Yates Racing fields four Cup teams next year.

First, though, he must find a driver and sponsor for Jarrett’s No. 88 Ford. A leading candidate on the sponsorship front is CitiFinancial, which sponsors RYR’s Busch Series team. Stephen Leicht could move into that seat as well.

“We think enough of him and we feel like with enough effort this year and energy put forth, I think he’ll be able to drive this Cup car very easily,” said Yates, adding that Leicht could make a few Nextel Cup starts later this season.

Scene Daily