Busy Weekend for J.J. Yeley in Chicago

Race Review

Joliet, IL (July 10, 2005) - J.J. Yeley's extremely busy weekend in Chicago ended on Saturday afternoon with an 18th-place finish in the USG Durock 300 NASCAR Busch Series race. Yeley spent the first 175 laps inside the top 10, and the Vigoro/Home Depot team elected to pit on Lap 175 for four tires and in turn gave up the sixth position on the track. "Track position was huge today, and we had a tough decision to make there at the end," said Yeley. After the pit stop, Yeley restarted in 15th with 20 laps to go. But the handling of the car went away in the closing laps, and Yeley cut a tire on the final circuit. "Once we restarted in 15th, the car was just sliding around all over the place in that dirty air," said Yeley. "If we had stayed out, we weren't going to win the race, but we probably would have finished in the top 10. But we went for tires because we thought the car would be able to cut right back to the front. It just didn't work out that way for us."

Yeley's weekend started on Friday morning with NASCAR Busch Series practice. After posting the seventh fastest lap, Yeley was relaxing in his motorhome with his wife, Kristen, and baby daughter, Faith, when his cell phone rang. It was his Joe Gibbs Racing team, and they informed him that he was needed in the Nextel Cup Series garage immediately. His teammate and close friend, Tony Stewart, had crashed and had to be taken to a local hospital for further observation. The team needed Yeley to finish Nextel Cup practice in the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet.

With a few precious minutes remaining in practice, Yeley was able to complete four laps in the No. 20 team's backup machine and Yeley turned in the 17th fastest lap in Nextel Cup practice. After discussing the setup of the car with the Home Depot crew, Yeley agreed to qualify the car in Stewart's absence. "I was happy to help out my fellow teammates and my good buddy," said Yeley. "I wanted to do everything I could to help them because they are certainly in contention to win another championship. Getting a good qualifying effort would help them with their pit selection, so I focused on getting a good, clean lap in the Home Depot Chevrolet."

Yeley accomplished just that when he qualified the car 13th. Then moments later, Yeley hopped in his Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet and qualified it fourth fastest in Busch Series qualifying.

Once the Busch Series race got underway on Saturday afternoon, Yeley fought a very tight car. He fell back to eighth in the early going, but the team made some changes to the setup of the Vigoro/Home Depot ride, and Yeley was able to battle back into the top five on Lap 63. Yeley would place no worse than sixth until green-flag pit stops started around Lap 115. Yeley stopped for routine service on Lap 132 after leading Lap 131. Once the green-flag stops concluded, Yeley was back in fifth.

Yeley stayed right around the top five until the team pitted near the end of the race. "Jason Ratcliff and our Vigoro/Home Depot crew gave me a great car today. Our pit stops were fantastic. Everyone is still very optimistic about our chances to get back in the top 10 in points by the end of the year. We'll be ready to bounce back next weekend in New Hampshire."

Next up for Yeley will be the New England 200 NASCAR Busch Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway on Saturday, July 16. The race will be televised live on TNT at 3:00 PM EST.