David vs. the
Monster
David Finishes 11th at
Dover
Dover, DE (June
4, 2005)- It’s a
little known fact that
when the Dover
International Speedway
switched from asphalt
to concrete they tried
to change their name
from the Monster Mile
to White Lightning.
It never stuck because
the track will always
be a monster. The
track is so steep and
intimidating and right
when you think you’re
safe, it will bite
down and you’re done.
Racing veteran David
Green and the #27
Kleenex®/Scott®
products team were up
to the challenge.
After practicing in
the top-ten all week
long, David looked
forward to doing the
same thing in the
race. However, one
miscue in the pits,
compounded with
uncooperative lapped
traffic, had David
settle for an 11th
place finish.
After finishing
practice with the
sixth and seventh
fastest lap time, the
#27 Kleenex® team had
high hopes of starting
in the top-five in the
MBNA 200.
Unfortunately, rain
poured down and
canceled qualifying.
The field was set by
owner’s points, which
put David 13th
on the starting grid.
Green said, “We have
had such bad luck with
our qualifying results
this year… I really
felt we had a great
chance to win the
pole.”
When the green flag
dropped, David
rocketed by the car in
front of him to take
over the 12th
spot. He battled to
get in the top-10
until the first
caution came out on
lap 26. Like all the
leaders, the Kleenex®
Ford Taurus came into
pit. The team took 4
tires, gas and took
one rubber out of the
left rear to loosen up
the car. Even though
he was gaining
positions in the
field, David said the
car wasn’t getting
into the turns like he
wanted. When David
exited pit row, he was
in 11th
position.
The green flag waved
on lap 31 and Green
battled to break into
the top-10. On lap 34
the yellow flag waved
again and the #27 team
decided not to pit,
putting Green in the 9th
position. The race
restarted on lap 42.
The adjustments made
on the previous pit
stop did not produce
the results that
Stewart had hoped. On
lap 49, David’s car
was still too tight.
Cooper decided they
would fix the problem
on the next caution.
As luck would have it,
the yellow flag came
out on lap 58. The
Kleenex®/ GIANT Ford
Taurus came into the
pits on lap 60. Along
with changing all four
tires and filling the
car with fuel, the
crew put one round of
wedge into the left
side of the car. The
team bobbled changing
the front tire,
putting David in 21st
place for the
restart. Cooper came
on the radio and said,
“Guys keep your heads
up, we still have a
chance to win this.”
On lap 63 the race
went back to green.
David fought to get
back up to the top-10
but lapped traffic
slowed his efforts.
On top of that,
David’s car was still
too tight. David got
on the radio and said,
“Stew we need to take
that round of wedge
back out of the car.
It didn’t help that
much.” The team got
another chance to make
adjustments on lap 100
when caution came out
due to a wreck on the
speedway. The crew
gave David four
sticker tires and gas,
along with taking out
one round of wedge out
of the left side of
the car. He exited 18th,
three positions higher
than they entered the
pits.
The race only went 35
more laps before
another yellow flag
was flown. It came at
a perfect time because
the car still wasn’t
handling the way Green
would have liked.
Stewart knew that this
was their last chance
to get the car set up
correctly. Green came
into the pits on lap
138 and took four
scuff tires and gas.
The team also took the
track bar up one
round, hoping to
loosen up the racecar.
David exited the pits
17th.
During the last 60
laps of the race, the
yellow flag waved
three more times.
These cautions allowed
the lapped cars to
pile up in front of
Green. Green did his
best to maneuver his
way through race
traffic. David was
consistently running
lap times as fast as
the leaders and was
able to get up to 11th.
Green ran out of time
but was on the pace to
get in the top-10 if
not the top-five.
Green said, “I’m proud
of my team for
bringing me a solid,
consistent race car!
As we unloaded, I
could tell the car was
very comfortable and
solid. My team & I
were pumped up for a
great weekend. For
the first time since
Las Vegas & California
our mock qualifying
runs were really
exciting and fun to
drive! We were a
solid contender for
the pole, but rain
took care of that!”
Green added, “The
balance of our car for
the start of the race
was not bad, but we
were still fighting
tight through the
center of the corner,
but as I moved up into
the 2nd and
3rd lane
through the corner,
the car liked it up
there. Our first stop
we pulled a rubber out
of the left-rear
spring and after that
the car was now
cutting pretty good.
After our first pit
stop, the rest were
ok, but we lost
positions each time it
seemed. The best our
car performed was
during the last run
which we elected to
run scuffs instead of
stickers. I’m proud
of Stewart and the
guys for preparing me
a solid competitive
racecar for Dover.
We’ll button down and
work hard on our pit
stops and continue to
scratch and claw our
way into the top-10.”
Media Contact
Bill Virtue
SMC 500
O: 910-692-4600
C: 910-690-9009
bvirtue@smc500.com
