Since 2008, Yeley has competed for 11 Cup Series owners and 16 different Xfinity Series owners, with many operating on shoestring budgets.
For Yeley, the window to compete for NASCAR championships has closed, but a veteran of 362 Cup Series and 381 Xfinity Series starts through June 3, his outlook is as refreshing as they come.
“I still love racing and that part’s not going to change,” Yeley said. “When it does, it will be time to go find a new job. But this is still my passion. I still think about it. It takes a lot more effort than it used to outside of just driving the race car, which is fine.
“Being with a bunch of small teams, I’ve had to learn how to find an achievable goal. And a lot of that depends on the program.”
Yeley’s found a home at Rick Ware Racing, where he’s been involved in some capacity since 2018.
“Currently here at Rick Ware Racing with these new Cup cars, they’re doing everything they can to make their program better,” Yeley said. “We currently don’t have the $10 million to $20 million sponsor. When you crash one of these cars, it gets expensive in a hurry.”
Still after two decades of NASCAR experience, Yeley has a sense of purpose.
“I still know my job, my values. I would love to be in a situation where I can go out there and know that as soon as I hit the race track, it’s 100 percent go for it and look for those big laps, top of the board type of opportunities,” Yeley said. “But that’s not the situation. I know that I don’t have to worry about that because I’m not a young guy trying to prove something or put something out there that isn’t worth the risk.
“I go out there, get what I can out of the car, find the barrier, we’ll make it better, and go from there.”
This story appeared in the June 21, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
