J.J. Yeley No. 46 Whitney Motorsports-Red Line Oil Chevrolet Impala Preview Gatorade Duels at Daytona
Harrisburg, N.C. (February 17, 2011) — J.J. Yeley has a tall task ahead of him in today's Gatorade Duel at Daytona: he has to avoid any potential trouble, find a suitable drafting partner, and race his way into Sunday's Daytona 500. Yeley is no stranger to racing in through the "last chance race" as he's done so dozens of times in his USAC open wheel career. But Yeley has never had to race his way into the Daytona 500 before, although with a starting berth in the year's biggest race on the line Yeley is ready for the challenge.
The Duel races are short but long enough to have a touch of strategy — do you have time to let the race come to you or do you need to go to the front as fast as you can? "The Duels are such a quick race that you really can't afford to wait around to much. Now that the track has a new surface, it takes tire wear and tire strategy out of the equation. I will have to get to the front as fast as possible and find a good drafting partner and try to hold off the rest of our competitors. The one thing we'll have to do is keep an eye on the rest of the teams that have to race their way in. Hopefully we'll be first of that group and they'll all be behind us."
With the two-car drafts being so strong, have you spoken with anyone to team up with or do you find a dance partner on a first-come, first-served basis once the race starts? "I will try to work with several different people in practice to try and find a partner that will make us both the fastest. In the race now that NASCAR has changed some of the rules you won't see as many different breakaways like we saw in the Bud Shootout. The last few laps will be very exciting and the drivers that have the best strategy and work with the car or cars that let them run the fastest in the draft will be the most successful."
You've had to race your way into the A-main from the semi-feature lots of times in your open wheel career, but have you ever had this type of pressure to race your way into the feature before? "This will be the first time that I will have had to race my way into the Daytona 500. It is tougher now with only two positions being available. But this is the Great American Race and it's every driver's dream to be in a position to make the race. I do wish that we were using the old rules for qualifying and the top 15 in each of the Duels would race their way in, but either way I am ready for the challenge."
Red Line Oil on board with Whitney Motorsports for the 2011 Sprint Cup season: Red Line Oil will serve as a major associate sponsor of the No. 46 Whitney Motorsports Chevrolet driven by J.J Yeley in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The sponsorship continues a relationship that started midway through the team's rookie season in 2010. "We're excited to have Red Line Oil with us for 2010," said team owner Dusty Whitney. "They've been a great partner and have provided us with a lot of support. Getting them a starting position in the Daytona 500 would be a great way to start our season off and a great way to say thank you for their support."
J.J. Yeley at Daytona: J.J. Yeley has six previous Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, including three previous starts in the Daytona 500. His best finish at Daytona was 12th in the 2007 Daytona 500. His average starting position is 25.7 and his average finish is also 25.7. He has completed 1,041 of a possible 1,091 laps (95.4%). He also has five previous Nationwide Series starts with two poles and two top-ten finishes, including a best finish of fourth in July 2006. He started 36th and finished tenth in his only Camping World Truck Series race at DIS in February 2010.