Backstretch Motorsports

Juan Pablo Montoya, Sam Hornish Jr. Looking Forward To Phoenix Test Gains

PHOENIX, Ariz. – With its well-known roster of fitness spas and desert resorts, Phoenix’s reputation isn’t necessarily that of a diet-buster.

Unless you’re J.J. Yeley (No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota) and can smell the home cooking across state lines.

“Well, my diet has been going good, so coming back is going to kill me,” Yeley said Monday, during the lunch break on the first day of a two-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test at Phoenix International Raceway.

Citing Mexican and regional food favorites, Yeley rued his caloric damage, but also admitted he was happy about the testing stopover in his hometown – and not solely for culinary reasons.

“It’s always fun to come back here to Phoenix because this is the race track I have the most experience,” Yeley said during Monday’s visit to Phoenix’s infield media center. “I’ve had a lot of good runs here. So far today, we were third-fastest in the morning practice. It’s nice to come back and feel comfortable and go fast.”

Third on the speed chart after Monday’s morning session – at 131.062 mph (27.468 seconds) – Yeley trailed only session leader Paul Menard (No. 15 Menard’s Chevrolet) at 131.186 mph (27.442 seconds) and Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge), who was second-quickest at 131.128 mph (27.454 seconds).

The two-day test at PIR is the fourth of six NASCAR-sanctioned tests in 2008 for NASCAR Sprint Cup teams, which were scheduled for three sessions Monday and two on Tuesday.

For Yeley, it’s another step in the acclimation process to his new team, Hall of Fame Racing. He’s 31st in the series standings following the season’s first three events, and expects improvement once communication lines solidify.

“You know, for me, after yesterday’s run, I was really looking forward to getting back here to Phoenix,” Yeley said of last Sunday’s 27th-place finish at Las Vegas. “The Hall of Fame team ran well here last year right out of the box. The car was very fast, very comfortable.

“We have a ways to go still. You know, it’s a new team. We’re just trying to get the relationship between myself and Brandon Thomas, the crew chief, all of the guys. There are a lot of different packages you can run with these new cars. It’s just a matter of trying to find the fastest one that’s going to be the most comfortable for me.”

He’s already comfortable with Hall of Fame’s new majority owners, Arizona Diamondbacks executives Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel – another hometown connection that resonates, particularly when the series returns for its April event at PIR.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Yeley said. “Jeff and Tom are both really super guys. They’re going to open up a lot of doors for myself and this team from a business standpoint. I know that it’s going to be a lot of fun. I know I’ve already been scheduled to throw out the first pitch at one of the Diamondbacks’ games. Hopefully I can get out there and make it a strike.

“It’s going to be fun coming back and have that relationship to really try to build something for the Phoenix-based fans, to give them something to root for.”

Phoenix Test Quick Turnaround For Drivers, Teams … This week’s test, on the heels of last Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, precedes Sunday’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. That means a busy stretch of travel and competition, but Juan Pablo Montoya and Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 77 Mobil Dodge), who also visited Phoenix’s media center on Monday, both said the testing data was well worth the time.

“For us, yes, we raced yesterday,” said Montoya, who finished 19th at Las Vegas. “It was a little hard. But you just get here. You just drive the race car, so it’s not so bad.”

Both drivers used different strategies; Montoya ran the Monday morning session, while Hornish began with Monday’s afternoon session.

“We ran pretty well this morning,” Montoya said. “As it gets hotter, the track always gets slicker. But that’s pretty normal. I think what’s good about where we’re testing now, the weather is more similar to what we’ll have when we race here. I think that’s going to help us.”

Hornish concurred.

“It really probably is more beneficial for us to run the afternoon and the evening practice tonight just because it’s more like what we’re going to get when we come back here for the race,” he said, citing the additional rest for his crew. “It was nice for me at least to be able to sleep in a little bit. I know the guys appreciated it, too.”

Hornish, a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate, weathered the toughest weekend thus far of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career at Las Vegas. An accident during last Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying cost him opportunity to make that event field, and last Sunday’s 41st-place NASCAR Sprint Cup finish was punctuated by early on-track trouble and repeated garage repairs.

Phoenix, by comparison, was a welcome sight. Hornish made both his NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series debuts at Phoenix last November. A former Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League champion for Penske Racing, Hornish also won his first and last career open-wheel events at Phoenix.

“I think this year, hopefully being a little bit smarter, knowing more about the cars, I look forward to coming out here and getting some more track time,” he said, “learning a little bit more and hopefully having a good run when we come back out here for the race.”

Fast Facts

What: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing (the fourth of six NASCAR-sanctioned tests for 2008

Where: Phoenix International Raceway.

Track Layout: 1-mile tri-oval.

When: Monday, March 3 through Tuesday, March 4.

Times: 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., on Monday; 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Tuesday

Who: 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams.

Morning Session, Day 1
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Phoenix International Raceway
Track Length 1 Mile
March 3rd, 2008

Pos. Car Number: Driver: Make: Best Time: Best Speed:
1 15A Paul Menard Chv 27.442 131.186
2 42A Juan Pablo Montoya Dge 27.454 131.128
3 96A J.J. Yeley Tyt 27.468 131.062
4 41B Reed Sorenson Dge 27.486 130.976
5 07A Clint Bowyer Chv 27.498 130.919
6 29B Kevin Harvick Chv 27.525 130.79
7 29A Kevin Harvick Chv 27.544 130.7
8 31B Jeff Burton Chv 27.59 130.482
9 1A Martin Truex Jr. Chv 27.591 130.477
10 78A Joe Nemechek Chv 27.617 130.354
11 41A Reed Sorenson Dge 27.647 130.213
12 01A Regan Smith* Chv 27.669 130.11
13 22A Dave Blaney Tyt 27.672 130.095
14 07B Clint Bowyer Chv 27.675 130.081
15 8B Mark Martin Chv 27.728 129.833
16 00A David Reutimann Tyt 27.77 129.636
17 6A David Ragan Frd 27.783 129.576
18 40X Dario Franchitti* Dge 27.838 129.32
19 44A Michael McDowell* Tyt 27.85 129.264
20 21A Bill Elliott Frd 27.861 129.213
21 8A Mark Martin Chv 27.87 129.171
22 7A Robby Gordon Dge 27.967 128.723
23 55A Michael Waltrip Tyt 28.078 128.214
24 49A Ken Schrader Dge 28.135 127.955
25 10A Patrick Carpentier* Dge 28.468 126.458

Evening Session, Day 1
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Phoenix International Raceway
Track Length 1 Mile
March 3rd, 2008

Pos. Car Number: Driver: Make: Best Time: Best Speed:
1 1A Martin Truex Jr. Chv 27.623 130.326
2 29A Kevin Harvick Chv 27.628 130.303
3 11A Denny Hamlin Tyt 27.636 130.265
4 07A Clint Bowyer Chv 27.639 130.251
5 8A Mark Martin Chv 27.639 130.251
6 2A Kurt Busch Dge 27.641 130.241
7 99A Carl Edwards Frd 27.644 130.227
8 48A Jimmie Johnson Chv 27.648 130.208
9 18A Kyle Busch Tyt 27.66 130.152
10 26A Jamie McMurray Frd 27.667 130.119
11 41A Reed Sorenson Dge 27.687 130.025
12 20A Tony Stewart Tyt 27.705 129.94
13 42A Juan Pablo Montoya Dge 27.71 129.917
14 88B Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chv 27.751 129.725
15 44A Michael McDowell* Tyt 27.785 129.566
16 16A Greg Biffle Frd 27.785 129.566
17 5A Casey Mears Chv 27.789 129.548
18 83A Brian Vickers Tyt 27.795 129.52
19 15A Paul Menard Chv 27.8 129.496
20 84B A.J. Allmendinger Tyt 27.808 129.459
21 6A David Ragan Frd 27.831 129.352
22 07B Clint Bowyer Chv 27.836 129.329
23 42B Juan Pablo Montoya Dge 27.85 129.264
24 17A Matt Kenseth Frd 27.86 129.218
25 88A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chv 27.862 129.208
26 5B Casey Mears Chv 27.866 129.19
27 9A Jason Keller Dge 27.876 129.143
28 12A Ryan Newman Dge 27.879 129.129
29 19A Elliott Sadler Dge 27.886 129.097
30 01A Regan Smith* Chv 27.893 129.065
31 28A Travis Kvapil Frd 27.894 129.06
32 8B Mark Martin Chv 27.9 129.032
33 24B Jeff Gordon Chv 27.903 129.018
34 31A Jeff Burton Chv 27.913 128.972
35 78A Joe Nemechek Chv 27.914 128.968
36 09A Sterling Marlin Chv 27.918 128.949
37 66A Scott Riggs Chv 27.922 128.931
38 77A Sam Hornish Jr. Dge 27.928 128.903
39 83B Brian Vickers Tyt 27.936 128.866
40 40A Dario Franchitti* Dge 27.939 128.852
41 66B Scott Riggs Chv 27.966 128.728
42 96A J.J. Yeley Tyt 27.984 128.645
43 7A Robby Gordon Dge 27.99 128.617
44 38A David Gilliland Frd 28.035 128.411
45 24A Jeff Gordon Chv 28.038 128.397
46 40X Dario Franchitti* Dge 28.046 128.361
47 12B Ryan Newman Dge 28.05 128.342
48 21A Bill Elliott Frd 28.053 128.329
49 00A David Reutimann Tyt 28.068 128.26
50 43A Bobby Labonte Dge 28.089 128.164
51 70A Jeremy Mayfield Chv 28.126 127.995
52 70B Jeremy Mayfield Chv 28.161 127.836
53 55A Michael Waltrip Tyt 28.197 127.673
54 48B Jimmie Johnson Chv 28.197 127.673
55 45A Kyle Petty Dge 28.209 127.619
56 10A Patrick Carpentier* Dge 28.259 127.393
57 49A Ken Schrader Dge 28.352 126.975
58 10B Patrick Carpentier* Dge 28.548 126.103