Journeyman Driver Returns to Competitive Equipment at Talladega

J.J. Yeley will get the best shot he's had in NASCAR in quite some time with a Spire Motorsports ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway next weekend. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For nearly two decades, J.J. Yeley has been the embodiment of persistence in NASCAR. The journeyman driver has never given up, even as his spotlight faded and his equipment became less and less stellar. Once a rising star at Joe Gibbs Racing, Yeley's career didn't follow the trajectory many expected. Instead, it became a gritty journey through start-and-park rides, underfunded teams, and forgotten corners of the NASCAR National Series garage.

But next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the 49-year-old veteran will finally get something that's eluded him for years: a real shot. Yeley will climb behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports, an entry capable of contending for victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Spire Motorsports announced that Yeley will pilot the organization's No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST in a post on social media on Monday evening.

A veteran of the sport will get his shot.@jjyeley1 will pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST next weekend in Talladega! pic.twitter.com/39kljTkbo6

— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) October 7, 2025

After the news dropped, Yeley reacted to the Spire Motorsports post by posting a quote post from his personal account on X.

"Excited to get another shot! It's been a few years since having the resources, equipment, and organization to get to Victory Lane," Yeley posted.

Yeley, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, has notched a total of 823 starts combined between the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over the course of his lengthy racing career.

Over 36 career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Yeley has recorded two top-10 finishes, the most recent being a ninth-place result at Daytona International Speedway, driving for AM Racing in 2017.

Yeley has had his most success in NASCAR National Series competition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Through 393 career starts in NASCAR's second-tier series, Yeley has racked up 15 top-five finishes, 48 top-10s, and three pole positions.

To date, Yeley has a career-best finish of second in the NASCAR Cup Series in 394 career starts. His top finish was achieved at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600.

Yeley has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts this season for the NY Racing Team, and he is slated to make his ninth start of the year this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ahead of next weekend's shot in the Spire Motorsports truck at Talladega Superspeedway.

For a driver, who has given everything to a sport that can sometimes be so unforgiving, this chance with Spire Motorsports is more than just another race. It's validation. It's a reminder that talent, heart, and preseverance don't have an expiration date, so long as you're committed to grinding it out in NASCAR. Yeley won't just be another veteran logging laps next week, he'll finally have a truck capable of winning. And with that, he holds a unique chance to rewrite the narrative of a career that has been defined by his unwavering resilience.