Jeff Green and the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing team hopes their bad luck is behind them after the running of Thursday’s Gatorade 150 race at Daytona International Speedway.
With five laps remaining in the first of the two 60-lap qualifying races, Green’s No. 66 Blue Ox Chevrolet suffered damage when Ward Burton’s car slammed into the outside retaining wall and came back across the track, hitting the right front of Green’s entry.
Green managed to maintain control of his car and drove to pit road for repairs. There, the Haas CNC Racing pit crew did its best to fix the damage and return Green to the race for the final few laps. In spite of the crew’s best efforts, Crew Chief Harold Holly determined there was a possibility the car’s fender could rub the right front tire enough to cause a flat.
When a race tire goes flat under green flag conditions, it can sometimes disintegrate and do severe damage to the car’s body. To avoid this possibility and preserve the car for Sunday’s Daytona 500 NEXTEL Cup Series race, Holly instructed Green to bring the No. 66 Chevrolet to the garage area.
“It’s very frustrating, †Green said. “The car was tight after we got four or five laps on the tires, and we’re definitely going to need to change our setup to be good for 500 miles on Sunday. We just got back there in the field and were in the wrong place at the wrong time when Ward (Burton) had his trouble. The damage is just cosmetic, so I know the guys will have it fixed before practice tomorrow. â€
Green was credited with a 25th-place finish in the race, but since his team finished in the top-35 in points last season, it is guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500. Green will roll off from the 16th-row, in 31st position, in Sunday’s 500-mile “Great American Race. â€
Green’s teammate, Johnny Sauter, will start 41st in the No. 70 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet, marking the first time Haas CNC Racing has fielded multiple cars for the Daytona event.
Green and his team have two more practice sessions to dial in the car’s setup before Sunday’s race. The Cup teams take to the track for a 60-minute practice session on Friday, followed by an 85-minute practice on Saturday morning.
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