Hardees 250

Jeff Green had wanted to beat Mark all year long, and in the Hardee's 250, that's exactly what he did. Finally. Mind you, it was more a question of when -- rather than whether -- Green would do it. The win was Green's first this year, but he'd finished lower than fifth only once in the previous six races. Green is on a roll, so winning -- and beating Mark -- was pretty much inevitable.

"It's awesome to win any time. We've got some great Busch Series drivers and great teams, but you beat the best when you beat Mark Martin and Jeff Burton," Green said. "I've got a Winston Cup-caliber team. It's very special in my heart to have the race team I've got."

The win also stretched Green's lead in the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division standings from 39 to 73 points over Todd Bodine, but Green doesn't want to think about that right now. Win now, he figures, and the points will take care of themselves come October and November.

"The best way to think about points is to win, so that's what we did tonight," Green said. "When we get down to three or four races to go, that's probably when I'm gonna start thinking (about the championship). I've been telling everybody that it's not gonna be a great championship for us if we don't win races doing it. We want to win a bunch of races. We just don't want to win one."

Mark was strong, as always. He started sixth and was in the lead by the 24th lap, and altogether, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series regular and Busch Series dominator was out front twice for a total of 147 laps.

Bobby Hillin spun on the backstretch on lap 165, allowing Green and several others to pit under caution. Mark and five other drivers, however, stayed out. Green took the lap-172 restart in seventh, but made his way into second by passing Phil Parsons on lap 191.

Green was in the process of passing Mark for the lead on lap 194 when a multicar crash on the backstretch brought out another caution. Mark came in for service on lap 197, dropping him to 22nd on the lap-209 restart.

Buckshot Jones got by Parsons for second just after the green Mark Martin

flag came back out, and then held off a furious charge for the spot by Matt Kenseth. Jones was still in second on the last restart, which came out on lap 225, but without fourth gear, Jones couldn't get back up to speed. The problem helped Kenseth move to second.

Kenseth caught Green, but never really got a run until the last lap, when he dove to the apron coming off Turn 4. Green held on to score the win by about a tenth of a second.

"I knew that he'd have to have an awfully good run to get around me," Green said. "We'd been holding our own with him. I'd make a good lap and pull away, and he'd make a good lap to catch me. We were pretty even. My guys worked their tails off all week to get that car driving like I wanted it to. I think I might've figured out how to get around Richmond."

Rookie Kevin Harvick finished third. Mark wrestled fourth from Jason Keller on the last lap, and Steve Park, Bodine, Casey Atwood, Lyndon Amick and Parsons rounded out the top-10.

It took Green 2 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds to complete the race at an average speed of 81.023 mph. There were seven lead changes among three drivers, and eight caution flags for a total of 72 laps.


Congratulations, Jeff Green, for the win at the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series Hardee's 250 in Virginia.