Long Green Flag Runs Leave Yeley Finishing 26th

For the first time in five races, J.J. Yeley's #1 Miccosukee Gaming & Resort/Northeastern Supply Chevrolet fell victim to long, green flag runs Saturday night in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

The end result was a disappointing 26th place finish, one lap down to the leaders and eventual race winner Kasey Kahne.

"We had some handling issues with this hard race tire and the slick track conditions and just could not stay on the lead lap," Yeley said. "Other than that we ran OK," added Yeley who was one of 12 drivers who completed all but one of the race's 200 laps around the fast LMS 1.5-mile tri-oval. Of those cars that finished a lap down, some of NASCAR's best drivers joined Yeley on the list and included current point leader Carl Edwards and fellow Nextel Cup Series drivers Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Bobby Labonte and fellow Phoenix Racing teammate Mike Wallace.

Yeley started the race well back in the field in the 29th position and was unable to get untracked early on. He lost a lap by lap 80 when only one caution flag waved during this segment of the race, but when the leaders began pitting under green on lap 90, Yeley eventually unlapped himself when his crew elected to only change two tires and take on fuel during J.J.'s stop on lap 98.

Unfortunately, then leader Jimmie Johnson was able to put Yeley a lap down for the second time just a few laps later where J.J. remained for the rest of the event.

J.J. did battle back from as far back in the field as 32nd over the final 90 laps to claim the 26th finishing position that allowed him to remain in the 18th position at the checkered flag.

Kahne got past Jeff Burton late in the race and went on to earn his first victory in any NASCAR race in 2007, beating Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Burton and Regan Smith to the stripe at the end of the relatively clean race.

J.J. and his Phoenix Racing crew head to Northeastern Supply Company's "home" track next Saturday for the running of the Dover 200 that is scheduled to take the green flag at 3 p.m. with ESPN2 to televise the race live nationally.