N’WIDE: Jeff Green’s Brakes Result in Second-Straight Last-Place Finish

SOURCE: Rob Dostie

Jeff Green picked up the 22nd last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Saturday’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International when his unsponsored #44 TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet fell out with brake problems after completing one of the race’s 85 laps.


It was Green’s series-leading sixth Nationwide last-place finish in 2011 and second in a row, following his Lap 3 exit at Iowa last week. Green is also two finishes away from tying Jeff Fuller for the all-time LASTCAR Nationwide Series lead.

In qualifying, Green turned in a lap of 116.767 mph, the 38th-fastest speed, but rolled off 43rd as five teams locked into the field ran slower than him in qualifying. Still, Green was assured his twentieth start of the year as he ran fast enough to bump five other “go-or-go-homers” out of the field. Among those who failed to qualify were Key Motorsports’ three “start-and-park” Chevrolets driven by Chase Miller, Brian Keselowski, and Tim Andrews.

After the start of the race, Green’s car was the first to pull behind the wall, followed three laps later by T.J. Bell, who complained that the brakes had gone soft on his Jennifer Jo Cobb-owned #13.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*Neither Jeff Green nor the #44 had ever before finished last in a Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen.
*Ever since he joined TriStar Motorsports in late 2009 for what was then the #36 team, Green has finished last in 14 of the last 38 races - nearly two last-place finishes for every five Nationwide Series races.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
43) #44-Jeff Green / 1 lap / brakes
42) #13-T.J. Bell / 4 laps / brakes
41) #82-J.J. Yeley / 4 laps / brakes
40) #49-Mark Green / 6 laps / brakes
39) #52-Dan Clarke / 21 laps / engine

LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (6)
2nd) Brett Rowe (3)
3rd) Kelly Bires, Dennis Setzer (2)
4th) Matt Carter, Johnny Chapman, Kevin Conway, Marc Davis, Mike Harmon, James Hylton, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Blake Koch, Justin Marks, Scott Wimmer (1)

LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #44-TriStar Motorsports (6)
2nd) #55-Faith Motorsports (3)
3rd) #25-Ed Rensi, #49-Jay Robinson Racing (2)
4th) #0-JD Motorsports, #13-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #27-Baker Curb Racing, #47-Key Motorsports, #68-Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports, #74-Mike Harmon, #75-Rick Ware Racing, #82-MacDonald Motorsports, #87-NEMCO Motorsports, #03-R3 Motorsports (1)

LASTCAR N’WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (17)
2nd) Ford (5)
3rd) Dodge (1)