Yeley has the talent, grit it takes for success in Cup

Every year leading up to the Brickyard 400 one of the most valuable invitations in all of racing is sent out. At least, I think it is one of the most valuable. It's an invite to play golf at the Brickyard Crossing. Chevrolet is the sponsor and it is a fantastic day. At least, I think it is. I love playing golf. My father taught me the game and he also taught me it's the only thing he did that took his mind off of work.

You may not be familiar with the Brickyard Crossing. The 18-hole course is on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four of the holes are inside the track. It is a very challenging course. At least, I think it is. Tough par 3s over water. Long par 5s and a drivable par 4 on the back nine that makes you want to swing so hard your back will hurt for a week.

Bill Weber

There are drivers from Nextel Cup, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series, members of the national media, local reporters and, of course, VIPs. There's food, beverages, fantastic prizes for the people who turn in an honest scorecard, Kyle Petty in plaid knickers, everything you could want for a fun day at the course.

Last year I got to play with J.J. Yeley. That day I got to know J.J. Yeley. It was in the middle of a terrible season. He had torn up more cars than a Lethal Weapon movie and hadn't shown any of the promise and performance that was expected.

He finished the season 29th in points. His averaging starting spot was 21st. His average finish was 25th. If nice guys don't finish last, maybe they finish 25th or so.

Yeley is a nice guy. He brought an air horn to the golf tournament. Now that's something you won't find in most golf bags, but he brought one. And he used it. When friends were about to play a shot on a neighboring hole, out came the air horn and in the middle of their backswing ... J.J. pulled the trigger. It was pretty funny. At least, I thought so. But then, he never used it when I was playing.

Yeley finished eighth at New Hampshire in September, sandwiched by a 13th at Richmond and a 30th at Dover. In the last nine races of 2006 his best finish was 16th; in six of the last nine he was 30th or worse. Maybe someone was blowing an air horn into his headset on the roll-off. After the first six races this season, Yeley is still looking for his first top-10 finish. Right now the driver of the No. 18 Chevrolet is 18th in points but looking to make a point, that this is one of those teams that is better than the numbers might indicate.

"I think so. At Martinsville, it was driver error, and at the races prior to that we had a couple of pit stops that cost us," Yeley said.

"We need to just come together as a group to get that top-five finish that I know we are capable of." (Continued)