Yeley set for Cup Series debut.

Sprint car star JJ Yeley will attempt to make his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series debut this weekend, as he races the Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet for the first time in the GFS Marketplace 400.

Yeley has made eleven Busch Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing, as well as one Craftsman Truck Series start at this weekend's venue - Michigan International Speedway - and recently completed a two-day test session with JGR ahead of this weekend's event.

"I am more excited than nervous, especially after we tested so well at Michigan in the Cup car a few weeks ago," Yeley, who has dabbled in the IRL, admitted, "All three [cars] drive very differently, but the Busch car is probably the most difficult to drive from a handling standpoint.

"The Busch car just doesn't have the same amount of downforce as the Cup car or the truck. Plus the lack of horsepower in a Busch car makes it a little more difficult to carry your speed as opposed to the Cup car. In that respect, the Cup car is easier to drive than the Busch car. The trucks are the easiest to drive of the three, especially with the amount of downforce they create.

Yeley will have the number eleven on the side of his Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet, paving the way for Joe Gibbs Racing to race the #11 in a full-time Cup Series campaign in 2005. The number has not been on the track since Brett Bodine raced the it at the MBNA Armed Forces 400 at Dover in June 2003.

"I am really looking forward to [the race] from a sponsorship standpoint, because two of our sponsors on the Busch car - Vigoro and The Home Depot - are coming along for the ride," Yeley admitted, "They have shown a great amount of support and confidence in me, as well as everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, so it's exciting for me to have those companies involved in this effort."

The entire #18 Vigoro/Home Depot Busch crew will move over to the Cup car with, including crew chief Doug Hewitt, who will call the shots for the youngster's effort. The team will bring chassis #052 as the primary car, while #049 will act as back-up. Yeley tested with both cars at Michigan on 21-22 July, adding to the race experience he acquired in the Craftsman Truck.

"It was just very beneficial to compete in a race at Michigan," he confessed, "It's a huge racetrack, with multiple grooves - you can run all the way up on top, you can run the bottom, or find a place in the middle. There are numerous places to pass, and I think that plays into my driving style. Again, drafting will play a big part in the race on Sunday, and I had a blast drafting with the trucks, so I'm really looking forward to the race on Sunday. That should definitely be an advantage for me as I prepare for the Cup race at Michigan."

Despite being keen to get on with the weekend, Yeley was wise enough not to make any big predictions for his debut.

"Our first priority is to qualify for the race and get a spot in the field," he revealed, "Our car doesn't have any owner's points, so we have to make the race on speed. Unfortunately, we can't afford for it to rain on Friday.

"As for the race itself, I want to stay on the lead lap all day, and a top-ten or top-15 finish would be very respectable for my first race. Of course, I go into every race - whether it's USAC, Truck, Busch, or Cup - with the thought of winning in mind. I've got a great deal of confidence in our crew - and in everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing - that we'll have a very successful weekend."