Friends 'Til the End

Jeff Green and Nesquik Racing Team's Chemistry Remains Strong

(Mooresville, NC) When a change occurs within a NASCAR team during the season, whether it is a driver announcing he's going to another team at the end the year to a key player in the organization leaving, usually things don't go well for the remainder of the year. Maybe it has to do with the trust being broken or maybe the parties involved just lose interest in each other. Whatever the case, Jeff Green, driver of the No. 10 Nestlé Nesquik Ford Taurus and 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Champion, along with his Nesquik Racing team, have proven everyone wrong. They remain extremely competitive in the championship hunt and don't have any intention of slowing down.

Green announced in July that he was leaving ppc Racing to drive full-time in the Winston Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing in 2002. With the announcement being made so early in the year, it left the door open for a potentially tense remainder of the season. But that didn't happen to this group of men. What sets Green and his Nesquik Racing team apart from all other teams in this situation are two things: one, their desire to win and two, their deep rooted friendship.

"I'll be honest, when Jeff announced he was leaving our team, we were very upset at first," said crew chief, Harold Holly. "But we realized the success we had together as a team was part of the reason why he was offered that job. We are a tight-knit group. We genuinely care about each other and there wasn't any sense in letting that bring us down.. I'd rather cherish the rest of the time we have together, and look back on it fondly, than let this ruin great friendships. Plus, we now have someone to cheer on Sundays from our couches."

Green works with Kevin Harvick's Busch team, led by Todd Berrier, on his Cup program and surprisingly, after any given Busch practice session, you can see Green, Holly and Berrier talking about the cars. Here are two teams, competing against each other, yet able to share information without egos getting involved.

"I've never seen this happen before between two grown, extremely competitive men, but Harold and Todd have formed a great working relationship," said Green. "Both crew chiefs know what I'm looking for in a race car and both are open-minded enough to talk about how to make the cars better.”

Green also refuses to let his friends down. He's just as driven to succeed and win more races as he was last year when they dominated the series.

"While I do have a job to prepare for next year, I wouldn't be doing my job now if I wasn't giving my Nesquik Racing team 150%," said Green. "I've let everyone know that this team is my number one priority because that is the commitment I made first, both to the team and to Nestlé, and I intend on following through. I care too much about these guys to let them down and I know that they wouldn't let me down either.”

Green and his Nesquik Racing team are on the home stretch of the 2001 NBS season and within reach of a back-to-back Championship. “I have had a great experience with Harold and the entire ppc Racing team. I want us to part ways on top, with another Busch Series Championship.”