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Busch in, Yeley out at Joe Gibbs Racing
A: Henry, as of this writing, Kyle Busch's announcement is ready to be made, and if all goes well, I expect to see the Gibbs No. 18 in victory lane again regularly. Busch now joins Gibbs star drivers Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin for the makings of a super team. According to my sources, Busch's choice came down to three entities: Gibbs, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and DEI. His move to Gibbs will make this team all the better, although the Busch/Stewart personality differences (or perhaps similarities) will one day be tested for sure. Busch, 22, became the first NASCAR driver to win a Car of Tomorrow race when he won at Bristol this year, and then in victory lane said the car "sucked." Comments like these, along with several ontrack rough-riding episodes, have left Busch with a less than desirable reputation.
Kyle Busch is one of these top drivers, so I see a bright future for him. As for his maturity curve, Gibbs is perhaps the best team to deal with a driver who can cause adversity. J.J. Yeley, meanwhile, is the odd man out at Gibbs Racing, but I feel in the future you may see him win in the Cup series. Yeley started with Gibbs in 2004 with a partial Busch Series schedule, and then finished 11th in points in 2005 in a full year of Busch racing. In 2005, Yeley also got the call to drive the No. 11 Fed Ex car in four Cup races, then got the full-time job in the Interstate Batteries No. 18 for 2006, but scored only three top-10 finishes. Thus far in 2007, he has one top five, but it was a strong second place finish in the Coca- Cola 600. He currently is 21st in season points. A 31-year-old Phoenix native, Yeley is a former USAC Triple Crown champion (2003) and finished ninth at the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 1998. Taking what he's learned at Gibbs coupled with his openwheel experience makes Yeley a good candidate for another job. Some say Yeley will end up in Craftsman Trucks and Busch Series instead of a fulltime Cup ride, but I disagree. Sources say the Wood Brothers and DEI are possible future employers for Yeley in Cup racing, or perhaps even one of the Toyota teams, as Jeremy Mayfield is the first of the name drivers "out" at Red Bull for 2008. Thanks for your question.
Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to gzyla@ptd.net.
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