Mark Green GEICO Racing Pre-Race Notes

Mark Green on Bristol Motor Speedway:

“To me, the best thing about Bristol is that you can go there and you don’t have to have an aeronautical engineer to help with your bodies. You don’t have to have the latest and greatest pull down shocks and all that stuff that everybody is being forced to go to. You just go back to the way that racing used to be. It’s just shocks and springs at Bristol. It’s back to old style racing where you don’t have to have all the engineering stuff. As a smaller team, I think these types of races are more beneficial for us.”

Mark Green on Preparing for Bristol:

“I ride my go-kart,” Green said with a giggle. “There’s really not an exercise that you can do at the gym to prepare yourself for Bristol. It’s so hard on your neck. A lot of people feel like the g-forces try to throw you out the side of the window because you’re turning left. But it’s really weird because the g-forces actually try to push you down in the seat. The first five races help get you acquainted to the stresses of the race car.”

Mark Green on Strenuous Short-Track Racing:

“I’ve never run a 500 lap race at Bristol, but I’m sure that’s pretty hard on you. Just the 300 laps that the Busch cars run there, you’re wore slam out. On the flip side of that, if you’ve got a really good race car it’s easier to drive. The guys that run up front are having the easiest time of it because their cars are better and they don’t have to fight it so hard.”

Mark Green’s Bristol Analogy:

“From the driver’s seat, it’s like being chased by a swarm of honey bees that you can’t get away from. You’re looking back and forth; you’re watching this and watching that. Everything is happening so quickly. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye, so you really need to be alert and stay on top of your game.”

Mark Green’s Appearance Agenda:

Thousands of race fans are planning to attend Food City Family Race Nights to kick off NASCAR weekend in the tri-cities area. Several NASCAR celebrities will be on hand to sign autographs at two events, the first held on Wednesday, March 22nd at the Expo Center in Knoxville, Tenn. and the second on Thursday, March 23rd at the Meadowview Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn. The GEICO show car will be on display at both venues.

Mark Green on Food City’s Fanfest:

“Food City puts on a good show,” said Green who will be signing autographs from 6-8 p.m. in Knoxville, Tenn. on Wednesday and from 5-7 p.m. in Kingsport, Tenn. on Thursday. “The fans come out in droves so that makes it better for the drivers because they are enthusiastic about it. There are a lot of people who come out to see the driver’s so that makes it fun.”