BUSCH: Milwaukee Green - Good Things Ahead

Green sees good things ahead with Team Shawn A. Akers

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (July 3, 1998) David Green isn't on any mission. He doesn't have to prove to himself, or anyone else for that matter, that he can drive a race car and put it up front.

At Watkins Glen International last week, however, vindication was certainly Green's. After he was relieved of his duties earlier this season by Buz McCall from the No. 96 Caterpillar Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Green returned to the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division in the No. 36 Stanley Tools Pontiac, and finished an impressive fifth in the Lysol 200 on the 2.45-mile road course.

The top-5 finish was a huge lift for the Owensboro, Ky., native.

"I didn't go up there with the purpose of showing anybody up or proving anything," said Green, the 1994 NASCAR Busch Series champion. "The biggest thing was go up there and mesh with Team 34 and to do my best in the Stanley Pontiac. Last on the list would be to quench my own thirst and satisfy my own self.

"A lot of good things came out of that race. It was good for me and it was great for the team. With only three hours or so of practice, I think the team responded well and I responded well. Now, we're going to go forward with this team and hopefully have a chance to win a few races this season. That's our main goal.

"At Watkins Glen, it was like I was my old self. For the last year and a quarter, it's just seemed like it's been one struggle after another. I'm so happy to be in a situation like this with Team 34, a team that we know can win races and run up front."

Following the NASCAR Winston Cup Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Green was informed by McCall that he would no longer drive the No. 96 Caterpillar Chevrolet. Green was held out of the Richmond race by McCall because McCall told Green he wanted injuries, suffered in an accident at Dover the previous week, to heal.

Soon after, Team 34 owners Frank Cicci and Scott Welliver came knocking on Green's door. Originally, Green was to drive in a one-race deal for Watkins Glen with Team 34, but the two parties agreed to have Green drive the No. 36 Stanley Tools Pontiac for the rest of the season.

Green brings a world of experience to the third-car NASCAR Busch Series operation owned by Cicci and Welliver. Mike McLaughlin, driver of the No. 34 Goulds Pump Chevrolet, was the seasoned veteran of the team at the beginning of the year, with rookie Matt Hutter driving the No. 36 Stanley Tools Pontiac and rookie Mike Cope driving the No. 30 Slim Jim Chevrolet.

Hutter struggled tremendously throughout the first part of the season, recording only one top-10 finish and only three top-20 finishes overall. He wrecked a lot of race cars as well, and that wore on both Cicci and Welliver, who eventually removed Hutter from the car.

Green appears to be a perfect fit for Team 34.

"I've experienced three great years in the Busch Series, and the biggest thing for me is to help Team 34 wrap up its first championship with Mike," Green said. "Mike has been through the wars, so I imagine that he and I are going to help each other out quite a bit. This Stanley team is not in the hunt for the championship, but we feel like we can win a few races, and that's what we're here to do. We're looking forward to a great second half of the season with this team."

     In four previous starts at The Milwaukee Mile, the site of this
Sunday's NASCAR Busch Series DieHard 250, Green has two top-5 finishes.   

Source: NASCAR Online