N’WIDE: Jeff Green Takes 2013 Lead With 40th Nationwide Last-Place Finish

SOURCE: NASCAR Media

Jeff Green picked up the 40th last-place finish of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in Friday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway when his unsponsored #10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota fell out with a vibration after he completed 3 of the race’s 200 laps.

The finish was Green’s second of 2013, his first since the season opener at Daytona, giving him the two-time and defending LASTCAR Nationwide Series Champion the early lead in the season standings.

Green qualified 29th for the race at an average speed of 178.071 mph, ranking him eighth among the fifteen “go-or-go-home” drivers who attempted to make the field. Among the race’s five DNQs were two entries from The Motorsports Group driven by Scott Riggs (#47) and Chase Miller (#46), plus LASTCAR Cup Series leader Michael McDowell in the #00 and Fontana last-placer Joey Gase in the #52.  Jason White was the fifth member of that group, driving the #27 McDowell finished last with in the Nationwide race at Bristol last month.

Green pulled behind the wall early in the opening green-flag run, followed seven laps later by J.J. Yeley in another The Motorsport Group’s #42.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was Green’s third-consecutive last-place finish in this event, and all three have come while driving for TriStar Motorsports.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #10-Jeff Green / 3 laps / vibration
39) #42-J.J. Yeley / 10 laps / electrical
38) #44-Hal Martin / 53 laps / transmission
37) #40-Josh Wise / 96 laps / electrical
36) #4-Landon Cassill / 10 laps / engine / led 1 lap

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (2)
2nd) Joey Gase, Johanna Long, Eric McClure, Michael McDowell (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #10-TriStar Motorsports (2)
2nd) #14-TriStar Motorsports, #27-SR2 Motorsports, #52-Jimmy Means Racing, #70-ML Motorsports (1)

LASTCAR N'WIDE SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota (5)
2nd) Chevrolet (1)