Brock Yates Jr. said: Today, after suffering with Alzheimer's for the last 12 years, my father finally succumbed. He touched many lives, but sadly no more.
https://www.facebook.com/byates2/posts/10154520316953419
RIP and may we someday see the end of that horrible disease.
RIP
Sad news, he was a big part of my enjoyment of all things automobiles.
We should all make a point this weekend of reading some of his old Car & Driver pieces and watching The Cannonball Run.
I spent a lot of time reading his stuff in Car & Driver and watching him on TNN. I also drank a lot of beer at Lock, Stock and Barrel in Darien. They had some really cool memorabilia from a few of the actual Cannonballs that used the place as a starting point. The original, of course, started from the Red Ball Garage.
holy E36 M3 
RIP
Wow, that's weird, wiki has not been updated with the death date yet. Very sad indeed, but I imagine he will still touch many lives even in death.
EastCoastMojo wrote: Wow, that's weird, wiki has not been updated with the death date yet. Very sad indeed, but I imagine he will still touch many lives even in death.
I didn't see any public announcements anywhere, and a Wiki update would all depend if somebody thought to update it, as it needs to be done manually. I used to have an account to do Wiki updates, but wouldn't want to be the one to make a change of this nature. Particularly without independent confirmation.
His writing is a huge part of what turned me into the car guy that I am. And Cannonball Run. And One Lap of America.
What a guy.
EastCoastMojo wrote: Wow, that's weird, wiki has not been updated with the death date yet. Very sad indeed, but I imagine he will still touch many lives even in death.
I suspect his Son and family are a bit busy right now :(
They're saying Lewy-body dimentia is what drove Robin Williams to end it, too. What a shame.
hhaase wrote:EastCoastMojo wrote: Wow, that's weird, wiki has not been updated with the death date yet. Very sad indeed, but I imagine he will still touch many lives even in death.I didn't see any public announcements anywhere, and a Wiki update would all depend if somebody thought to update it, as it needs to be done manually. I used to have an account to do Wiki updates, but wouldn't want to be the one to make a change of this nature. Particularly without independent confirmation.
https://www.facebook.com/byates2/posts/10154520316953419
The official "One Lap" facebook and twitter just announced as well.
Godspeed Mr. Yates.
Very sad. He was someone who transcend cars into the wider culture. Plenty of people with no interest in cars are familiar with him. Who can claim that today.
R.I.P. Brock, your work lives on.
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:EastCoastMojo wrote: Wow, that's weird, wiki has not been updated with the death date yet. Very sad indeed, but I imagine he will still touch many lives even in death.I suspect his Son and family are a bit busy right now :(
I didn't mean to imply that that should be their first order of business, my apologies if I offended in any way. I guess I am not used to being "in the loop" for events such as a celebrity death so early on that links to more info aren't readily available. I did a search but didn't find anything
Brock accompanied me on many a bathroom visit throughout my developmental years. High praise indeed. C&D was one of the only magazines I actually read for the articles.
RIP
Like many of us, I grew up reading his "scribbles" in C/D. He influenced the industry, motorsports, and me for sure. Very sad. We have to find a cure for this terrible disease.
Very sad to hear this. Yes, it is an awful disease.
Margie
Sorry for your loss, brock2
Woody wrote: I spent a lot of time reading his stuff in *Car & Driver* and watching him on TNN.
Me too. When I learned to read my dad started getting me car magazines and books since they held my interest.
Alzheimer's is a terrible way to go. I can't find it online right now but his last column in I believe Vintage Motorsports was one of the most touching and sad things I've read.
In reply to Wall-e:
I didn't even realize that he wrote for anyone else after he left Car and Driver.
http://www.m-100.co/6point9/brochure/brockyates/index.html
One of my favorites is Sunday Driver. Brock writes about going through SCCA drivers school and then running some amateur races prior to driving a trans-am camaro for Warren Agor I believe. I have a well worn paperback copy. RIP.
Was fortunate enough to meet him at a book signing and got an autograph on my copy of his book about the Cannonball Run.
"Thank you Mr. Yates," I said as we shook hands "I've wanted to meet you for years."
"Son," He laughed, "You need to aim a bit higher with your goals."
Can't put together the right words to express what a great man he was.
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