Christopher Beltram Hernandez (J. J.) Yeley (born October 5, 1976) is an NASCAR racecar driver from Phoenix, Arizona. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... NASCAR Nextel Cup logo The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... Joe Gibbs Racing (also known as JGR) is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned by Joe Gibbs. ... The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 12. ... The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 12. ... The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 7 and ended on Sunday, November 21. ... The Sony HD 500 is a NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car race held at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. ... The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Valley of the Sun Location Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Arizona Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,230. ...

Open wheel

Yeley signs autographs at the spring Bristol race, courtesy of flickr contributor

Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by storm during the 1997 edition of Indiana Sprintweek. He won that series and captured the USAC National Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year Award despite only starting a minuscule amount of races. Image File history File links JJ_Yeley. ... Image File history File links JJ_Yeley. ... USAC Logo The United States Automobile Club (USAC) is an open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. ...

In 1998, he took on the challenge of competing in the Pep Boys Indy Racing League. Yeley competed in four races with one top-10 finish to his credit. The top-10 placing he earned was at the 82nd running of the Indianapolis 500 where he finished 9th despite a spin on the first turn of the first lap, which nearly collected eventual race winner Eddie Cheever, Jr. Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY) is a U.S. retail chain. ... Indy Racing League Logo The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based open-wheel racing series. ... Eddie McKay Cheever, Jr. ...

Yeley returned to the IRL in 2000 in an underfunded effort with McCormack Motorsports, but ultimately returned to the more friendlier confines of USAC racing.

Yeley picked up right where he left off, winning the 2001 and 2003 National Sprint, the 2002 and 2003 Silver Crown, and 2003 National Midget Series titles.

He picked up the championship in all three of USAC's top divisions, becoming only the second driver to ever accomplish the feat in a single season. Tony Stewart was the first to pull off the "Triple Crown" in 1995. Anthony Wayne Tony Stewart (born May 20, 1971), is an auto racing driver who has won championships in sprint cars, Indy cars, and stock cars. ...

Ironically, Tony Stewart was the owner of the Sprint and Silver Crown cars that Yeley used to win the championship with. The midget that Yeley piloted in 2003 (Steve Lewis #9) was also the same car owner Stewart won the midget title for in his own "Triple Crown" year.

NASCAR

Yeley also signed to the same team that Tony Stewart is employed with (Joe Gibbs Racing). In 2004 he started 17 of 34 races in the NASCAR Busch Series. He had 4 Top-10 finishes. He raced in two NEXTEL Cup races in the #11 car. He also competed in the IROC series. Joe Gibbs Racing (also known as JGR) is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned by Joe Gibbs. ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... NASCAR Busch Series logo The Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCARs second division (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organizations top level, the Nextel... NASCAR Nextel Cup logo The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... International Race of Champions (IROC) is an auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an All-Star Game or The Masters. ...

In 2005 he got to qualify Stewart's car when Stewart was injured. He also finished out the last four races of the season in the #11 car after Jason Leffler parted ways with Joe Gibbs Racing. Jason Leffler (born September 16, 1975) is a NASCAR driver from Long Beach, California. ...

In 2006, Yeley moved full-time into both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series. He pilots the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs racing in the Nextel Cup series, as well as the #18 Vigoro / Home Depot Chevrolet in the Busch Series. A quarter through the 2006 season, Yeley's best NEXTEL Cup finish came at California Speedway where he finished 5th, and his best Busch finish was June 17 at Kentucky Speedway. Interstate Battery System of America, Inc. ... Chevrolet (Shev-ro-LAY), or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ... NASCAR Nextel Cup logo The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... Vigoro appears to be somewhat similar to outdoor cricket, incorporating some of the pace of baseball. ... The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is a home improvement retailer that aims for both the do-it-yourself consumer and the professional in home improvement construction. ... Chevrolet (Shev-ro-LAY), or Chevy for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors. ... NASCAR Busch Series logo The Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCARs second division (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organizations top level, the Nextel...

External links

• Official website
• NASCAR and IROC driver's statistics
• The Inside Groove.com - JJ Yeley - Bio, Stats, Images, Links and more..