XFINITY: Jeff Green continues RSS Racing’s dominance of 2017 LASTCAR XFINITY season

PHOTO: SpeedwayMedia.com

Jeff Green picked up the 92nd last-place finish of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career in Saturday’s Pocono Green 250 at the Pocono Raceway when his unsponsored #93 RSS Racing Chevrolet fell out with brake trouble after he completed 7 of 100 laps.

The finish, which came in Green’s 459th series start, was his third of the season and second in a row, moving him within two finishes of current LASTCAR XFINITY Series leader Jordan Anderson.

Green once again drove RSS Racing’s second “start-and-park” #93 Chevrolet, one of 40 entrants for the second-annual XFINITY event at Pocono.  The original entry list of 41 was reduced by one when GMS Racing withdrew the #96 Chevrolet to be driven by Ben Kennedy.  Green was the only driver not to participate in Friday’s opening practice session, but he turned in the 28th starting spot with a lap of 165.098mph.  It was the #93 team’s best starting spot since April 29, when Green put up the 25th-best time at Richmond.  The car again showed speed in final practice, his first of four laps good enough for 29th of 40.

Starting last on Saturday was Casey Mears, who was entered in place of the injured Aric Almirola in the #98 Fresh From Florida Ford.  Mears was the only driver in the field without a qualifying time, his lap disallowed after he held up Matt Tifft’s #19 Tunity Toyota on his timed lap.  Joining Mears at the rear were Garrett Smithley’s #0 Wheeling Nailers Chevrolet and David Starr’s #99 GeorgesToolRental.com Chevrolet, both sent to the rear for unapproved adjustments.

While Mears went on to pass nearly half the field, finishing on the lead lap in 21st, Green exited
the race during the opening green-flag run, citing brake failure as the issue.  Also exiting during the opening laps were 39th-place Carl Long, who drove his #13 CrashClaimsR.us / Pocono Resort Conference Center Dodge before handling issues after 12 laps, and 38th-place Morgan Shepherd in his #89 Racing With Jesus Chevrolet.  37th went to Harrison Rhodes, who had clutch issues on JD Motorsports’ unsponsored #01 Chevrolet.  Rounding out the Bottom Five was Brandon Jones, involved in one of only two accidents that day, when his #33 Anderson’s Maple Syrup / Giant Chevrolet wrecked after the 77th circuit.

LASTCAR STATISTICS
*While this marked Green’s first last-place finish in an XFINITY Series race at Pocono, the track was also the scene of his first Cup Series last-place finish on July 21, 1996, when his #14 Racing For Kids Chevrolet (fielded by Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) crashed after 2 laps of the Miller 500.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
40) #93-Jeff Green / 7 laps / brakes
39) #13-Carl Long / 12 laps / handling
38) #89-Morgan Shepherd / 16 laps / handling
37) #01-Harrison Rhodes / 49 laps / clutch
36) #33-Brandon Jones / 77 laps / crash

2017 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) RSS Racing (9)
2nd) B.J. McLeod Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, SS Green Light Racing (1)

2017 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (12)

2017 LASTCAR XFINITY SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP