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Jeff Green (NASCAR)
Encyclopedia
Jeffery Green is an American stock car driver
in the NASCAR
Nationwide Series. He currently drives part time in the Nationwide Series for Tri-Star Motorsports
in their #44 entry and the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports
in their #55 entry.
Green's 1990 Nashville Speedway USA
championship led to his first foray in NASCAR. For several years, he raced part-time in the Nationwide Series before thriving as a full-time driver in 1995 and 1996. He then went through a two-year Sprint Cup stint with Diamond Ridge Motorsports
and Felix Sabates
.
Green returned to the Busch Series in 1999. In three seasons, he won the 2000 championship by 616 points, a series record which stood until 2006, and finished second twice. Green participated in IROC
's 25th season
in 2001, and has raced with four different Sprint Cup teams since 2002.
, Kentucky
on September 6, 1962, as the youngest of three brothers; Mark
and David Green
would also become NASCAR drivers. He currently resides in Davidson
, North Carolina
with his wife Michelle. In 2002, he and Mark founded The Green Foundation, a non-profit charity assisting people with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses.
. In 22 races, he won 15 times and had only one finish below third. After the season, John Boatman approached Green about competing in the Autolite Platinum 200
, a NASCAR Busch Series
event taking place at Richmond International Raceway
. Green would start 23rd and finish 22nd in the event, exceeding the team's goal of simply qualifying for the race.
Green ran a limited schedule from 1991-1994, sporadically appearing in Busch Series races and making Cup starts for Sadler Brothers and Junior Johnson
in 1994. He became a full-time driver in the Busch Series in 1995 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
, and after consecutive top-five finishes in the points standings, he made a pair of Cup races for DEI in 1996. At the end of the season, he signed to drive the unsponsored #8 Chevy for Diamond Ridge Motorsports
, and won his first career race at Las Vegas. He later made 20 Winston Cup series starts in 1997 for the #29 Cartoon Network
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
, owned by Diamond Ridge, finishing just behind his brother David for Rookie of the Year honors. Green planned to race full-time for the team in 1998, but only raced in the #29 for three of the first six races. He was later released by Diamond Ridge, who suspended operations for the Winston Cup team in an effort to focus on the Busch Series. Green substituted a race for Derrike Cope
, and later signed a contract to drive the #46 First Union/The Money Store Chevrolet, owned by Felix Sabates
, for the rest of the year. Overall, he would race in 22 of 33 season events and finished 40th in points.
Chevy for Progressive Motorsports. It was his first full-time Busch series season since 1996.
As his team became the #10 Nesquick/Nestlé
Chevy and was rebranded ppc Racing in 2000, Green became the heavy favorite to win the championship after Earnhardt and Matt Kenseth
departed for the Winston Cup. After dueling with Todd Bodine
for the points lead early in the season, Green pulled away with 14 consecutive top-five finishes, a streak which included five wins. At the end of the year, Green had won the Busch Series championship by 616 points over ppc Racing
teammate Jason Keller
. This final victory margin was the largest in series history until 2006. Green set a series record for most top-fives in a season (25), and with David Green
, the 1994 Busch Series champion, became the first brothers to both win NASCAR championships.
After the 2000 season, Green was again a championship favorite in the 2001 season after switching to Ford. He eventually caught up to Harvick and, with a win in the Carquest Auto Parts 300
, Green took a fourteen-point lead over Harvick fourteen races into the season. However, he would suffer a 29th and two 31st place finishes in the next four races, crippling his chances in the points race as he fell to 4th place, 302 points behind Harvick. Green finished 124 points behind Harvick and earned his second runner-up finish in three seasons. He had seven finishes outside the top-twenty compared to only two the previous season. In all, during his three year full-time return to the Busch Series, Green had 13 wins and 72 top-tens, both the most of any driver during that period, and averaged three top-tens in every four races. Later that season Green began driving for Richard Childress Racing
part-time in the #30 America Online Chevrolet in Winston Cup (oddly enough as a replacement for Harvick, who was supposed to drive this car before the death of Dale Earnhardt
caused him to be promoted to Childress' Winston Cup team much earlier than planned). Green competed in eight races, won one pole, and finished in the top ten once, and after the season he left the Busch Series to drive for Childress full time.
. The runner-up finish brought him up to 18th in the points standings, and Green stayed in the top-twenty for the rest of the year. His 17th-place points standings finish is the highest of his career in the series. The four top-fives and six top-tens are also the most Green has had in one Winston Cup season.
Green began 2003 by winning the pole for the Daytona 500
and had a 7th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway
, but otherwise failed to finish higher than 20th and crashed twice. After an incident with teammate Harvick at Richmond
, Richard Childress Racing fired Green on May 5. Two days later, he was picked up by DEI to drive the #1 Pennzoil
Chevrolet, replacing Steve Park
, who was hired by Childress to drive the #30 that Green left. Green fared no better than 16th in twelve races, and was replaced by John Andretti
. He was also replaced in the road-course races by Ron Fellows
. In reaction, Green said he was not given the opportunity to improve the situation. After missing three events, Green drove the #43 Cheerios
/Betty Crocker
Dodge Intrepid
for Petty Enterprises
in the Dover 400 because the original driver, Christian Fittipaldi
, had a commitment to drive the #44 in four races. After driving the Dodge again in the EA Sports 500 the next week, he became the driver for the rest of the season on a race-to-race basis. Green's best finish with the team was a 16th-place finish at Dover International Speedway
; team owner Richard Petty
expressed anticipation that the team could work well together after a few months. Green finished 34th in the points standings, and was signed to drive full-time for the team for the next season.
While Green had four top-fifteen finishes in 2004, including a 7th-place finish in the Subway 500
, he would fail to finish in eleven races, the most DNF's for one season in his career. Five were caused by engine
failures, while the other six were accidents. The eventual 30th place finish in the standings remains the lowest result for Green in a full-time season. He would continue to struggle in 2005. He failed to finish in the top-ten the entire year, with his best finish of 11th coming in the Coca-Cola 600
. Green's 29th-place finish caused Petty Enterprises
to announce on November 11, 2005, that Bobby Labonte
would replace him following the season's end.
Green signed with Haas CNC Racing
and became the successor of Mike Bliss
in the #66 Best Buy
Chevrolet, which had been changed from #0 to celebrate the sponsor's 40th anniversary. His new crew chief was Robert "Bootie" Barker
, who had been subject to rumors of replacement before the 2006 season. In the Daytona 500
, Green crashed midway through the race when Dale Jarrett
clipped the right-rear of his car; Green would call this "stupid" and a "rookie" move. He rebounded from the 42nd place finish in the next nine races, finishing no lower than 26th and rising to 21st in points. After finishing four laps down at Darlington, he recovered from a pit zone infraction penalty at Lowe's Motor Speedway
and finished 12th. Green's best race came at the UAW Ford 500
at Talladega Superspeedway
, in which he finished 7th after starting 35th, breaking a 70-race streak without a top-ten. After another top-ten finish at Martinsville Speedway
, he ended the season 28th in the points standings.
and Front Row Motorsports
respectively, but did not qualify for any of those races. He did qualify for three races in the Nationwide Series in the #31 Key Motorsports
Chevy with a best finish of 28th, and ran eight races with their #40 truck team. His best finish was a seventh at Las Vegas.
In 2009, Green continued his part-time schedule in the Nationwide Series, running for Day Racing, MSRP
Motorsports, MacDonald Motorsports
and Key. His best finish was 21st at Nashville Superspeedway
.
As the 2010 NASCAR season began Jeff Green had a ride in the Nationwide Series for the Camping World 300 at Daytona for Wayne Day's 05 car. Green also drove at Talledega finishing 16th and at Nashville finishing 24th for Key Motorsports. He later ran a handful of Cup Series races for Latitude 43 Motorsports
and Gunselman Mortorsports with a best finish of 24th. Jeff also started and parked Tri Star's #36 in the Nationwide Series.
Jeff Green has started and parked for Tri-Star Motorpsorts in 2011.
and Ward Burton
. Harvick began apologizing for the spin-out, and cameras showed that Green's car had hesitated before the collision. Green was outraged by the incident and confronted Harvick's crew chief, Todd Berrier
, later saying, "Tough to be teammates when it seems like there's only one car at RCR." He was fired by Childress
the next day, who said that change was needed after the relationship had gone awry.
After a relatively quiet 2004, Green took part in a much-publicized feud with Michael Waltrip
during the early 2005 season, especially during races at Martinsville
and Darlington
, where Green and Waltrip wrecked each other on several occasions. While no penalties were assessed against the drivers, NASCAR ordered them to discontinue the incidents.
During the 2006 season, at the Chevy Rock and Roll 400
, after being involved in a crash with Jimmie Johnson
on lap 252, Green drove back onto the track, and, while 51 laps down while repairs were made, then slammed into Johnson just after he had spun off the bumper of Reed Sorenson
on lap 322, resulting in his car being ordered to the garage for the final 78 laps (resulting in a 41st place finish).
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series. He currently drives part time in the Nationwide Series for Tri-Star Motorsports
Tri-Star Motorsports
TriStar Motorsports is a racing team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. They currently field the #14 Hefty Chevrolet for Eric McClure, the #19 Chevrolet for Mike Bliss, and the #44 Chevrolet for Jeff Green and Charles Lewandoski...
in their #44 entry and the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005...
in their #55 entry.
Green's 1990 Nashville Speedway USA
Music City Motorplex
Fairgrounds Speedway is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racetrack located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is one of the oldest tracks in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984...
championship led to his first foray in NASCAR. For several years, he raced part-time in the Nationwide Series before thriving as a full-time driver in 1995 and 1996. He then went through a two-year Sprint Cup stint with Diamond Ridge Motorsports
Diamond Ridge Motorsports
Pastrana-Waltrip Racing is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team that competed in the Winston Cup and Busch Series from 1990 to 1999, and revived as a Nationwide Series team in 2010. The original Diamond Ridge team was owned and operated by Gary Bechtel...
and Felix Sabates
Felix Sabates
Felix Sabates is an entrepreneur and philanthropist living in the United States. He is currently a minority shareholder in Chip Ganassi Racing, which fields teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series , GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series...
.
Green returned to the Busch Series in 1999. In three seasons, he won the 2000 championship by 616 points, a series record which stood until 2006, and finished second twice. Green participated in IROC
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
's 25th season
IROC XXV
The 25th season of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions began on Friday, February 16, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway. The initial roster included 12 drivers from four separate Racing Leagues...
in 2001, and has raced with four different Sprint Cup teams since 2002.
Personal and early life
Green was born in OwensboroOwensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
on September 6, 1962, as the youngest of three brothers; Mark
Mark Green (NASCAR)
Mark Green is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #49 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series on a part time basis. He is the brother of drivers, Jeff Green and David Green.- Beginnings :...
and David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
would also become NASCAR drivers. He currently resides in Davidson
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with his wife Michelle. In 2002, he and Mark founded The Green Foundation, a non-profit charity assisting people with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses.
Early years
Green dominated the field to win the 1990 track championship at Nashville Speedway USAMusic City Motorplex
Fairgrounds Speedway is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racetrack located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is one of the oldest tracks in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984...
. In 22 races, he won 15 times and had only one finish below third. After the season, John Boatman approached Green about competing in the Autolite Platinum 200
Emerson Radio 250
The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that takes place at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. It is held the night before the Sprint Cup Series race, the Air Guard 400...
, a NASCAR Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
event taking place at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. Green would start 23rd and finish 22nd in the event, exceeding the team's goal of simply qualifying for the race.
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
in 1994. He became a full-time driver in the Busch Series in 1995 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
, and after consecutive top-five finishes in the points standings, he made a pair of Cup races for DEI in 1996. At the end of the season, he signed to drive the unsponsored #8 Chevy for Diamond Ridge Motorsports
Diamond Ridge Motorsports
Pastrana-Waltrip Racing is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team that competed in the Winston Cup and Busch Series from 1990 to 1999, and revived as a Nationwide Series team in 2010. The original Diamond Ridge team was owned and operated by Gary Bechtel...
, and won his first career race at Las Vegas. He later made 20 Winston Cup series starts in 1997 for the #29 Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
, owned by Diamond Ridge, finishing just behind his brother David for Rookie of the Year honors. Green planned to race full-time for the team in 1998, but only raced in the #29 for three of the first six races. He was later released by Diamond Ridge, who suspended operations for the Winston Cup team in an effort to focus on the Busch Series. Green substituted a race for Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
, and later signed a contract to drive the #46 First Union/The Money Store Chevrolet, owned by Felix Sabates
Felix Sabates
Felix Sabates is an entrepreneur and philanthropist living in the United States. He is currently a minority shareholder in Chip Ganassi Racing, which fields teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series , GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series...
, for the rest of the year. Overall, he would race in 22 of 33 season events and finished 40th in points.
Nationwide Series
Green turned his focus back to the Busch Series afterwards, finishing in the top-two in points for the next three years. He finished in second place, 280 points behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., in 1999 driving the #32 KleenexKleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of toiletry paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and diapers. The name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, "Kleenex"...
Chevy for Progressive Motorsports. It was his first full-time Busch series season since 1996.
As his team became the #10 Nesquick/Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
Chevy and was rebranded ppc Racing in 2000, Green became the heavy favorite to win the championship after Earnhardt and Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
departed for the Winston Cup. After dueling with Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion...
for the points lead early in the season, Green pulled away with 14 consecutive top-five finishes, a streak which included five wins. At the end of the year, Green had won the Busch Series championship by 616 points over ppc Racing
Ppc Racing
ppc Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team was owned by Greg Pollex. ppc Racing came about from a merger of Pollex's Busch Series team with a car owned by Steve DeSouza and Ted Campbell in 1999. The team shut down in 2007 due to a lack of funding...
teammate Jason Keller
Jason Keller
For the American writer, see Jason Keller Jason Keller is a NASCAR racing driver who currently drives the #44 Chevrolet for Tri-Star Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. A mainstay in the Busch/Nationwide Series since his debut in 1991...
. This final victory margin was the largest in series history until 2006. Green set a series record for most top-fives in a season (25), and with David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
, the 1994 Busch Series champion, became the first brothers to both win NASCAR championships.
After the 2000 season, Green was again a championship favorite in the 2001 season after switching to Ford. He eventually caught up to Harvick and, with a win in the Carquest Auto Parts 300
Carquest Auto Parts 300
The Top Gear 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is held the day before the Coca-Cola 600 on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend...
, Green took a fourteen-point lead over Harvick fourteen races into the season. However, he would suffer a 29th and two 31st place finishes in the next four races, crippling his chances in the points race as he fell to 4th place, 302 points behind Harvick. Green finished 124 points behind Harvick and earned his second runner-up finish in three seasons. He had seven finishes outside the top-twenty compared to only two the previous season. In all, during his three year full-time return to the Busch Series, Green had 13 wins and 72 top-tens, both the most of any driver during that period, and averaged three top-tens in every four races. Later that season Green began driving for Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
part-time in the #30 America Online Chevrolet in Winston Cup (oddly enough as a replacement for Harvick, who was supposed to drive this car before the death of Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
caused him to be promoted to Childress' Winston Cup team much earlier than planned). Green competed in eight races, won one pole, and finished in the top ten once, and after the season he left the Busch Series to drive for Childress full time.
Sprint Cup career
Green's first full Winston Cup season in 2002 was statistically his career-best. After scattered amounts of top twenty-five finishes through the first fourteen races, he went on a string of nine consecutive races finishing no lower than 26th. The string included three top-ten finishes, one of which was his best career finish in the New England 300, finishing 2nd to race winner Ward BurtonWard Burton
John Edward Burton III is an American NASCAR auto racer, who has a total of five career Sprint Cup wins. He last drove the #4 State Water Heaters Chevrolet Impala SS for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 2007. He is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, against whom he first...
. The runner-up finish brought him up to 18th in the points standings, and Green stayed in the top-twenty for the rest of the year. His 17th-place points standings finish is the highest of his career in the series. The four top-fives and six top-tens are also the most Green has had in one Winston Cup season.
Green began 2003 by winning the pole for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
and had a 7th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
, but otherwise failed to finish higher than 20th and crashed twice. After an incident with teammate Harvick at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
, Richard Childress Racing fired Green on May 5. Two days later, he was picked up by DEI to drive the #1 Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
Chevrolet, replacing Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
, who was hired by Childress to drive the #30 that Green left. Green fared no better than 16th in twelve races, and was replaced by John Andretti
John Andretti
John Andretti is an American race car driver. He has won in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR. He was the last NASCAR driver to win a Cup race for the famous Petty Enterprises team.-Andretti family:...
. He was also replaced in the road-course races by Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows
Ron Fellows is an accomplished Canadian SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, and American Le Mans Series driver, and a NASCAR Road course ringer.-Early career:...
. In reaction, Green said he was not given the opportunity to improve the situation. After missing three events, Green drove the #43 Cheerios
Cheerios
Cheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal by General Mills introduced on May 1, 1941 as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. Originally named CheeriOats, the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945 because of a trade name dispute with Quaker Oats. The name fit the "O" shape of the cereal pieces...
/Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker AKA: batter witch is a cultural icon, as well as brand name and trademark of American Fortune 500 corporation General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was...
Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Intrepid
The Dodge Intrepid is a large four-door, full-size, front-wheel drive sedan car model that was produced for model years 1993 to 2004. It was mechanically related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans...
for Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from...
in the Dover 400 because the original driver, Christian Fittipaldi
Christian Fittipaldi
Christian Fittipaldi is a Brazilian racing driver who has competed in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, Champ Car and NASCAR...
, had a commitment to drive the #44 in four races. After driving the Dodge again in the EA Sports 500 the next week, he became the driver for the rest of the season on a race-to-race basis. Green's best finish with the team was a 16th-place finish at Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
; team owner Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
expressed anticipation that the team could work well together after a few months. Green finished 34th in the points standings, and was signed to drive full-time for the team for the next season.
While Green had four top-fifteen finishes in 2004, including a 7th-place finish in the Subway 500
Subway 500
The Tums Fast Relief 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It is currently the seventh race in the ten race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Since 2007, the race has been carried on ABC....
, he would fail to finish in eleven races, the most DNF's for one season in his career. Five were caused by engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
failures, while the other six were accidents. The eventual 30th place finish in the standings remains the lowest result for Green in a full-time season. He would continue to struggle in 2005. He failed to finish in the top-ten the entire year, with his best finish of 11th coming in the Coca-Cola 600
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
. Green's 29th-place finish caused Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from...
to announce on November 11, 2005, that Bobby Labonte
Bobby Labonte
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...
would replace him following the season's end.
Haas CNC Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing, formerly known as Haas CNC Racing, is a NASCAR racing team based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, which runs Chevrolet Impalas. The team is owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, and runs the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala driven by Stewart and the #39 United States...
and became the successor of Mike Bliss
Mike Bliss
Michael Bliss is a NASCAR driver who has run in all three major series. He currently drives the #19 Chevrolet Impala for TriStar Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He began racing at age 10...
in the #66 Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
Chevrolet, which had been changed from #0 to celebrate the sponsor's 40th anniversary. His new crew chief was Robert "Bootie" Barker
Bootie Barker
Robert "Bootie" Barker III is a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car racing series. Barker is the crew chief for the No. 13 Germain Racing GEICO Toyota Camry driven by Casey Mears in the Sprint Cup Series. In the past, Barker has worked for Ashton Lewis, Bill Davis Racing, Jasper...
, who had been subject to rumors of replacement before the 2006 season. In the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, Green crashed midway through the race when Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...
clipped the right-rear of his car; Green would call this "stupid" and a "rookie" move. He rebounded from the 42nd place finish in the next nine races, finishing no lower than 26th and rising to 21st in points. After finishing four laps down at Darlington, he recovered from a pit zone infraction penalty at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
and finished 12th. Green's best race came at the UAW Ford 500
UAW Ford 500
The Good Sam Club 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The AMP Energy 500 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the Aaron's 499, the Coke Zero 400, and the Daytona 500. Through 1996, the...
at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
, in which he finished 7th after starting 35th, breaking a 70-race streak without a top-ten. After another top-ten finish at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
, he ended the season 28th in the points standings.
Part time in multiple series
Green returned to Haas in 2007, and had three sixth-place finishes but was released with four races to go in the season. In 2008, he attempted four Cup races with Wood Brothers RacingWood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...
and Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005...
respectively, but did not qualify for any of those races. He did qualify for three races in the Nationwide Series in the #31 Key Motorsports
Key Motorsports
Key Motorsports is a NASCAR team owned by Curtis Key. The team currently fields the #40 Chevrolet Impala driven by Charles Lewandoski, the #42 Chevrolet Impala drien by Tim Andrews, the #46 Chevrolet Impala driven by Chase Miller, and the #47 Chevrolet Impala driven by Danny Efland / Scott Wimmer...
Chevy with a best finish of 28th, and ran eight races with their #40 truck team. His best finish was a seventh at Las Vegas.
In 2009, Green continued his part-time schedule in the Nationwide Series, running for Day Racing, MSRP
MSRP
MSRP may refer to:* Manufacturer's suggested retail price, in business* Message Session Relay Protocol, a protocol used for multimedia communications* MSRP Motorsports, a former name of the HP Racing NASCAR team...
Motorsports, MacDonald Motorsports
MacDonald Motorsports
MacDonald Motorsports is a NASCAR team owned by former driver Randy MacDonald and his wife Pat. They field the #81 Eagle Convenience Stores/Heartland Harley Davidson Dodge Challenger for Donnie Neuenberger, Scott Wimmer and rookie Blake Koch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
and Key. His best finish was 21st at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
.
As the 2010 NASCAR season began Jeff Green had a ride in the Nationwide Series for the Camping World 300 at Daytona for Wayne Day's 05 car. Green also drove at Talledega finishing 16th and at Nashville finishing 24th for Key Motorsports. He later ran a handful of Cup Series races for Latitude 43 Motorsports
Latitude 43 Motorsports
Latitude 43 Motorsports is a NASCAR team currently competing in the Sprint Cup Series in 2010 and in 2011. They are fielding the #26 Ford driven by Boris Said and Bill Elliott. The team was started after Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins purchased the team from Roush Fenway Racing to satisfy...
and Gunselman Mortorsports with a best finish of 24th. Jeff also started and parked Tri Star's #36 in the Nationwide Series.
Jeff Green has started and parked for Tri-Star Motorpsorts in 2011.
Conflicts with fellow drivers
While in the Busch Series, Green developed a rivalry with Kevin Harvick. The drivers were prime contenders for the 2000 and 2001 championships, with Harvick beating Green out in the latter year. Green would become a teammate of Harvick's in the Winston Cup in 2002; both rejected the notion that they could not get along. While their first season together passed without incident, the second did not end well. During the 2003 Pontiac Excitement 400, Harvick ran into the rear of Green's car while Green was attempting to avoid a conflict between Ryan NewmanRyan Newman
Ryan Joseph Newman is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in vehicle structure engineering...
and Ward Burton
Ward Burton
John Edward Burton III is an American NASCAR auto racer, who has a total of five career Sprint Cup wins. He last drove the #4 State Water Heaters Chevrolet Impala SS for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 2007. He is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, against whom he first...
. Harvick began apologizing for the spin-out, and cameras showed that Green's car had hesitated before the collision. Green was outraged by the incident and confronted Harvick's crew chief, Todd Berrier
Todd Berrier
Todd Berrier is a former crew chief for Jeff Burton, Casey Mears and Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing. He joined RCR in 1997 as crew chief in the Camping World Truck Series for Jay Sauter. Berrier and Sauter stayed together for three years, winning four times...
, later saying, "Tough to be teammates when it seems like there's only one car at RCR." He was fired by Childress
Richard Childress
Richard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
the next day, who said that change was needed after the relationship had gone awry.
After a relatively quiet 2004, Green took part in a much-publicized feud with Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip
Michael Curtis Waltrip is a semi-former professional race car driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and a published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in...
during the early 2005 season, especially during races at Martinsville
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
and Darlington
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
, where Green and Waltrip wrecked each other on several occasions. While no penalties were assessed against the drivers, NASCAR ordered them to discontinue the incidents.
During the 2006 season, at the Chevy Rock and Roll 400
Chevy Rock and Roll 400
The Wonderful Pistachios 400 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race held at the Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Since 2004, the race has served as the last race in NASCAR's "regular season". After this race, the top twelve drivers in the standings advance to the ten-race...
, after being involved in a crash with Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
on lap 252, Green drove back onto the track, and, while 51 laps down while repairs were made, then slammed into Johnson just after he had spun off the bumper of Reed Sorenson
Reed Sorenson
Bradley Reed Sorenson is an American NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #82 MacDonald Motorsports Dodge Charger in the Nationwide Series...
on lap 322, resulting in his car being ordered to the garage for the final 78 laps (resulting in a 41st place finish).