The next step: J.J. Yeley and Clint Bowyer are ready to turn part-time jobs into full-time runs at the 2005 title

There are NASCAR drivers, usually the ones whose jobs are hanging by a thread, who describe their schedules as the Grind. J.J. Yeley and Clint Bowyer smile and say, "Grind away, baby."

After a tantalizing and often frustrating educational experience driving a partial schedule, both drivers will be unleashed full time on the Busch Series in 2005 with major rides and one goal: Hunt down Martin Truex and make him a one-time champion.

Yeley, a former open-wheel driver from Phoenix, will remain in the No. 18 Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bowyer, a veteran of Midwest short tracks from Emporia, Kan., will take over Richard Childress Racing's No. 2 Chevy from Ron Hornaday, who is headed back to the Craftsman Truck Series.

"This isn't a sport where you can get to where you want to be by running three, four weeks, then taking off three, four weeks. It just doesn't happen," says Yeley, 28.

With one Busch race left, Yeley (pronounced YALE-ee) has run 17 races in the No. 18 car, sponsored this year by Home Depot and Vigoro. It is a matter of dollars more than anything.

"Obviously, Vigoro doesn't sell a lot of their product in the middle of the summer, so we would have stretches of two, three, four weeks where we wouldn't run," says Yeley, who has four top 10 finishes.

Bowyer, 25, for the most part split the No. 21 car with Kevin Harvick. Bowyer has raced 15 times and scored seven top 10s. "It's tough when you get a couple of good runs under your belt and realize it stops being your turn," he says. "But that was the setup. I had to accept it and make the most of it."

Yeley struggled in his first few outings, but Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs says that can be traced to organizational shortcomings. "We weren't doing a good job of translating what we'd learned on the Cup side to our Busch program," Gibbs says. "That's finally working itself out." Yeley says he and crew chief Doug Hewitt didn't get the car adjusted as quickly as they would have liked.

Hewitt, who will change positions at Gibbs and be replaced in 2005 by Jason Ratcliff, says it takes time for an open-wheel racer to learn stock cars. Tony Stewart, another former open-wheel driver, was ordinary in Busch before blossoming in Cup. "J.J. knows what he wants and what it takes to get there," Hewitt says. "He'll be fine."

Yeley says Stewart likes to remind him that a driver can't carry a car to victory at this level as he sometimes can in USAC.

"You have to stay within what the car is capable of doing--though I can run a car that's a lot closer to the edge because of my background," Yeley says.

Bowyer showed he could run a car pretty hard early on, finishing fourth at Nashville in his second start and winning the pole at Talladega before his third start.

"It's been tough all year to get in the groove and get confident," he says. "We've had some good runs, and Richard (Childress) keeps telling me to be patient, to learn now."

Bowyer and Yeley aren't the only promising drivers who will take aim at Truex. Next year's points race is likely to be far more crowded than this year's duel between Truex and Kyle Busch. Some names to watch: David Stremme, the 2003 Busch Rookie of the Year; Justin Labonte, Terry's son; Shane Hmiel, who will be back after a year in the Craftsman Truck Series; Travis Kvapil, the 2003 truck series champion; Reed Sorenson, and Paul Menard.

"Teams are lining up a lot of young talent to keep their pipelines going," J.D. Gibbs says. "The experience should also make them a lot better for what they'll face down the road."

TSN's BUSCH POLL

                         Busch        TSN         TSN points:
     Driver              points      points      last 10 races

 (1) Martin Truex Jr.    4,865     3,796 (1)      1,173 (1)
 (2) Kyle Busch          4,704     3,351 (2)        868 (3)
 (3) Greg Biffle         4,382     2,960 (3)        912 (2)
 (4) Ron Hornaday        4,025     2,163 (5)        457 (16)
 (5) David Green         3,969     2,141 (6)        492 (14)
 (6) Mike Bliss          3,863     2,058 (8)        608 (7)
 (7) Jason Keller        3,849     2,043 (9)        436 (17)
 (8) Jason Leffler       3,661     2,247 (4)        353 (24)
 (9) Kenny Wallace       3,599     1,787 (11)       604 (8)
(10) Ashton Lewis        3,596     1,727 (12)       575 (11)

Through race No. 33, at Darlington. Get a complete TSN
Power Poll rundown and points system explanation at

msn.foxsports.com/name/public/NASCAR/Busch/PowerPoll.

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