NASCAR BGN: Jeff Green realizes risk associated with racing at Talladega
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 18, 2001Jeff Green On Talladega: Jeff Green, 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Champion and driver of the No. 10 Nestlé Nesquik Ford Taurus, knows there are risks involved when racing at superspeedways like Talladega.
"There is definitely a risk to superspeedway racing," said Green. "When you start stacking people up side-by-side, the danger risk goes up. The track is only so wide and very little handling that comes into play; it is all speed. That tends to make it four or five wide at times and you are certainly on edge all day. Racing at Talladega is such a mental game for the driver. It is extremely taxing. You have to have a fast and great handling car to get to victory lane, but the driver has make smart choices all day long or you won't be around at the end of the day."
Green and Safety Update: Green will begin using a new piece of safety equipment at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend called the Hutchins device. Bobby Hutchins, General Manager at Richard Childress Racing, developed the device. It is a head and neck restraint system made to protect the head and neck area in a forward impact crash, but the device is not a limiting as the HANS device.
"The purpose of this device is to keep my head from falling forward in a front impact crash," said Green. "Hopefully, I'll never be in a situation where it will need to be used, but I feel it is a good thing to have. If I ever have to use it, I feel it will be just as safe at the HANS device. The great part of this device is it is extremely comfortable for me. I tried the HANS device and I could never feel comfortable with it. It was so restricting. With the Hutchins device, I don't even know I have it on. The HANS device limits my head movement to turn side to side, which ultimately, limits my capabilities to drive the race car, which doesn't work for me."
Equipment: Green and his Nesquik Racing team are bringing a fairly new car to Talladega this weekend. The car has only competed in one event, which was Daytona at the beginning of the year, where it qualified 14th and finished fourth.
"I think we have a great shot at winning, because this is the same car we brought to Daytona and we had a shot at winning there," said Green. "NASCAR took away some of the spoiler the Pontiacs had in Daytona, so I think that will make the playing field a little more even. We were just as good as any Chevrolet team out there, so I think all three car makes will be more equal this time."
Harold Holly Homecoming: Harold Holly, crew chief for the No. 10 Nestlé Nesquik Ford Taurus, was born and raised in Pell City, Alabama. Harold first started working on race cars when he was eight years old at the Talladega Short Track. Holly has one win at Talladega. He was crew chief for Chad Little when Little won in the Busch Series at Talladega in 1995.
Text provided by Marcy Scott
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.