Yeley excited about move to HOF, Toyota in 2008

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- If J.J. Yeley had his way, he'd be racing Toyota Camrys full time in NASCAR's two premier series next season; but for right now, he'll gladly settle for driving Hall of Fame Racing's No. 96 Sprint Cup Toyotas in 2008.

Hall of Fame's new team principals, Arizona Diamondbacks' owners Tom Garfinkel and Jeff Moorad, along with Phoenix native Yeley and a number of Toyota officials Friday announced at Phoenix International Raceway that the team, which debuted in 2006, will use Toyotas and be supported by Toyota Racing Development next season.

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J.J. Yeley

HOF to Toyota

Hall of Fame Racing made it official on Friday announcing the single-car team driven by J.J. Yeley will switch to Toyota for the 2008 season.

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In doing so, the team maintains its alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, which for two years supplied Chevrolet chassis, bodies and engines for the team that is 28th in the driver standings with Tony Raines but 23rd in the more critical owner standings, which ensure it starting positions in the first five races of 2008.

Yeley said he's seen enough this season to be enthused about running Camrys next season.

"They just fix any kind of problems that they have," Yeley said. "They've taken the Truck Series by storm and they've done identically the same thing in the Busch Series."

The only two Toyotas running full time in the Busch Series with the same drivers all season are second and third in the standings -- with David Reutimann and Jason Leffler -- behind Nextel Cup regular Carl Edwards, who clinched the championship last weekend.

"They came out and struggled a little bit, but now you look at them and they build more horsepower and more torque than the other manufacturers and their cars are terrific," Yeley said. "I think you're going to see next season in the [Nationwide] Series, the teams that have Toyotas are going to dominate -- just like in the Truck Series.

"And I think that time is coming to the Cup Series. Once they get everything figured out -- when they join something they do it 100 percent -- and I think they've worked very hard on fixing the problems they've had and trying to make things better so when the time comes, and hopefully it's next year, they'll show their dominance."

Yeley said he's talking to a couple teams and hopes to know within the next three weeks whether his desire to compete for the Nationwide Series' championship will come to fruition. He said his contract doesn't tie him to racing for a Toyota Nationwide team, but he wants to compete for wins, and the championship.

"I want to run the whole series, because I just don't feel it's worth the time and effort to go run 20 races and not run the entire package," Yeley said. "You spend so much time doing it, that I want to run for the championship.

"I know some guys don't like to travel, but it's really not that difficult a process getting from one race to another -- there are only two that are a real problem -- and I feel if you're going to do it, go all the way."

At Phoenix this weekend, Yeley is competing in four events: USAC Midget and Silver Crown races, which he ran Thursday night; Saturday's Busch Series Arizona Travel 200; and Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500; so a twin schedule in 2008 doesn't daunt him.

"I think it's more the racer in me," Yeley said. "There's not as much to learn from the Busch car to the Cup [Car of Tomorrow] like there used to be, but for me I still enjoy it just because it's racing. (Continued)