“Someone needs to beat the s**t out of him, if they don’t stop me I’ll be the first one to f*****g do it”: Former JGR driver berates sprint car rival

NASCAR Cup Series veteran JJ Yeley had some choice words for a young sprint car driver following an incident in the Turkey Night Grand Prix in Ventura, California on Saturday night. The former Joe Gibbs Racing driver crashed out of the race with five laps to go.

Yeley sat fifth in Saturday night's main event with just 10 laps to go. However, his night was ruined after crashing out due to contact with rookie driver David Gasper. The Arizona native was visibly frustrated following the incident, leading him to climb out of his wrecked race car and throw his steering wheel at Gasper's car as he drove by under caution. As Gasper made his way around a second time, Yeley pitched his steering wheel at the young driver once again.

In an expletive-filled rant, Yeley expressed his displeasure with Gasper in an on-track interview following the incident.

"Yesterday, we spun out or got in a wreck," Yeley said. "He hit me head-on, wide-open, never lifted. Right there, I don't know what the f*** he was thinking. We're running fifth, there's 10 laps to go, just threw a dive bomb in there and wrecked me. He's rookie of the year, but somebody needs to beat the s**t out of him. If they don't stop me, I'll be the first one to f****** do it." (1:17 onwards)

Yeley would later apologize for his actions, per the BVM Sportsdesk.

JJ Yeley got behind the wheel of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing car in the Cup Series in 2006. He piloted the car for two seasons until he was replaced by Kyle Busch ahead of the 2008 season. Yeley struggled to find success across the two seasons as he only mustered six top-10 finishes and one top-five.

Since then, Yeley has bounced around multiple teams throughout his career. He most recently drove the #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet in eight races in 2024. Yeley's best points finish came in 2007 with Joe Gibbs Racing when he finished 21st.

When Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin called Alex Bowman a "hack" after the Martinsville incident

Alex Bowman (48) and Denny Hamlin (11) during the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. - Source: Imagn

JJ Yeley isn't the first driver to come out of Joe Gibbs Racing to have an expletive-filled post-race interview. In 2021 at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin had choice words for Alex Bowman following an on-track collision.

With under seven laps to go in the Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin's #11 JGR Toyota spun out after contact with Bowman's #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

After the race, the three-time Daytona 500 winner voiced his displeasure with Bowman, telling NBC Sports:

“He’s just a hack. He’s just an absolute hack. He gets his ass kicked by his teammates every week and just, he’s ******* terrible. He’s just terrible, and he sees one opportunity and he takes it."

This past season marked Hamlin's 19th full-time Cup Series season behind the wheel of the #11 car. The Virginia native has posted 54 career victories but still seeks an elusive first championship.