Sharpie 500 - Jeff Green Notes

Jeff Green Notes, Quotes: Sharpie 500
‘A Mixed Bag of Emotions at Bristol’

One of the season’s most popular races among fans – and some drivers - this weekend Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the .533-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 will once again see fans annually pack the high-rising grandstands that circle the entire high-banked concrete-surfaced oval. It is one of the hardest tickets to get in NASCAR Nextel Cup racing.

Green, 41, is the only driver to have raced for the sport’s biggest names. Throughout his career, he has driven for Cup’s most legendary names, such as Junior Johnson, Felix Sabates, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, and now Richard Petty. Green is in his first full season driving the legendary Petty Enterprises #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge. The 2000 NASCAR Busch Grand National champion, he holds the record for the largest points margin after winning the championship by 616 points. He is also a two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup pole winner, winning poles at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and the pole for the 2003 Daytona 500.

The thoughts of #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver Jeff Green heading into Bristol:

“We come to Bristol every August on a Saturday night, and every year we give the fans what they want. Short-track racing on a Saturday night at Bristol, yeah, it’s tough to find a ticket. Fans love this race. It’s an exciting race to watch, and as a driver to see all the excitement around you, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

“As a driver, Bristol comes with a mixed bag of feelings. A big part of you is just as excited as the fans are. It’s a Saturday night, it’s a short track, and you feel that you’re back home again racing in your local track that you grew up on. I think a lot of us like that part of Bristol. It’s even more personal to me with Bristol being relatively close to Owensboro (Ky.) where I grew up. The chance to have my friends and family join me and watch me race again on a Saturday night. I think it brings back the family atmosphere for a lot of people.

“There is also the part of you that comes to Bristol knowing that, yeah, there are going to be a lot of wrecks and sometimes they are unavoidable. It’s a tight track, a fast track, and things are going to happen. You’re doing a lot of beating and banging, but that’s what Bristol is all about. It’s what sells the tickets and makes it so popular.

“It’s going to be interesting to watch how this race shapes up. The points race to get into the final 10 spots is getting pretty intense. For us, and about the 30 other guys or so who aren’t in the hunt for the title, we are going after wins. Other guys already in the championship chase, or who are really close to being in it, might not be too excited about the risks that Bristol comes with. Every race can be a turning point, but maybe Bristol brings a little bit more drama to the table.

“Tempers can flare at this place. It doesn’t take much. If you’re in the title chase, well, maybe you have to think about the consequences before you make some of your decisions. It’s a fine line, but the championship is what everyone is really after. I don’t think you’ll see anyone jeopardize their chances.

“We are looking for wins and to build with this new team led by Greg (Steadman, crew chief). We’ve made changes to put us in that position for next season. We want to be there. I want to be there for everyone that is involved with this team. I don’t always like changes, but when we do something that is going to improve and make us better, I think that’s good. The rest of this season is building for next year for this Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team.”