Catchfence

Harrisburg, N.C. ( February 24, 2011) – After fighting the odds just to make the Daytona 500 and succeeding, J.J. Yeley and the Whitney Motorsports team have spent the days following the Great American Race trying to come to grips with the disappointment of being the first car out in the biggest race of the year. Engine failure sidelined Yeley after just eleven laps, bring an end to his Cinderella hopes. But the team’s run through the Gatorade Duel and into the field for the Daytona 500 didn’t go unnoticed; AAMCO Transmissions joined the team for the 500 and liked what they saw, so much so that they’ve decided to come back on board for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

Can you even put into words the disappointment that you and the team felt after dropping out so early at Daytona? “I was very disappointed with the engine failure, especially with the car running so well in the draft. I was able to pass a lot of very good race cars. Engines usually run there best right before they expire. It helps to know that there is another race the following week.”

How much momentum does Whitney Motorsports take into Phoenix after rallying to make the Daytona 500 with an improbable run in the Duel? “We will be riding a huge wave of confidence traveling into The Valley of the Sun. The guys have had to work overtime in order to get the AAMCO Transmissions Chevy ready to roll for Phoenix, after a good start to the season we want to continue with a fast car at my home track.”

What’s the biggest adjustment going from Daytona to Phoenix? Does it relate from going from a big, fast, high-banked half-mile to a tight, flat dirt track in a Midget or Sprint car? “The biggest difference is that set-up and the driver have more control of going fast compared to Daytona where a slick car and big horsepower can make the difference between being up front and running mid pack.”

What do you think about the plans to repave and reconfigure PIR after this race weekend?

“It will change the way many of the competitors will think of PIR, it will be interesting to see how much different the track and the setups change when we go back in October.”

Although you didn’t have the finish you wanted, how encouraging is it to have AAMCO Transmissions and Ohsweken Speedway back on board for Phoenix after testing the waters with the team at Daytona? “It is great to have new sponsors interested in Whitney Motorsports, I wish we could have delivered a great finish to them in Daytona. They deserved it, now we will have to do it in Phoenix instead.”

J.J. Yeley at Phoenix International Raceway: J.J. Yeley has six previous Sprint Cup starts at his home track, with a best finish of 14^th in November 2007. His best start, fourth, also came in that race. His average start is 24.3 and his average finish is 25.5. He has completed 1,777 of a possible 1,872 laps (94.9%). In seven Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix, Yeley has three top-ten finishes, including a best finish of sixth in November 2006.

- Linkous Enterprises, Inc., for Whitney Motorsports, Press Release