Chicagoland
CHICAGOLAND UPDATE
JOLIET, Ill. - Mark Green and ML Motorsports kicked off a three-race stretch in which they will race close to their Midwest roots.
Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy owned by Mary Louise Miller and her daughter Stephany Mullen, finished 22nd in Friday's Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
Chicagoland Speedway is located a little over two hours from the ML Motorsports shop in Warsaw, Ind. Green and Team 70 will next compete in next weekend's Nationwide Series race at Gateway International Raceway, located across the river from St. Louis. That race will be followed by a bump-and-bang short-track battle at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, the track that ML Motorsports considers its home track.
Kyle Busch won Friday night's race, which was the first night race in the history of Chicagoland Speedway, which hosted its first race in 2001. Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers and David Reutimann rounded out the top five. Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart and Landon Cassill finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Green and Team 70 have competed in 11 NASCAR Nationwide Series races together this season, finishing worse than 28th just twice. In their last seven races, Green and ML Motorsports have finished 22nd or better six times.
Next week they will race at Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis, followed by the July 26 race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Both Chicagoland and ORP are two and a half hours from the team's Northern Indiana shop.
GREEN, TEAM 70 COMING HOME TO MIDWEST TRACKS
For the next three weeks, veteran driver Mark Green and ML Motorsports will race in the Midwest.
Last week they raced in Daytona Beach, where some of NASCAR's deepest roots lie, now Green and Team 70 will race close to some of their deepest roots.
Green, who grew up in Owensboro, Ky., and the Warsaw, Indiana-based team will compete in Friday's Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Next week they will race at Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis, followed by the July 26 race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Both Chicagoland and ORP are two and a half hours from the team's Northern Indiana shop.
To date this season, Green and Team 70 have competed in 10 Nationwide Series races, with their best finish coming in the form of a fifth-place finish at Talladega in April. They have also finished 13th at The Milwaukee Mile and 14th at Nashville Superspeedway.
Friday's race is scheduled to air live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. EDT.
Daytona July 2008
GREEN, TEAM 70 FINISH 30th
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - There were very few fireworks for Mark Green and the ML Motorsports team. Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach car owned by Mary Louise Miller and Stephany Mullen, finished 30th in Friday night's Winn-Dixie 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
It wasn't the finish Green and Team 70 were looking for, especially after coming home fifth in the previous restrictor plate race at Talladega Superspeedway in April, but they did load the car back into the hauler without any major damage. (When Green and Team 70 were in Daytona for the season-opener, they left Daytona with two wrecked race cars, as Green was caught up in a wreck in practice and the race.) Friday night he didn't have such bad luck, but he also couldn't get the car to handle the way he wanted to.
Denny Hamlin won the 100-lap race at the famed 2.5-mile track, followed in the top five by Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski.
"I was excited about coming here, especially after the way we ran at Talladega," said Green. "I guess you can't bring a good Talladega car here. The tracks are too different."
Green and Team 70 will now turn their attention to another Friday night race, this one at Chicagoland Speedway.
GREEN QUALIFIES 39th FOR THE WINN-DIXIE 250
GREEN POSTED THE 10th QUICK LAP IN FIRST PRACTICE AT DAYTONA
The final practice session at Daytona International Speedway was rained out. The team will prepare for qualifying on Friday at 1:05 pm and the race at 8:00 pm.
Milwaukee Mile
GREEN, TEAM 70 SCORE A TOP 15 FINISH
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - It may not be the luckiest number, but Mark Green and the ML Motorsports team were happy to leave The Milwaukee Mile with a 13th-place finish in Saturday night's Camping World RV Rental 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
Green, in the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy owned by Mary Louise Miller and Stephany Mullen, the only mother-daughter ownership team in NASCAR, qualified 19th and drove to he and the Warsaw, Indiana-based teams third top 15 in their last five starts.
Carl Edwards won the race, followed in the top five by Joe Logano, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan and David Reutimann. Scott Wimmer finished sixth, while Mike Bliss, Brad Keselowski, Jason Keller and Jason Leffler rounded out the top 10.
It was the ninth start of the season for Green and Team 70, who have finished no worse than 22nd in their last five starts.
Saturday's race was also the one-year anniversary of Green taking over the driving duties for ML Motorsports in which Green finished 21st in his ML Motorsports debut at The Milwaukee Mile in 2007.
Green and Team 70 will be in action again Friday July 4 in the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway, as the team prepares to go from the one-mile flat track in Milwaukee to a high-banked 2.5-mile track in Florida that should provide exciting restrictor plate racing under the lights. In their last restrictor plate race, Green and Team 70 finished fifth at Talladega in April.
QUALIFYING
Green and Team 70 will start the race in the 19th position as Mark circled the mile track at a laptime of 30.132 (119.474 mph). Brad Kesolowski will start from the pole with Mike Bliss starting second, followed by Landon Cassill, Jason Keller, and David Reutimann.
MILWAUKEE PRACTICE
Final Practice Session
Mark Green posted the 23rd quickest practice time with a lap time of 30.692 seconds during the final practice at the Milwaukee Mile. Indiana-native David Stremme was quickest followed by Eric Darnell, Mike Skinner, Mike Bliss, and Landon Cassill in the top five.
Qualifying is scheduled for 5:35 pm (ET) with the race slated to begin at 8:30 pm (ET) and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
First Practice Session
Mark Green was 21st quickest in the first practice session at the Milwauke Mile with a lap time of 30.555 seconds. Brad Keselowski was fastest, follwed in the top five by Soctt Wimmer, Mike Skinner, Mike Bliss, and Jason Leffler.
TEAM 70 HEADING TO THE MILWAUKEE MILE
WARSAW, Ind. - Last week's race at Kentucky Speedway was a homecoming for Mark Green, who hails from Owensboro, Ky. Saturday's race at The Milwaukee Mile will be an anniversary for Green and ML Motorsports.
One year ago, Green drove his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race for the Warsaw, Indiana-based team, finishing 21st in the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy owned by the mother/daughter team of Mary Louise Miller and Stephany Mullen. The past year has been a growing and learning process for ML Motorsports, a team that competed in its first Nationwide Series race in 2006, and Green's experience has been a big plus.
Saturday Green and Team 70 will return to The Milwaukee Mile, taking with them the hopes of another strong finish. In their last four starts, Green and Team 70 have finished now worse than 22nd. Included in that stretch is a fifth-place run at Talladega.
Saturday's Camping World RV Rental 250 is scheduled to roll off at 8:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying is slated for 5:35 ET. There will be two practice sessions Saturday morning, the first starting at 9 a.m.
Kentucky June 2008
KENTUCKY UPDATE
Race Results:
Sparta, Kentucky - Mark Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy owned by Mary Louise Miller and Stephany Mullen, finished 22nd in Saturday night's Meijer 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
For Green, who qualified 18th, it was a homecoming of sorts to be racing at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway. Green, like Darrell and Michael Waltrip and Jeremy Mayfield, grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky before making the move to North Carolina.
After last weekend's 14th-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway, Green talked about wanting to do well in front of family and friends in Kentucky. Problems with the handling in turn three kept the #70 Foretravel Chevrolet from gaining ground and coming away with a top 20 finish. Green and the members of team 70 wish they had finished better than 22nd at Kentucky, but have said they are getting closer and closer in their quest for consistent top 15 finishes.
Green and Team 70 will be in action again Saturday in the AT&T 250 at the Milwaukee Mile.
Qualifying Results:
Sparta, Kentucky - Mark Green will start 18th in tonights Meijer 300 after posting a qualifying laptime of 31.299 seconds (172.529 mph. Rookie, Joey Logano, starts on the pole for the second week in a row followed by Jason Keller, Marcos Ambrose, David Stremme, and Brad Coleman.
PRACTICE RESULTS:
Sparta, Kentucky - Mark Green was 13th quick in the only practice session with a quick laptime of 31.112 seconds (173.566 mph). Cale Gale was quickest, followed by Jeremy Clements (subbing for Kyle Busch), David Stremme, Landon Cassill, and Jason Keller.
Sparta, Kentucky - Practice has been rescheduled for Saturday at 10:00 - 11:30 am due to rain. Qualifying is slated for 5:10 pm with the race starting at 8:30 pm.
KENTUCKY PREVIEW
WARSAW, Ind. - Mark Green and ML Motorsports started their busy summer schedule with a top 15 finish Saturday at Nashville, now they're ready to keep the pedal to the metal as they head to Kentucky Speedway this weekend.
Green and Team 70 will be in the Bluegrass State for Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series Meijer 300, the second race in a stretch that has the running seven of eight races in June and July. The race will air live Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The race is special for Green, as he hails from Owensboro, Kentucky, while the team's shop in northern Indiana isn't all that far from the 1.5-mile track either.
After a one-month hiatus from competition, Green and Team 70 returned to the track Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, where Green piloted the Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy to a 14th-place finish after qualifying 19th. Both efforts bettered what Green and the team did at Nashville during the spring race when Green qualified 29th and finished 26th.
This weekend will be Green's first attempt at Kentucky Speedway in the Mary Louise Miller/Stephany Mullen-owned car.
Nashville Superspeedway
LEBANON, Tenn. - Opening a hectic two-month schedule, Mark Green and ML Motorsports scored a 14th-place finish in Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Green and Team 70, who are scheduled to run 21 of the 35 Nationwide Series races this season, hadn't been at the track since they qualified fourth and finished 22nd after a late-race tire problem in May. Saturday's race started a stretch in which Green and Team 70 will run seven of the next eight Nationwide Series races. The team, with its new motor program, was happy about the way they opened their busy June-July stretch, qualifying 19th and finishing 14th. "Brian (Ross, crew chief) and the guys at the shop have been working really hard to make us better," said Green. "I want to thank Brian and the guys at the shop for working so hard. The new motor program really helped. The car wasn't exactly right, but it's close to where we need it to be. We're definitely getting better." Green and Team 70 competed in the spring race at Nashville, qualifying 29th and finishing 26th. With the new motor program and the entire team's hard work, Green was able to drive the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy to a top 15 finish. "Every week, things are getting better at the shop and at the track," said Team Manager Tony Barnes. "Things are getting better, and we're pleased with the direction the team is headed." Green and Team 70 will return to action this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, a special place for Green as he is from Owensboro, Kentucky. Following the stop in the Bluegrass State, the team will race at Milwaukee, Daytona, Chicago, Gateway, and O'Reilly Raceway Park. "It's a pretty hectic schedule," said crew chief Brian Ross. "We're going to go to the track each week and keep getting better. That's what we're here to do, keep getting better."GREEN FINISHES 14th AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY!
GREEN QUALIFIES 19th AT NASHVILLE
Green ran a laptime of 30.57 seconds (156.977 mph) placing him on the inside of row 10 to start tonights race at Nashville Superspeedway. The Federated Auto Parts 300 will be broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 7:30 pm (ET).
PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF IN PRACTICE
LEBANON, Tenn. - Patience and persistence paid off in practice Friday evening for Mark Green and the ML Motorsports team. Laboring through a two-hour practice session in which the sun was out and then it cooled off and turned to night-time conditions, Green and Team 70 found a setup they like for tonight's Federated AutoParts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
"We made some adjustments, and we were still on 50-lap tires," said Green. "I think it'll race good." Green finished the final practice session 17th quick on the board, but as he said, the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy was on 50-lap old tires. With those 50-lap old tires on the car, Green turned his quickest lap of the practice session just minutes before the session was over. In the first portion of the practice session, when the sun was out and the air temperature was in the 90s, Green didn't turn as many laps as some of the other teams. The idea was to turn more laps in the final practice, which would be the time of tonight's race, and more race-like conditions with the sun being out and then setting and the temperatures falling.
"We took it slow to get him comfortable," said Team Manager, Tony Barnes. "We didn't want to get too far off. At Richmond, we were first in practice, but then we weren't as fast in the race. We wanted to wait and turn some laps in the final practice when it's later and cooler, like it's going to be in the race. We didn't even make a qualifying run. We turned our fastest lap of the day on 50-lap tires. Everyone's hard work paid off. Everybody's really happy where the car is now."
Richmond International Raceway May 2008
GREEN, TEAM 70 FINISH 22nd AT RICHMOND
RICHMOND, Va. - With Mark Green behind the wheel of the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy, ML Motorsports finished 22nd in Friday night's Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.
Denny Hamlin won the race at the .75-mile short track, followed in the top five by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Steven Wallace and David Ragan.
Green and Team 70 entered with the momentum of a career-best
fifth-place finish last week at Talladega and started the day Friday by
posting the quickest speed in practice and then qualifying a
career-best fourth for the 43-car field. The Warsaw, Indiana-based
team's previous best qualifying effort was a seventh-place spot last
year
at Bristol.
A flat right rear tire on lap 168, as well as the car not responding to changing track conditions, left the team with a 22nd-place finish after they started the day so well. The next race on the schedule for Green and Team 70 is the June 7 Federated Auto Parts 300.
submitted 5/2/08 by Dale Hubler
GREEN STARTS 4th IN THE LIPTON TEA 250
Richmond, VA - Following a 5th place finish at Talladega, Mark Green will start 4th in the Lipton Tea 250 after posting a qualifying run of 21.659 seconds, at a speed of 124.659. Green was fastest in the practice session this morning with a quick lap time of 21.646 seconds, a speed of 124.792 mph
Kasey Kahne will start from the pole, followed by Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Green, and Clint Bowyer. The Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet is the fastest Chevrolet in the starting lineup.
"The car is handling well and Richmond is a great short track" states Green after his qualifying run. "I'm looking forward to running the #70 car in tonights race because it's handling so well. Brian and the crew did a great job getting the car ready for short track racing".
Start time for the Lipton Tea 250 is scheduled for 7:00 pm and will be broadcast on ESPN Classic and SPEED.
GREEN FASTEST IN RICHMOND PRACTICE
Richmond, VA - During the only practice session at Richmond International Raceway, Mark Green and Team 70 posted the quickest lap time of 21.646 seconds, a speed of 124.792 mph. Mark was followed in the top five by Kasey Kahne, Mike Bliss, Landon Cassill, and Kyle Busch. Qualifying is slated for 4:05 pm; the race is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm tonight. The Lipton Tea 250 will be broadcast on ESPN Classic and SPEED.GREEN, TEAM 70 TAKING MOMENTUM TO RICHMOND
WARSAW, Ind. - Although Talladega Superspeedway and Richmond International Raceway are drastically different, Mark Green and ML Motorsports will take momentum from one to the other this weekend.Following a fifth-place finish in this past weekend's Aaron's 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, Green and Team 70 will steer toward Virginia, where they will participate in Friday evening's Lipton Tea 250 at the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway.
The fifth-place finish at Talladega was the best-ever finish in a NASCAR race for ML Motorsports. Their previous best was a 19th-place effort at Gateway in 2007 with Green behind the wheel.
Practice for Friday's race is scheduled for Friday at 8:45 am, while qualifying is slated for 4:05 pm. The race will get underway at 7:30 pm and will be broadcast on ESPN Classic and SPEED.
Talladega Superspeedway 2008
GREEN, TEAM 70 SCORE 5th PLACE FINISH AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY!!!
TALLADEGA, Ala. - In a car rebuilt after it was in a multi-car crash in the season-opener at Daytona, ML Motorsports driver Mark Green finished fifth in Saturday's Aaron's 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The fifth-place finish was the best finish in the short NASCAR career of the Warsaw, Indiana-based ML Motorsports team, topping the team's previous best finish of 19th at Gateway with Green behind the wheel during the 2007 season.
Tony Stewart, who held off a last-lap charge from Dale Earnhardt Jr., won Saturday's race, followed the top five by David Stremme, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Jason Leffler and Green. Earnhardt finished sixth.
In giving ML Motorsports its best-ever finish, Green also moved up nine spots in the 2008 driver standings, and now stands 40th after competing in five of 10 races so far this season. Green and Team 70's previous best finish this season was a 24th-place effort at Bristol. Green and ML Motorsports have also competed in races this season at Daytona (41st), Nashville (26th) and Texas (28th).
In the race at Daytona, Green was caught up in a multi-car crash in both practice and the race. The northern Indiana-based team had to re-clip and rebuild their primary restrictor-plate car, and judging by Saturday's finish, the team has plenty of reasons to be proud of their efforts.
Green and Team 70 will now turn their attention to a short track race, as they will look to make their sixth start of the season Friday at Richmond International Raceway.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Mark Green, driving the #70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet, qualified 26th Friday afternoon for Saturday's Aarons 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Green made his way around the high-banked, 2.66-mile track in 52.69 seconds at a speed of 181.728 mph. Green will start on the outside of row 13 next to Steven Wallace. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole for the race, followed in the top five by Mike Bliss, Jason Leffler, Dario Franchitti, and Brad Kesolowski.
The Aarons 312 is scheduled to air live on ABC at 3:00 pm ET.
2nd Practice
ML Motorsports driver Mark Green was 17th quick in Thursday's final NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at Talladega Superspeedway.
Green, driving the #70 Biomet/Foretravel Chevy, turned a lap of 50.337 seconds, a speed of 190.238 mph, around the high-banked, 2.66-mile superspeedwway.
Jason Leffler was the fastest of the 43 cars that turned laps, followed in the top five by Mike Bliss, Marcos Ambrose, Cale Gale, and Mike Wallace.
Qualifying for Saturday's Aaron's 312 is scheduled for today 5:05 pm ET. Saturday's is slated to air live on ABC at 3:00 pm ET.
GREEN, TEAM 70 18th-QUICK IN FIRST 'DEGA PRACTICE
Talladega-AL - Mark Green, driving the #70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet, turned the 18th-quickest lap in Thursdays first practice session at Talladega Superspeedway.
Green, driving for Warsaw, Indiana-bases ML Motorsports, circled the 2.66 mile superspeedway in 50.344 seconds at a speed of 190.211 mph.
Steven Wallace was fastest in Thursday's first practice session, followed in the top five by Jason Leffler, Marcos Ambrose, David Reutimann, and Mike Wallace.
GREEN, TEAM 70 GOIN' PLATE RACIN' AT TALLADEGA
With the disappointment of Daytona behind them, Mark Green and the ML Motorsports team are anxious for Saturday's Aaron's 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Green qualified 12th for the season opener at Daytona, a solid quailifying effort against a number of Nextel Cup drivers who were entered in the Nationwide Series race.
Unfortunate things tend to happen at Daytona though, and Green was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time twice during Speedweeks in February, leaving the Indiana-based team with two badly wrecked cars in practice and the race. Green and Team 70 left Daytona with a 41st place finish.
This weekend they will have the opportunity to go restrictor plate racing again in the Aaron's 312 at Talladega. The first practice session is scheduled for Thursday afternoon for 4:00 pm ET, while qualifying is slated for 5:05 pm ET Friday. The Aaron's 312 is scheduled for 3:00 pm ET Saturday and will be shown live on ABC.
This will be the fifth start of the season for Green and ML Motorsports, who have also made starts this season at Daytona, Bristol, Nashville, and Texas. Following this weekend's race at the popular 2.66-mile Alabama speedplant, ML Motorsports will be at Richmond International Raceway for the Lipton Tea 250 on May 2nd.
Texas Motor Speedway
GREEN, TEAM 70 FINISH 28th AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Fort Worth, Texas - A race in which only 14 of 43 cars finished on the lead lap, ML Motorsports driver Mark Green earned a 28th place finish in Saturday's O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Green, driving the Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach No. 70 Chevrolet, started the 300-mile event in the 42nd spot after Thursday's qualifying was rained out. Saturday's race was the seventh race on the 2008 Nationwide Series schedule. Green and ML Motorsports have competed in four races this season, Daytona, Bristol, Nashville, and Texas.
A race that was dominated by Kevin Harvick, who broke an axle coming off pit road, Kyle Busch dominated the latter stages of the event and took the checkered flag for the first time this season. Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte, and Jaime McMurray rounded out the top five. David Reutimann, in the 14th position, was the last car on the lead lap.
Green and ML Motorsports will be in action again on April 26th in the Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, where restrictor plates slow the cars down and keep them in large packs. In the last restrictor plate race Green and ML Motorsports competed in, the season opener at Daytona, Green qualified 12th and was running mid-pack when he was involved in a multi-car crash.
submitted by Dale Hubler 4/6/08
QUALIFYING RAINED OUT, GREEN TO START 42nd AT TEXAS
Fort Worth, Texas - Weather forced the cancellation of Thursday's NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway but won't keep ML Motorsports driver Mark Green from starting Saturday's race.
Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet, will start 42nd in Saturday's O'Reilly 300, the seventh race on the 35-race Nationwide Series schedule.
Saturday's start will be the fourth start of the season for Green and ML Motorsports, who have also competed this season at Daytona, Bristol, and Nashville.
Green and ML Motorsports competed in the fall race at Texas during the 2007, qualifying 32nd and finishing 36th at the super-fast 1.5-mile track.
Coverage of Saturday's O'Reilly 300 is scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm ET on ESPN2.
GREEN 30TH IN TEXAS PRACTICE SESSION
Fort Worth, Texas- Rain forced NASCAR officials to combine the first scheduled practice and Happy Hour into one segment for the NASCAR Nationwide Series today Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Forty-four cars took times during the weather-altered practice, with ML Motorsports driver Mark Green claiming the 30th-quick spot on the board.
Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet circled the 1.5-mile track in 30.434 seconds at a speed of 177.433 miles per hour.
David Reutimann turned the quickest lap, followed in the top five by Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, and Robby Gordon.
Saturday's O'Reilly 300 is scheduled to air live on ESPN2 at 3:00 pm ET. Qualifying for Saturday's event is scheduled for 7:00 pm ET Thursday (weather permitting).
It's been said that everything is bigger in Texas. When Mark Green
and ML Motorsports roll into the Lonestar State for this weekend's
O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway it will be a big deal for the
Warsaw, Indiana-based team's sponsorship partners. Attempting to make their fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series start of
the 2008 season, Green and Team 70 will have several Foretravel
Motorcoach employees on hand to cheer on their efforts at the 1.5-mile
track. Foretravel was founded in 1967 by C.M. and Marie Fore. Just as ML
Motorsports is trying to move to the forefront of the Nationwide
Series, the Fores have already done that in the luxury motorcoach
industry. They built their first motorcoach in their backyard, the
29-foot Speedy Marie. In 1974, they built the first diesel-powered
motor home. The 41-year-old luxury motorcoach company is located in
Nacogdoches, Texas. Foretravel Motorcoach is the Official Motorcoach of
Texas Motor Speedway. Also located in Texas is the World Craniofacial Foundation, which
was founded in1996 by Dr. Kenneth Salyer. The WCF's motto is to "give
help, hope, and healing to people with craniofacial abnormalities and
their families". The WCF logo is proudly displayed on the "B" pillar of
the #70 Chevrolet. In three previous starts this season, Green has finished 41st at
Daytona, 24th at Bristol, and 26th at Nashville. Green is in his second
season driving the No. 70 Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet owned by Mary
Louise Miller and her daughter Stephany Mullen. Sunday's O'Reilly 300 is scheduled to air live on ESPN2 at 3:00 pm
ET Saturday, April 5th. Practice and qualifying is slated for Thursday,
April 3rd.TEAM 70 TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PREVIEW
Archives
PLYMOUTH, Ind. - As crew chief for ML Motorsports, Brian Ross makes a living working on cars and calling the shots for NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran MarkGreen. Saturday night, however, "Flyin' Brian" got to showcase his driving skills, as he competed in the 12th annual Jim Blount Memorial late model race at Plymouth speedway, just outside of Ross' hometown. Ross, who turned in the quick qualifying lap the first two weeks of the season, started Saturday's 100-lap feature from the outside of row three. He took the lead on lap 9 and led the final 91 laps en route to claiming his second straight Jim Blount Memorial win. While in victory lane, Ross thanked the crew at ML Motorsports for helping him repair his badly crashed car. Ross was running second in last week's feature when his and the runner-up car of Ken Weaver made heavy contact with the turn one wall. But with hard work, Ross and members of Team 70, as well as some of Ross' friends, put his black No. 42 back together. Ross, who was able to hold off all challengers during a number of restarts, was never really challenged for the lead once he found his way to the point. WARSAW, Ind. - While stock cars are best suited for going fast and turning left, veteran driver Mark Green and Indiana-based ML Motorsports are turning the corner. Now in its 10th year of competition, ML Motorsports is enjoying some of the fruits of its labor, having logged its career-best qualifying effort and finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season. After seven full years of trading paint in the ARCA Series, the part-time team from a small northern Indiana town best known for the Orthopedic industry jumped up to what was called the NASCAR Busch Series in 2006. Since their arrival on the NASCAR scene, crew members at ML Motorsports - first with Chad Blount and Justin Diercks and Green - have tried to pay their dues, learn as much as possible. Now their experiences are paying off. "We've worked very hard to get to where we are, I can't say enough about how hard this team has worked," said ML Motorsports President Ed Mullen. "We don't have the technology that the Cup-helped teams in North Carolina have. We're working hard and proving that a small team from northern Indiana can run with guys like Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin and the rest of them." That fact couldn't have been more evident than earlier this season at Talladega, where Green drove his way to a fifth-place finish in the Mary Louise Miller-owned Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy. The top-five finish was a career-best for both Green and ML Motorsports, and they kept their momentum rolling the following race at Richmond, where Green turned the fastest lap in practice and qualified fourth. Prior to the fifth-place effort at Talladega, the team's best finish was a 19th-place effort at Gateway International Raceway during the 2007 season, while its best qualifying run was a seventh-place start at Bristol during the 2007 season. What has been different this season? Tim Frantz, a mechanic with the team since its inception, believes that the addition of Brian Ross as crew chief has something to do with it. "Having Brian as our crew chief now has re-energized us, given us a new outlook," said Frantz. "He's put new life into the team and brought us a new perspective." Ross' perspective may be unique in the NASCAR garage, as he himself used to drive 3,400-pound stock cars. He's not just an engineer or a mathematician sitting n the pit box barking out instructions or planning strategies. "Brian has been huge for us," Mullen said of Ross, who used to drive for ML Motorsports, and who was the 2000 ARCA Rookie of the Year. "He's been a great pickup for us. The thing about Brian compared to other crew chiefs, he's driven these cars, he and Mark can really relate. When Mark says the car is doing this or that, Brian knows exactly what he's talking about, he's been in those situations as a driver himself." Prior to driving for ML Motorsports in 2000, Ross made =a name for himself around the Midwest as a talented late model driver, winning hundreds of features. Now, he seems to have found his calling turning the wrenches and working as a crew chief for Green. "Success in this series doesn't come overnight," said Ross. "Every team struggles at some point. We're working hard and learning every time we go to the track. I've driven stock cars before, so when Mark says the car is doing this or that, I can understand him. We're not where we need to be yet, but we're getting there. We're going to keep working hard and make Mary Louise and Dane (Miller's husband) proud. These guys work hard every day at the shop and every time we're at the track. That's what we need to keep doing, and we'll keep getting better." They've already proved that. 5/27/08 submitted by Dale Hubler The Tuesday afternoon session was delayed as general maintenance to the SAFER barrier took longer than expected. NASCAR officials combined the planned afternoon and evening sessions into one session. During the afternoon, Mark Green posted a quick lap time of 30.329 seconds (178.047 mph) in the back up car placing Team 70 and Green 11th on the board. After the break, Green posted a quick lap time of 30.052 (179.689 mph) placing the team 12th quick on the board for the evening. Charolotte, NC - The #70 primary car logged in a lap time of 30.569 seconds (176.650 mph) which placed the team 37th in the evening session. Driving the backup car, Green's quickest lap time was 30.690 seconds (175.953 mph) placing them 41st. Denny Hamlin was again fastest, followed by Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, and Chase Miller. WARSAW, Ind. - They won't attempt another NASCAR Nationwide Series race until June 7th at Nashville Superspeedway, but rest assured that driver Mark Green and ML Motorsports will be doing everything possible to keep their current momentum in full swing. Green, who piloted the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy to a 22nd-place finish in the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond on May 2, finished a highly-respectable fifth in last week's restrictor plate race at Talladega Superspeedway. Green and Team 70 backed that up by posting the quickest practice lap and qualifying fourth at Richmond. An ill-handling car and a flat rear tire left the team with the 22nd-place finish at Richmond.BRIAN ROSS WINS JIM BLOUNT MEMORIAL RACE!!!
TEAM 70 TURNING THE CORNER
UPDATE FROM LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Tuesday session:
Monday evening session:Monday afternoon session:
Denny Hamlin was fastest in the first session followed by Kasey Kahne, David Stremme, Carl Edwards, and Brad Kesolowski.TEAM 70 GEARED UP ABOUT NEXT RACE
In the past two races, Green and the part-time team from Warsaw, Indiana have posted a career-best finish at Talladega Superspeedway and a career-best qualifying run, as well as topping the speed charts in practice at Richmond International Raceway.
Now, Green and Team 70 are preparing for a two-day test at Lowe's Motor Speedway, as well as getting ready for a race under the lights June 7 at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway.
Once June and July roll around, Green and ML Motorsports will certainly be busy, as they are scheduled to run seven races in those two months. The way things are shaping up for Green and Team 70, it could be a very exciting summer and rest of the season.
A group of students from Washington Elementary School in Warsaw will get the chance to see the ML Motorsports shop up close and personal. The elementary students will tour the 40,000-square foot shop on an upcoming field trip Tuesday, April 29th. The students will be able to ask ML Motorsports team members questions about their jobs, as well as tour the shop.ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO TOUR ML MOTORSPORTS SHOP
The ML Motorsports team will be in action again April 26th at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron's 312.
4/18/08
RICHMOND TEST SESSION
3/27/08 Richmond, VA - In Tuesday's second day of NASCAR Nationwide Series testing at Richmond International Raceway, veteran driver Mark Green and the ML Motorsports team experimented with a number of setups and put two No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolets on the .75-mile track. Green was 24th-quick out of 30 cars in Tuesday's afternoon session, touring the track in 22.093 seconds, a speed of 122.211 milers per hour. Bobby Hamilton turned the quickest lap in Tuesday's first session, followed in the top five by Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Brad Coleman. In the evening session, Green was 17th-quick in the primary car with a time of 21.947 seconds, a speed of 123.024 miles per hour. In the team's backup car, Green turned a lap time of 22.219 seconds at a speed of 121.518 miles per hour. Brad Kesolowski was quickest on the board in Tuesday's evening session, followed by Kelly Bires, Jason Keller, Marcos Ambrose, and David Stremme. 3/25/08 Richmond, VA - Mark Green ML Motorsports participated in the NASCAR Nationwide Series test at Richmond International Raceway on Monday. Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet, was 15th-quick out of 32 cars in the afternoon session, touring the .75-mile track in 21.791 seconds at a speed of 123.904 miles per hour. Mike Wallace turned the fastest lap in Monday's first session, followed in the top five by David Ragan, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, and Landon Cassill. In Monday's evening session, Green was 29th on the board, turning a lap of 22.21 seconds, a speed of 121.567 miles per hour. Edwards was the quickest in the session, followed in the top five by Bobby Labonte, Mike Bliss, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth.
Greens quickest lap of the two day session came in Monday's afternoon session, where he turned a lap time of 21.791 seconds, a speed of 123.904 miles per hour. The Nationwide Series teams were testing for the May 2nd Funai 250.
Posted February 2008
CREW CHIEF CHANGE AT ML MOTORSPORTS
WARSAW, IN - NASCAR Nationwide Series team ML Motorsports and veteran crew chief Tom Sokoloski have mutually agreed to part ways, according to team officials.
"Tom was with us for five seasons" said Team President Ed Mullen. "We thank him for everything and wish him all the best".
Sokoloski spent five full seasons working with the Warsaw, Indiana-based team. He worked with drivers Jason Jarrett, Chad Blount, Justin Diercks, and Mark Green. Brian Ross is currently working as the interim crew chief for Team 70.
Green and ML Motorsports will be in action again March 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Posted February 2008
TEAM 70 READY TO GO RACIN'
WARSAW, Ind. - Though the offseason - if you can call it that - went by quick, the boys at ML Motorsports are ready to go racing again. ML Motorsports, with veteran driver Mark Green behind the wheel, will kick off its 10th season of competition when it attempts the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16th.
Green drove the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy in 10 races last season, with his best finish being 19th at Gateway International Raceway. His best qualifying effort was seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway.
After spending last season together getting to know each other and gaining experience, Green and Team 70 hope their efforts pay off during the 2008 season. Only time will tell. Green and Team 70 have plans to run 20 Nationwide Series races during the 2008 season.
Daytona PreSeason Thunder
DAYTONA TEST UPDATE
Day 2, Afternoon Session ( 1/21/08):
During the afternoon draft session, Mark's quickest lap was 49.246 (182.756 mph) which was 12th quickest of the session.
Day 2, Morning Session (1/21/08):
In the #70 backup car, Mark posted a lap time of 50.253 (179.094 mph) which put Team 70 in 10th for the morning session.
Day 1, Afternoon Session (1/20/08):
Mark Green improved to 26th in the second session with a lap time of 49.672 (181.189 mph). The backup car placed 37th with a lap time of 50.685 (176.939 mph).
Day 1, Morning Session (1/20/08):
Mark Green was 37th in the morning test session with a lap time of 51.262 (175.569 mph).
Celebrating our 10th Anniversary Rome, the experts have said, wasn't built in a day. Neither was ML Motorsports. But with vision by its caring owners and determination from its hard-working employees, the Warsaw, Indiana-based stock car team certainly has grown in the last decade. And when the team, with veteran driver Mark Green behind the wheel, takes to the track for the Feb. 16 Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway ML Motorsports will kick off its 10th season. "It's hard to believe it's been it's been 10 years," said crew member Tim Frantz, the team's transport driver and one of its original employees. "It's been very rewarding. I've gone from dreaming the dream to living the dream. Thanks to Dane and Mary Louise Miller, I've gone places I never thought I'd go." The team is owned by Mary Louise Miller and her daughter Stephany Mullen. The mother-daughter duo is no stranger to the business world; as Miller's husband Dr. Dane A Miller (Mullen's father) is one of the four founders of artificial implant giant Biomet. The team was founded in 1998 and made its first start in February of 1999 in an ARCA race at Daytona. Jimmy Kitchens was the driver then, and the team started its inaugural race on the inside of the seventh row. The team, which has prided itself on staying in northern Indiana and employs crew members from the basketball/racing community of Warsaw, spent its first six full seasons of competition in the ARCA Series with drivers Jimmy Kitchens, Andy Hillenburg, Brian Ross, Jason Jarrett and Chad Blount. Ross and Jarrett, the son of Dale Jarrett and grandson of Ned Jarrett, were named ARCA Rookie of the Year, during their first seasons with ML Motorsports. Jarrett won two races for ML Motorsports, while Blount won four. Since that first ARCA race, ML Motorsports has grown from a team that used a stall in a car museum to fielding cars out of an 8,000-square foot hangar at Warsaw Municipal Airport to where it is located today, in a beautiful 40,000-square foot shop just off U.S. 30W in Warsaw. "When people walk through the doors out here, you can't tell if you're in northern Indiana or North Carolina," said Frantz, who joined the team full-time prior to the start of the 2001 season. "We've got a shop that rivals some shops in North Carolina." During the 2007 season, ML Motorsports made 17 starts (seven with Diercks and 10 with Green) in the NASCAR Busch Series. The series is under new sponsorship and is now called the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Green will be the driver for Miller and Mullen's No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy this season, as the team is tentatively planning on running 20 races. Submitted by Dale Hubler, Warsaw Times Union
Bristol Spring Race
BRISTOL UPDATE!!!
GREEN FINISHES 24th at Bristol Motor Speedway
After a rain delayed start to the Sharpie Mini 300, Mark Green and Team 70 posted a 24th place finish.
3/15/08: Practice was rescheduled for this morning at 8:00 am with Mark Green posting a quick laptime of 16.146 (118.841 mph) placing Green 29th on the board. Qualifying has been cancelled and the field will start based on owner points with Green starting 43rd.
Mar 15: Bristol, TN - NASCAR Nationwide drivers have managed to get on the track this morning and get in some practice runs prior to the race this afternoon. Qualifying was replaced with a practice session today due the the rain-out of Practice yesterday - in order to give the drivers and teams a chance to sort out the race setup's on the cars and get some laps in. During practice the #41 driven by Bryan Clauson drove it into the wall hard in turns 1&2. #2 Clint Bowyer was fastest during practice followed by #22 Mike Bliss, #66 Steve Wallace, #32 Kyle Busch, #6 David Regan, #20 Denny Hamlin, #30 Santon Barrett, #9 Kasey Kahne, #11 Jason Keller and finishing the top ten #33 Kevin Harvick. Based on current weather radar in the area there is a band of thunder storms to the west headed directly towards Bristol. More updates and complete practice speeds to follow: (TheHotLap) (03-15-08)
3/14/08: Friday practice has been rained out and the team is waiting to see when the weather will clear in order to get in a practice session. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 9:40 am weather permitting. Check back for updates and photos to be posted later this weekend.
Posted March 11, 2008
GREEN, ML MOTORSPORTS GOING SHORT TRACK RACIN'
After a three-race hiatus, Mark Green and ML Motorsports will be in action in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In the season opener at Daytona, Green was collected in multi-car accidents in both practice and the race, and now he and the Warsaw, Indiana-based team are headed to a place trading paint and rubbin' fenders is common.
During the 2007 season, Green and Team 70 teamed up at Bristol for the fall race, in which Green qualified a season-best seventh. He finished 25th and on the lead lap in the race.
The goal will be the same, to qualify as well as they can for Saturday's Sharpie Mini 300 and finish as well as they can in the race, but there will be one noticeable change this weekend for veteran Mark Green and Team 70. Brian Ross is currently serving as interim crew chief and will be assisted by chassis consultant, Skip Eyler.
Saturday's race is scheduled to air live on ABC at 2:30 pm. There are two practice sessions Friday, and qualifying is set for 9:40 am Saturday.
Green and ML Motorsports have tentatively scheduled 20 NASCAR Nationwide Series races for the 2008 season.
Camping World 300 News
CAMPING WORLD 300 - Daytona International Speedway, February 2008
GREEN TAKEN OUT IN SEASON OPENER
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - As far as the Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener goes, ML Motorsports driver Mark Green was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy, was on his fifth lap in practice Thursday when Clint Bowyer made contact with him, severely crippling the Warsaw, Indiana-based team's primary car. After qualifying 12th in the backup car, Green was running 21st in the race when Greg Biffle got loose and Green was collected by David Gilliland, careening hard off the outside wall on the 54th of 120 laps. Green ended up finishing 41st out of 43 cars in the 300-mile event. Tony Stewart won the season-opening event, followed in the top five by Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth. The northern Indiana team now has the duty of rebuilding two superspeedway cars.
Green and ML Motorsports will be in action again March 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
2/15/08 Daytona Beach, FL
Being forced to pull out the backup car after a multi-car crash in Thursdays practice session didn't slow the Warsaw, Indiana-based ML Motorsports. Green, driving the No. 70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet, wrecked in practice Thursday when Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer made contact with him, destroying the northern Indiana teams' primary car.
After scurrying to get the backup car ready and through inspection, Green was able to turn just four laps Thursday in preparation for Saturday's Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway, where the NASCAR Nationwide Series will open the 2008 season.
In Friday's qualifying round, Green qualified 12th in the 43 car field with a lap time of 50.225 seconds at a speed of 179.194 miles per hour. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole, followed in the top five by Clint Bowyer, Jason Leffler, Dario Franchitti, and Kyle Busch.
QUALIFYING NEWS!!!
Mark Green and Team 70 qualified for the Camping World 300 with a time of 50.225 (179.194). Green will be starting the Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet in 12th.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
Because of a wreck in Thursday's first practice session, ML Motorsports was forced to pull out its backup car at Daytona International Speedway.
Trying to find speed in preparation for Saturday's season-opening Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the wreck occurred on the fifth lap of morning practice when the #7 driven by Clint Bowyer was involved in an accident along with Carl Edwards #60, David Reutimann #99, David Stremme #64 and the #70 Biomet/Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet driven by Mark Green.
Team 70 readied the backup car in short time and Green was able to get four laps in the final minutes of the practice session. The team is currently scrambling to get the backup car ready and through inspection for Friday's qualifying round, which is scheduled for 3:10 pm. Saturday's race is scheduled for 1:00 pm on ESPN2. See more photos
NEWS FROM THEHOTLAP.COM
Feb 14: Daytona, FL - the Camping World 300 second practice 
was lead by the #00 RIMCO Toyota driven by Michael McDowell with a lap time of 47.998 at at speed of 187.547 - Second was the #64 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevy driven by David Stremme with a lap time of 47.994 at a speed of 187.523 - Third was #24 Hefty Brand Chevy driven by Eric McClure with a 48.027 and a speed of 187.395. Unfortunately early into the session the #64 driven by David Stremme was involved in an accident along with Carl Edwards #60, David Reutimann #99 and Mark Green #70. At this point it looks like everyone will be able to fix their cars with the exception of Mark Green who will go to his backup car. First and Second practice speeds are posted on the "Schedule" page.(TheHotLap) (02-14-08)
NOTES FROM DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Practice 2 (2/14/08):
The morning practice was cut short by an incident involving the #70 Foretravel Chevrolet. After logging a lap time of 49.374, the #70 had contact with another car causing heavy damage to the 70 car. Preparations are under way to ready the backup car for qualifying tomorrow afternoon.
Practice 1 (2/13/08):
Although it had been sprinkling intermittently throughout the day, the NASCAR Nationwide series was able to complete the first practice of the season. Mark Green and Team 70 posted their quickest lap at 49.382 (182.253 mph), which put them 31st on the board.
Second practice is scheduled for Thursday, February 14th at 9:15 am with qualifying slated for Friday at 3:10 pm. Team 70 will be the 32nd car out to qualify.
