Green outlasts rain for solid finish at Bristol

Bristol, Tenn. – Mark Green waited through two rain delays and several cautions en route to a 28th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in the #23 BMAR Chevrolet.

With a mixture of good fortune and driving skill, Green kept plugging away at the ‘World’s Fastest Half Mile’ and was one of 30 cars to finish on the lead lap. It capped an impressive day for Green who had to turn in one of the most exciting qualifying laps of the day just to make the race.

As Green was coming out of turn four to complete his first qualifying lap the car got loose and the rear end began to slide up the track. Green quickly brought it back, but couldn’t slow down for fear of not making the race. The rear end went back the other way and the car slid across the finish line with time to spare before Green brought it back under control. He qualified in 33rd position but was forced to go to the back of the field after changing engines.

“It got a bit hairy for a second,” said Green. “I felt the rear end start to go but I knew if I slowed down it would ruin both qualifying laps. I took a chance on getting the first lap in and it paid off.”

Green’s crew chief wasn’t quite as modest.

“That was a great save,” said crew chief Jeff Schmidt. “The easiest thing to do would have been to just get it under control and bring it in but Mark knew we needed that lap. There aren’t many drivers who could have pulled that off.”

Ryan Newman won the race by holding off challenges from Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. It was his third consecutive Nascar Busch Series victory.