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A part-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Rick Ware Racing, JJ Yeley has made headlines once again. After his comments on his and Denny Hamlin's contact on the track at Richmond Raceway made rounds in the NASCAR fraternity, the 46-year-old has popped up on the radar once again.
Ahead of the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, the Phoenix, Arizona native appeared on the official NASCAR broadcast on FOX Sports during qualifying on Saturday. While the #15 Ford Mustang driver was out on the track, a graphic on the screen mentioned him as the 2009 F1 world champion.
Driving on the 0.5-mile-long short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, JJ Yeley was running in Group 4 during the qualifying session when the graphic appeared on the TV broadcast. This led to fans taking to social media with images of the same. The graphic was almost instantly recognized as an error on FOX Sports' part, as Yeley has never had a career in F1.
The 2009 season of the open-wheeled series saw Britain's Jenson Button clinch the driver's championship while driving for Brawn GP. Along with his part-time appearance in the highest echelon of stock car racing, JJ Yeley has also raced in the junior nationwide NASCAR Xfinity Series, as well as making occasional appearances in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Does JJ Yeley have any open-wheeled racing experience?
While JJ Yeley has never raced in F1, the Rick Ware Racing driver does have some experience in American open-wheeled machines. The 1997 racing season saw Yeley clinch the Rookie of the Year Award in the USAC National Sprint Car Series. The Sprint Car Series is a staple of grassroots dirt-track racing in the country.
The #15 Ford Mustang driver also appeared in four races during the 1998 NTT IndyCar Series, formerly known as the Indy Racing League. The 46-year-old's best result came during the 1998 Indy 500, where he managed to finish within the top-10 despite a spin in the early stages of the iconic race.
The 2000 racing season saw him drop out of the open-wheeled series in favor of Sprint Cars once again, before making his NASCAR debut in 2004.
Meanwhile, the NASCAR Cup Series is preparing to go short-track racing for the final time this season at Martinsville Speedway on April 15, 2023 at 7:30 pm ET.
