Ates was born in
Monroe, Louisiana. He raced in the
USAC Championship Car series in the 1968–1970 seasons, with 15 career starts, including the 1969
Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top-ten five times, with his best finish in fifth position in 1968 at Brooklyn. Ates was one of the best Sprint Car racers during the 1960s and 1970s. He held the world speed record for a sprint car by being the fastest at the famed
Winchester Speedway in
Winchester, Indiana. He would often help new drivers find the right "groove" at that track. Ates died in
Phoenix, Arizona on October 25, 2010. ==References==