Mark Green Looks To Nashville as a Homecoming

Mark Green will have a lot of friends and family in attendance as he and the rest of the Busch Series head to the new Nashville Superspeedway for the inaugural Pepsi 300 this weekend. Green grew up just a couple of hours north of the track in Owensboro, Kentucky. "It (Nashville) is like going home for me because it is pretty close to where we grew up. I have gotten to know a lot of people just through the years of racing in Nashville as well, so that makes it feel more like home too," said Green.

The new 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway replaces the old Nashville Speedway USA, which is a much shorter .596-mile oval. The movement from the short-tracks to the larger speedways comes as a result of the growing popularity of NASCAR racing. As more fans attend races, bigger speedways are built to accommodate the number of fans who would like to attend.

The result is the removal of the more historic tracks on the NASCAR circuit, including Nashville Speedway USA, and what a history it has. The speedway hosted Winston Cup events from 1958-1984 with drivers such as Richard Petty claiming victories there. The track has also seen legends like Coo Coo Marlin, Darrell Waltrip, Sterling Marlin and Bobby Hamilton become track champions at one time, dating back to 1958.

Green says he will miss the old speedway. "I would rather go back to the old track (Nashville Speedway USA) because every week it seems like we go to the same mile/mile and a half tri-ovals that are going up everywhere these days. I enjoy a little variety, where you go to a superspeedway one week and then a short track the next. Nashville Speedway USA has a lot of history for me, and for racing in general. I will really miss racing there."

The new speedway remains a little bit of a mystery to many drivers on the series who will drive on the track for the first time on Thursday. "I have not really heard a lot about it (Nashville Superspeedway). I've been told it is like Las Vegas in a way, but it is concrete. Most of us do not know what to expect this weekend," said Green.

Green and the #55 crew will see their first track-time at the new Nashville Superspeedway on Thursday with two practice sessions. Qualifying takes place on Friday for Saturday's inaugural Pepsi 300. Green just hopes going home will give him and the #55 crew the boost they need to get that elusive first top-five of the year.