Robert Yates _ a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee _ began treatment for liver cancer on Monday, his son, Doug Yates, revealed in a tweet.
"Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!" Doug Yates tweeted.
Now 73, Robert Yates built a distinguished resume since he began his racing career in 1968 building engines at Holman-Moody Racing. His next move was to join forces in 1971 with Junior Johnson, another future Hall of Famer.
Yates would eventually launch his own team, Robert Yates Racing. The team's signature seasons included 1992 when Davey Allison won the Daytona 500 and finished third in the points and 1999 when Dale Jarrett won the series title. Jarrett also won the 1996 and 2000 Daytona 500s with the team.
Overall, in 21 years as a team owner, Robert Yates won 57 races and had 49 poles.
