Brock Yates

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Brock Yates was executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. He was a pit reporter for CBS's coverage of certain NASCAR Nextel Cup (then Winston) series races in the 1980s, including the Daytona 500.

Cannonball Run

Yates was inspired by Erwin G. "Cannonball" Baker, (1882-1960), who travelled across the USA several times, to initiate the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. This illegal cross-continent road race was a protest against the 55 MPH speed limit. The first race was won by him and former race driver, Formula One and Le Mans winner Dan Gurney in a Ferrari. It took them 35 hours, 53 minutes to drive from New York to Los Angeles. Brock Yates wrote The Cannonball Run film with the intention of the lead role going to Steve McQueen. McQueen was diagnosed with cancer early in 1980 and unable to consider doing the movie. He passed away in November, 1980. This series of circumstances led to another actor being considered, one for whom Brock Yates had co-written a screenplay that became that actor's most commercially successful movie: Burt Reynolds. The movie was "Smokey and the Bandit." Reynolds had a series of flops following that movie; so motion picture studio 20th Century Fox suggested he take on another "car" movie role. Reynolds refused but after one more flop decided to follow their advice. It is well known Brock Yates was not pleased with the final outcome of his film as it was originally written from a more realistic "true to the race" vantage point. The race also served as inspiration for the movies Cannonball (1976), The Gumball Rally (1976), Cannonball Run (1981), and Cannonball Run II (1984). Brock Yates along with friend, director, and famed stunt man Hal Needham, also wrote Smokey and the Bandit.

External links

[Car and Driver Media Kit] a brief bio
[}}}] at NNDB

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