Virginia 500 - Jeff Green Notes

Jeff Green
America Online Racing
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Virginia 500, April 13, 2003
Venue: Martinsville Speedway

NASCAR Winston Cup Points Position: 31st

Notes:

Jeff Green, driver of the #30 America Online Chevrolet, will start in his 103rd Winston Cup race this weekend as the Winston Cup teams compete in the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 13. Live broadcast is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT on FOX.

Hoping to test this week at Carraway Speedway, the AOL team didn't get the opportunity to put its new chassis on the track due to rain and will take #115 to Martinsville without putting Green behind the wheel. Building several new cars for the 2003 season, the AOL team has started three new chassis this year.

In his second full season in Winston Cup competition, Green still seeks his first trip to victory lane. Although his average finish on the .526-mile oval is 25.7, he hopes to become only the second driver, among active competitors, to score his first Winston Cup victory during the Martinsville's event. Ricky Craven, led by Green's current crew chief Mike Beam, posted his first Winston Cup victory during Martinsville's October event in 2001. The win also marked Beam's first trip to Martinsville's victory lane although he came close in 1992 when Sterling Marlin finished second during the spring event.

Sliding back after finishing 29th last weekend in Talladega, Green fell four spots in the Winston Cup point standings to 31st, with 722 points. After eight races in the 2002 season, Green had accumulated fewer points (709) but was 27th. Green also has earned more money this season and is nearing the $5 million mark for Winston Cup career earnings.

2002 Spring Race Recap:

With 14 different caution periods and many more spins throughout the 3-1/2 hour race, Jeff Green bumped and nudged the #30 America Online Chevrolet to a 22nd-place finish during the Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Starting in the 38th position, Green may have felt more like a pinball during the 500-lap event as handling on his Monte Carlo challenged him throughout most of the race. Early in the race, he maneuvered through traffic and worked his way into the 27th spot before it became very difficult to turn in the corners. After going a lap down to the leaders on the 147th circuit, Green would restart at the front of the pack when racing resumed after the yellow flags but could never gain enough momentum to get back on the lead lap and fell behind. With the AOL crew seeking to find the right combination, Green pitted whenever possible for numerous adjustments and then fought the field for position. As other driver's struggled and faltered, Green crept back into the top 25 and pushed as hard as he could without overextending the car's capabilities. As the laps wound down, the AOL car settled into a grove and Green continued to bump for positions as just 19 cars remained on the lead lap and he had to vie for those other spots. When the race ended, Green was one of two drivers one lap behind the winner as the remainder of the field was at least two down.

Quotes:

"This track is very similar to New Hampshire but everything is more condensed so handling plays a large factor in how you finish," said Green. "I don't think not being able to test at Carraway will hinder our performance this weekend. Mike Beam has a handle on Martinsville so I'm confident we'll be strong."

"Brakes is the big issue at Martinsville," said Green, who has seven starts at Martinsville, including two in the Busch Series. "If you have a good handling car that gets into the corners well then you don't have to use the brakes as much. We're going get the AOL Chevy ready to race and do the best we can. If we do that, we can get a good finish and move back up in the points."

©Copyright 2003 Race 2 Win