Kyle Busch to Join Joe Gibbs Racing, Yeley Out

Busch will join Denny Hamlin -- the first rookie to make NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup -- along with two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.

Photo courtesy: NASCAR

CHARLOTTE, NC - NASCAR's most coveted free agent since Dale Earnhardt Jr. has apparently found a home.

Kyle Busch will be bunking with Tony Stewart at Joe Gibbs Racing, creating a spectacular cast a characters.

Jeff Dickerson, agent for the outgoing Hendrick Motorsports driver, would not confirm Busch's selection; however, sources close to the negotiations say he will replace J.J.Yeley in the No. 18 car.

"All I can say is that Kyle has made his decision and is in the process of informing the teams of his preference," Dickerson said Monday from a track in Kaukauna, Wis., where his driver is running a Late Model race. "As there are many details that still need to be worked out, Kyle will not be making that decision public at this time"

Representatives for Yeley could not be reached for comment Monday.

Busch, who earlier this season begrudgingly agreed to part ways with the sport's premier team, made his decision to join JGR during the weekend.

After pouring over notes and talking with teams, Busch pared down the decision between two teams: JGR and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Dickerson said an official announcement of Busch's contract with Gibbs is expected to come within the next two weeks at the JGR headquarters in Huntersville, N.C.

At JGR, Busch will join Denny Hamlin -- the first rookie to make NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup -- along with two-time Cup Series champion Stewart, who is arguably the sport's most colorful personality.

Busch, 22, is equally known for his color and candor. He will always be known as the driver who won NASCAR's first Car of Tomorrow race at Bristol and in Victory Lane said the car "sucked."

Until recently, Busch has endured a rocky transitional phase with the HMS organization, one he joined when he was 17 and the same place where he has garnered four Cup wins, eight Busch Series victories and four Truck Series wins.

After the Pepsi 400, Busch -- who is poised to make the Chase for the second year in a row -- complained that he felt like a driver without a team and that teammate Jeff Gordon failed to help him on the track.

Busch then had a moment of clarity and apologized to his teammates and the HMS organization in Indianapolis during the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

The driver admitted to causing the majority of the friction himself.

"It has just been a difficult time and everything just feels like it is more under a microscope, and when you don't have things quite go your way or go the right way, you tend to think it is because they are not helping you or wanting to help you because you aren't going to be there. But that is completely untrue," Busch said in Indianapolis.

"It is going to continue to make them better and going to continue to make me better to work together and be friends now and after I leave. I would like to be able to go to them and ask for advice and be friends with them."

Story by: Raygan Swan

Courtesy: NASCAR.com

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