Green Seeks First Nashville Speedway USA Victory
3 March 1998
Central City, Ky. -- Racing can be bittersweet. No one knows this better than NASCAR Busch Series driver Mark Green.As a former late model competitor at Nashville Speedway USA, Green paid his dues in the game of patience. In 1984, the Owensboro, Kentucky resident began competing regularly at the 0.596 mile oval only to enjoy limited success before his final season there in 1994.
"The last time I ran there in the late model series I led over 100 laps," Green said reflecting on his career at Nashville. "I ended up using a tire strategy that back fired on me. I came in and pitted 10 laps before the rest of the field. I thought if I'd come in and get tires, I'd be okay. Only thing was they only allowed two tires on the pit stop and my car needed four. It gave up before the end of the race. To lead that many laps and still not win is very disappointing."
Despite his previous experiences, Green is confident coming back to Nashville on March 15. Instead of staring bad luck in the face around every turn, Green plans to turn heads as he conquers the oval driving the No. 37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the Bell South Mobility/Opryland 320 NASCAR Busch Series race.
And what exactly makes Green think he can change his luck this time around? It's simple: the team, with a few changes, has elevated its program to excellence, backed with a talented driver and a year's experience to help move them along.
"Kenneth Campbell has come on board at Brewco Motorsports as crew chief," explained Green. "His knowledge and experience allows me to focus solely on driving. Experience is a key aspect to successful runs at this level of racing. Also, the Timber Wolf crew now has one year experience under their belts. We'll be going to the track with some basis to build from instead of starting from scratch. This allows me to be more confident as a driver."
In addition to a new crew chief, Brewco Motorsports has added Katech Engine Development to its program. Katech has been the company responsible for building winning engines for NASCAR Busch Series champions BACE Motorsports, the championship team for the past three consecutive seasons.
"During the off season we concentrated on strengthening the team," said Green. "In doing so, we've built a very solid program to conquer the 1998 season. It is very realistic to say the Timber Wolf car will visit victory lane this season. Hopefully, we'll be doing that here at Nashville. I think I'm due for that."
Although Green's success at Nashville hasn't been as lucrative as he would have liked it to be, he does realize that he's living out what most would consider a dream career. Evolving through the local ranks to his present position in the NASCAR Busch Series, Green strived for the finishes that would eventually earn him the title of a professional race car driver. And today, Green is right there, providing fans with close racing action. Most importantly though, he is out on the track learning every single day.
"I felt like I was a pretty good driver when I was racing back in the early eighties," commented Green. "But going to different tracks in the Busch Series just broadens your driving skills. Every time I go out on the track, I learn something or my skills are sharpened in some way. It has to be that way. You have to take each level of racing one turn at a time, but you also have to keep an open mind to learning new things."
Green's sophomore season in the NASCAR Busch Series promises to be an exciting one. In the first three races, he has completed every lap and scored one top 10 finish.
On a more personal note, however, Green hopes to kick off his winning ways in front of the hometown crowd at Nashville Speedway USA.
