Several of NEs Customers Enjoy Day in Charlotte

Despite a very frustrating racing effort for J.J. Yeley and his #1 Miccosukee Gaming & Resort/Northeastern Supply Chevrolet race team, several dozen of Northeastern's Virginia customers refused to allow that to diminish their day-long NASCAR experience in the Charlotte area last Friday.

Thirty-six customers traveled by bus to the Charlotte area and began the day with lunch and a race shop tour in Mooresville, NC - regarded as Race City USA because of the dominance of NASCAR race teams that call the town home.

The group began the trip by stopping for lunch and a guided tour of the Key Motorsports NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race shop located just off of NC Route 152 East. Key Motorsports competes full-time with its #40 Chevrolet Silverado race truck and recently scored an eighth place finish in Talladega, AL with veteran driver Chad Chaffin behind the wheel.

The group watched the Key Motorsports team preparing its race trucks for its next race at Martinsville, VA, listened to a history report of the team and walked through the organization's race truck haulers.

Following the Key Motorsports visit, the group jumped back on its chartered bus and drove a few miles away to the Penske Racing shop where the Nextel Cup and Busch Series race cars of drivers Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish, Jr. are prepared. The Penske shop is based in a mammoth, 440,000 square foot building that at one time housed the manufacturing facility for window air conditioners under the Panasonic label.

It was then off to the race track and a tail-gate styled cookout hosted by Northeastern Supply's own staff. Driver J.J. Yeley stopped by for a quick visit prior to the race and just after his qualifying effort for that night's Dollar General 300 race, signing autographs and speaking to the group. Several of the guests also took a guided tour of the NASCAR Busch Series garage and pit areas and were duly impressed.

Unfortunately for J.J., his speech to the group was somewhat tempered as he had just spun out in his Miccosukee Gaming & Resort/Northeastern Supply machine during his qualifying run and hit the second turn wall. It required his team to go to its back-up car for the race and a back-of-the-pack starting spot.

J.J. struggled during the early-going and eventually went down a lap to the then dominant car of Greg Biffle. J.J. was able to hold his own for the next 62 laps before he was forced to retire from the race with a broken engine.

"It wasn't quite the night we had hoped for," Yeley said. "Even after I wrecked the primary car, we still knew we had a decent back-up, one that we raced at Charlotte back in May, but we had very little time to get it ready for the race and just struggled. I guess having a bum engine put us out early just topped everything off. I'm just sorry for not being able to race all night for the Northeastern folks and their customers," he added.

Yeley was credited with a 37th place finish, competing only 118 of the night's 200 laps with veteran driver Jeff Burton ending up winning the race and beating back a late challenge by Kyle Busch. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Aric Amirola and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five finishers.

The racing disappointment apparently did little to cloudy their experience and took the bus ride back home with a new appreciation for the sport and plenty of memories as they saw the NASCAR that they love from a totally different perspective.