N’WIDE: Green Bests 2010 Champion Setzer After Early Vibration At Phoenix
Jeff Green picked up the 15th last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Saturday’s
Wypall 200 Powered by Kimberly-Clark at the Phoenix International Raceway when his unsponsored #36 Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet fell out with a vibration after completing 2 of the race’s 200 laps.
The finish moved Green into sole possession of 10th in the all-time LASTCAR standings and closed him within nine finishes of Jeff Fuller for the all-time Nationwide Series lead.
Green rebounded from his DNQ at Texas last week to qualify a solid 21st for Saturday’s race, ranking him fourth among the “go-or-go-home” teams that made the field. Of the six teams that failed to qualify, the only one with a last-place finish in 2010 was the #82 MacDonald Motorsports entry, driven this time by Chase Miller.
As has been the case for much of this season’s second half, Green and 2010 LASTCAR Nationwide Series Champion Dennis Setzer finished solidly in the bottom five. This time, Green edged Setzer by a single lap during the opening green-flag run to lock up his seventh finish of the 2010 season. Setzer’s owner, Brian Keselowski, followed Setzer to the garage and came home 41st in his #26.
Next week in the Homestead finale, Green will again be in Mark Smith’s #36, but Brian Keselowski will drive in place of Setzer in the Owner’s Championship-winning #92. K-Automotive’s #26 will instead be driven by Sam Hornish, Jr. with an eye at a full race run, thanks to sponsorship from Alliance.
N’WIDE STATS AND FACTS
* Neither Jeff Green, nor the #36, had ever before finished last in a Nationwide Series race at Phoenix.
* It’s the third time a vibration caused a driver to finish last in a Nationwide Series race at Phoenix: the previous two were Tracy Hines’ unsponsored #14 Fitz-Bradshaw Racing Dodge in the 2006 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 and Danny O’Quinn, Jr.’s unsponsored #35 Team Rensi Motorsports Ford in the 2008 Hefty Odor Block 200.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #36-Jeff Green / 2 laps / vibration
42) #92-Dennis Setzer / 3 laps / vibration
41) #26-Brian Keselowski / 3 laps / oil pressure
40) #34-Charles Lewandoski / 15 laps / transmission
39) #91-David Gilliland / 20 laps / electrical
LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Dennis Setzer (10)
2nd) Jeff Green (7)
3rd) Mark Green, Kevin Lepage (2)
4th) Willie Allen, Michael Annett, Johnny Borneman III, Matt Carter, Johnny Chapman, David Gilliland, Kevin Hamlin, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Brian Keselowski, Parker Kligerman, Justin Marks, Danny O'Quinn, Jr., Chrissy Wallace (1)
LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #92-K-Automotive Motorsports (11)
2nd) #36-Mark Smith (8)
3rd) #15-Germain Racing, #26-K-Automotive Motorsports, #27-Curb Motorsports, #41-Rick Ware, #43-Curb Motorsports, #49-Jay Robinson, Inc., #56-John McNelly, #70-Mary Louise Miller, #82-MacDonald Motorsports, #83-John Borneman, Jr., #90-D'Hont Humphrey Motorsports, #91-D'Hont Humphrey Motorsports, #96-K-Automotive Motorsports, #04-Johnny Davis Motorsports, #05-Wayne Day (1)
The finish moved Green into sole possession of 10th in the all-time LASTCAR standings and closed him within nine finishes of Jeff Fuller for the all-time Nationwide Series lead.
Green rebounded from his DNQ at Texas last week to qualify a solid 21st for Saturday’s race, ranking him fourth among the “go-or-go-home” teams that made the field. Of the six teams that failed to qualify, the only one with a last-place finish in 2010 was the #82 MacDonald Motorsports entry, driven this time by Chase Miller.
As has been the case for much of this season’s second half, Green and 2010 LASTCAR Nationwide Series Champion Dennis Setzer finished solidly in the bottom five. This time, Green edged Setzer by a single lap during the opening green-flag run to lock up his seventh finish of the 2010 season. Setzer’s owner, Brian Keselowski, followed Setzer to the garage and came home 41st in his #26.
Next week in the Homestead finale, Green will again be in Mark Smith’s #36, but Brian Keselowski will drive in place of Setzer in the Owner’s Championship-winning #92. K-Automotive’s #26 will instead be driven by Sam Hornish, Jr. with an eye at a full race run, thanks to sponsorship from Alliance.
N’WIDE STATS AND FACTS
* Neither Jeff Green, nor the #36, had ever before finished last in a Nationwide Series race at Phoenix.
* It’s the third time a vibration caused a driver to finish last in a Nationwide Series race at Phoenix: the previous two were Tracy Hines’ unsponsored #14 Fitz-Bradshaw Racing Dodge in the 2006 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 and Danny O’Quinn, Jr.’s unsponsored #35 Team Rensi Motorsports Ford in the 2008 Hefty Odor Block 200.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #36-Jeff Green / 2 laps / vibration
42) #92-Dennis Setzer / 3 laps / vibration
41) #26-Brian Keselowski / 3 laps / oil pressure
40) #34-Charles Lewandoski / 15 laps / transmission
39) #91-David Gilliland / 20 laps / electrical
LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Dennis Setzer (10)
2nd) Jeff Green (7)
3rd) Mark Green, Kevin Lepage (2)
4th) Willie Allen, Michael Annett, Johnny Borneman III, Matt Carter, Johnny Chapman, David Gilliland, Kevin Hamlin, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Brian Keselowski, Parker Kligerman, Justin Marks, Danny O'Quinn, Jr., Chrissy Wallace (1)
LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #92-K-Automotive Motorsports (11)
2nd) #36-Mark Smith (8)
3rd) #15-Germain Racing, #26-K-Automotive Motorsports, #27-Curb Motorsports, #41-Rick Ware, #43-Curb Motorsports, #49-Jay Robinson, Inc., #56-John McNelly, #70-Mary Louise Miller, #82-MacDonald Motorsports, #83-John Borneman, Jr., #90-D'Hont Humphrey Motorsports, #91-D'Hont Humphrey Motorsports, #96-K-Automotive Motorsports, #04-Johnny Davis Motorsports, #05-Wayne Day (1)