“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 at 131.186 mph (27.442 seconds) and Juan Pablo Montoya, 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.