J.J. Yeley will replace Tony Raines at Hall of Fame Racing, allowing him to maintain his association with Joe Gibbs Racing. Yeley was scheduled to be introduced as the driver for the No. 96 car at a Tuesday news conference, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made. Yeley won’t be far from Gibbs’ reach at Hall of Fame Racing, a single-car team that has a strong alliance with JGR. The team was launched in 2003 by an ownership group that included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach and relied heavily on support from Joe Gibbs.
Continue reading Hall Of Fame Racing Replacing Raines With Yeley
J.J. Yeley, Nextel Cup’s latest free agent, has said he is in conversation with four teams, which he would not disclose, but Robert Yates Racing president Doug Yates is happy to report his team is extremely interested in hiring Yeley. Yeley will not return to Joe Gibbs Racing after this season. Kyle Busch will drive the No. 18 that Yeley, in his final year of a contract, is vacating.
RYR will have a vacancy now that veteran Ricky Rudd has announced he is retiring from full-time Cup racing after this season. David Gilliland also drives for RYR. Yates said there is no timetable to get a deal done. He said he is convinced that with the right team chemistry, Yeley can succeed. Yeley currently is 20th in points, while his JGR teammates, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, are firmly in the Chase.
With the rumors of Kyle Busch signing with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, it has left many wonder about the future of J.J. Yeley. Yeley’s agent, Kyle Chapman, said there is currently no signed deal between his client and Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, and that Yeley is in discussion with a number of teams about possible rides for next season. But sources with knowledge of the situation say Yeley will indeed be out of the No. 18 next season, and behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford.
ThatsRacin.com is reporting that Kyle Busch, who is leaving Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season, signed a letter of intent last week to join Joe Gibbs Racing and drive its No. 18 Chevrolet beginning next season. Sources confirmed Busch would replace J.J. Yeley, who has struggled since moving full-time to the series in 2006. A letter of intent is not binding and Busch, 22, could still change his mind and sign with another team. Busch’s finalists were Joe Gibbs Racing. DEI and Chip Ganassi Racing.