XFINITY: Jeff Green Trails XFINITY Field In First Double-Duty Weekend Since 2010

SOURCE: Action Sports, Inc.

Jeff Green picked up the 64th last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in Friday’s ToyotaCare 250 at the Richmond International Raceway when his unsponsored #10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota fell out with rear gear issues after he completed 2 of the race’s 250 laps.

The finish was Green’s 4th of the 2015 season and his first since Fontana, three races ago.  It occurred in Green’s 398th series start.

Green joined an entry list of 42 drivers in what would become his first weekend of successfully pulling double-duty at the same track since October 2010 at Charlotte, where he ran the XFINITY Series race for TriStar and the Cup event for Larry Gunselman Motorsports.  Hours before the race, Green had handed The Motorsports Group its first Cup start since Atlanta in March by securing the 33rd starting spot, bumping Jeb Burton from the field.  Green would finish 40th in Sunday’s rain-postponed event, his first Cup start since New Hampshire in July 2011.

Back in TriStar’s XFINITY Series ride, Green managed just 38th in the only practice session, but made it into the second round of qualifying with the 23rd-fastest time of 121.951 mph.  Green, along with JD Motorsports’ Harrison Rhodes in the #0 teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet, did not participate in the final rounds of qualifying.  Thus, Green settled for 24th with Rhodes in 23rd.  Missing the race were Johanna Long, who was attempting to get defending Eldora Truck Series last-placer Mike Affarano into his first XFINITY Series race, and Atlanta last-placer Morgan Shepherd.

At the start of Friday’s race, 40th belonged to last-place starter Mike Harmon, who looked to be following up his last-place run at Texas when he lost touch with the field in the early laps.  Though 2 seconds behind the field, he was passed by Green, who pulled into the garage area after 2 laps.  Harmon followed suit the next time by, giving the two drivers the final spots in the field.

38th and 37th went to Derek White’s team cars, this week driven by Timmy Hill (#13 Braille Battery / Grafoid Toyota) and Carl Long (#40 Braille Lithium Battery / Sweet ‘n Surf Dodge).  Both retired without incident during the first 43 laps.  Rounding out the Bottom Five was Eric McClure, whose fuel pump issues didn’t remove his #24 Hefty Toyota from the event until after 205 of 250 circuits.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was Green’s first last-place finish in an XFINITY Series race at Richmond since April 26, 2013, when his #10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota had a vibration after 4 laps.  That race was also his third-consecutive last-place run at the track - a streak ended in September by J.J. Yeley and The Motorsports Group.
*This marks the first time an XFINITY Series driver has ever finished last due to rear gear issues.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #10-Jeff Green / 2 laps / rear gear
39) #74-Mike Harmon / 3 laps / engine
38) #13-Timmy Hill / 31 laps / engine
37) #40-Carl Long / 43 laps / brakes
36) #24-Eric McClure / 205 laps / fuel pump

2015 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Jeff Green (4)
2nd) Dexter Bean, Mike Harmon, Morgan Shepherd, Derek White (1)

2015 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #10-TriStar Motorsports (4)
2nd) #40-Motorsports Business Management, #74-Mike Harmon Racing, #89-Shepherd Racing Ventures, #92-King Autosport (1)

2015 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Toyota (4)
2nd) Chevrolet, Dodge (2)