J. J. Yeley

James Jonathan Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley (born October 5, 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." (Jimmy/Jack; after his father and a close family friend), he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the #46 Whitney Motorsports Chevrolet Impala. Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by storm during the 1997 edition of Indiana Sprintweek. He won that series and captured the Rookie of the Year Award in the USAC National Sprint Car Series despite starting relatively few races. In 1998, Yeley competed in four Indy Racing League (IRL) races, including the Indianapolis 500. His one top-10 finish in these four races was at Indianapolis, where he finished 9th despite a spin on the first turn of the first lap, which nearly collected eventual race winner Eddie Cheever, Jr.