The 23rd Annual NASCAR Nextel Media Tour
concluded on Thursday with a breakfast hosted by Haas CNC
Racing, who presented their new sponsor and driver for the
2006 season.
Jeff Green will pilot the no. 66 Chevrolet with
sponsorship from Best Buy, who will serve as primary sponsor for
the car for a minimum of 12 races during the upcoming season.
“This is really good news for me and our team,”
said Green, the 2000 Busch Series champion. “Joining Best Buy
Haas CNC Racing was a real thrill for me. We have the makings of a very
good team. With Bootie (Barker) as my crew chief, and a terrific crew
and equipment to work with, I know I’m going to
have a good year.”
Green, who spent the last two years driving for Petty
Enterprises, has been testing with the team since leaving PE at
the end of last season, becoming the fourth full-time driver in
the four-year history of the team. The move reunites Green with
Harold Holly, crew chief of Haas CNC’s Busch Series team who
served as Green’s crew chief during his Busch Series championship
run.
“My contract was up at the end of last year, and I waited on
Kyle (Petty) for an answer on a new deal, but to be prepared for
this year I had to get myself working on finding something on my
own,” said Green. “By August I had to make a decision and
(Petty) hadn’t gave me one yet, so just started looking and the
more I thought about it and the more I looked into Haas I liked
what I was seeing, and having Harold (Holly) and Bootie really
gave me a lot of confidence.
“Everyone that I’ve seen at that shop since I’ve been there has
an eye for winning and being competitive and that’s what I’ve missed
or the last couple of years.”
Under the new testing rules for 2006 limiting all teams to just
six scheduled tests, Barker believes single-car operations such
as theirs could benefit the most.
“You look at a team like Roush, with five two-day tests, four
one day tests, and then you got five cars. That’s 45 tests.
There’s only 36 races, so what they could do is cover every
track with a car in their stable,” said Barker. “With a single
car team, you only had nine tests – last year. This year, you
have six tests and all the teams have to go to the same place.”
Haas CNC Racing recently began construction on a new 140,000
square-foot facility in Kannapolis, N.C. to house their Nextel
Cup and Busch Series teams.
The author can be contacted
petem@autoracing1.com
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