BGN: Mark Green's Darlington Raceway Preview
19 March 1998
DATE START FINISH MONEY WON STATUS LAPS 03/22/97 10 19 $ 5,855 Running 146 of 147 08/30/97 31 22 5,760 Running 146 of 147 TOTALS $ 11,615 292 of 294 (99.3%)Mark Green enjoys the challenge of competing at Darlington Raceway. The Owensboro, Kentucky resident is making his third NASCAR Busch Series start at the 1.366 mile speedway and looking to improve upon his previous performances.
"I don't have much trouble with driving the track," said Green. "The biggest obstacle is getting the car to handle like you need it to throughout the entire race.
"Last year, we were very strong in the spring race until a spark plug wire came off," continued Green. "We had to make an unscheduled pit stop and it cost us a lap. This year, we have a better program with stronger engines. We just need to be consistent."
Consistency is so crucial that crew chief Kenneth Campbell brought Thumper, the No. 37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet Monte Carlo Green drove to a ninth place finish last month at the North Carolina Speedway, to Darlington.
"The Darlington setup and the North Carolina Speedway setup are very similar," said Campbell. "Thumper is solid each and every lap. At a track like Darlington, Mark needs a car which is consistent so he can race the track and not worry about anything else."
Lexington, South Carolina resident David Brazell won the FOX 102 Draft to Darlington contest and is an honorary crew member with the Timber Wolf/Brewco Motorsports team for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200. The contest was open to listeners of WMFX FOX 102 (Columbia, South Carolina).
Crew chief Kenneth Campbell and spotter Bill Floyd are both South Carolina natives.
Campbell, who currently resides in Owensboro, Kentucky, grew up in Simpsonville and has been visiting the Darlington Raceway for the past 26 years.
"Being at Darlington has that familiar feeling," said Campbell. "It feels more like home than any other track we race on. As a kid, I remember sitting under the old covered grandstands and watching the Southern 500. This place holds a lot of memories for me."
Campbell isn't the only Timber Wolf/Brewco Motorsports team member to have childhood memories at Darlington Raceway. Floyd, who grew up in Olanta and currently resides in Mauldin, also visited the Track Too Tough To Tame as a young boy.
"My first race at Darlington was when I was a kid," said Floyd. "It was the 1968 Southern 500. It was awesome. I've been coming ever since. Growing up, whenever I thought of racing, I thought of Darlington."
On Thursday, March 26, Mark Green will sign autographs at the Food City Family Race Night from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm The event is being held at the Meadowview Convention Center in Kingsport, Tennessee.
IGA Food Stores, a national grocery store chain with 81 locations in South Carolina, is an associate sponsor on the No. 37 Timber Wolf Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway.
Mark Green's 1998 NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division Results
LOCATION START FINISH MONEY WON STATUS LAPS Daytona 40 14 $ 21,700 Running 120 of 120 Rockingham 7 9 9,510 Running 197 of 197 Las Vegas 10 16 18,095 Running 200 of 200 Nashville 40 34 5,405 Accident 309 of 320 TOTALS $ 54,710 826 of 837 (98.7%)
Mark Green's NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division Career Results
STARTS POLES WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 MONEY WON
46 0 0 1 7 $ 401,524
Best Start: 2nd - Myrtle Beach Speedway (June 1996)
Best Finish: 5th - Charlotte Motor Speedway (October 1997)
Biggest Purse: $ 24,443 - Charlotte Motor Speedway (October 1997)
