Haas CNC Racing Jeff Green Michigan Preview

Topics:  Jeff Green, Citizens Bank 400

Anthony Fontanelle
June 14, 2007

Jeff Green, the #66 Best Buy Chevrolet Monte Carlo pilot for Haas CNC Racing, has drove at Pocono Raceway this past weekend. Green struggled to get the 21st position before an electrical trouble dropped him to a 32nd-place finish when the race was called due to rainfall.

At the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, the No. 66 sport a special paint design to support the kickoff of a Best Buy fundraising campaign for Fisher House, a foundation that establishes ‘comfort homes’ to offer lodging for families of hospitalized military members. The car could not flaunt a striking Chevrolet pickup bra, but it could exhibit something more powerful.

What is more, Best Buy is also supporting Fisher House through hands-on volunteer opportunities for Best Buy employees at Fisher House locations, and other activities. “We’re putting the Fisher House logo on the car to remind everyone to make a donation. One of the best ways to support the troops is by helping their loved ones, and that’s exactly what Fisher House does,” said Green.

Green added, “Someone explained it to me like this: Let’s say there’s a military member from California, but he’s stationed in Virginia and has to be hospitalized. For his family in California to be able to come see him, it costs a lot of money. Without Fisher House, a lot of families wouldn’t be able to afford to make the trip.”

The #66 Best Buy Chevrolet Monte Carlo pilot has this to say about Michigan: “I like the place. I’m not sure why we haven’t done as well here. We ran pretty well here when I drove for (Richard) Childress. I guess we’ve just never been able to get the right package at the right time.”

Green talks about some frustrating finishes: “Well, it would be different if our cars weren’t good. We’ve had some pretty decent race cars these past three or four races, but mistakes have taken us out of contention.” He added, “At Dover and at Pocono, problems on pit road cost us. At Dover, it was my fault, but this past weekend, we just had a couple of bad pit stops. It’s frustrating, but the guys are trying, so it’s hard to come down too hard on them. You just have to know that there’s a fresh chance every race to perform better, and that’s what motivates you.”

What does the team anticipate in the Michigan race? “I like all the speedways. The surface of Michigan is porous, so it treats the tire kind of like Darlington (Raceway) does,” said Crew Chief Harold Holly.

The team is dropping significant points and Holly noted: “You have to accept the reality of the situation. We had a fast car at Charlotte and were coming up through the field, but we got caught up in an accident. At Dover, once we got our tire issue and our pit road issue out of the way, our lap times would have put us in the top-15. At Pocono, we didn’t unload like we needed to, but that was my first trip to Pocono in a couple of years, so I had some catching up to do in terms of relearning the track.”

He added, “It’s been mistakes that have cost us, so I just emphasize the importance of trying to eliminate mistakes. It’s not like we haven’t had some fast cars, but mistakes are just killing us. The pit crew guys have been focusing on the fundamentals and drilling on those. Our pit stops are an issue, but it’s one we’re working hard to straighten out.”

Source:  Amazines.com