MOST RECENT RACE AT TALLADEGA: In May, Jeff Green drove his No. 66 Best Buy Chevrolet from a 39th-place starting position to finish 14th, marking one of the best finishes of the 2006 season for the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing team.
Q&A WITH DRIVER JEFF GREEN:
Talladega is a race that some drivers dread, because of the risk of a crash. Are you one of those guys? "No, I don't really think that much about it, to be honest with you. I mean, I feel like I hit just as hard in that wreck at New Hampshire (International Speedway) a few weeks ago as I would at a place like Daytona or Talladega. The restrictor-plate races aren't going anywhere, so there's no sense in getting too worked up about it, because you're going to have to race in them, regardless.
"We managed to come out of the last Talladega race with the car in one piece and a top-15 finish, so I'm hoping that trend will continue, and we can have a good run this weekend as well. It's just like when you put your money in a slot machine in Vegas. Sometimes the odds work in your favor, and sometimes they don't. That's restrictor-plate racing."
Q&A WITH CREW CHIEF "BOOTIE" BARKER:
What have you heard about the newly repaved Talladega Superspeedway? "I've heard it's incredibly smooth. It's probably going to allow us all to run a more aggressive setup, with more rebound on our shocks and maybe a little softer spring package.
"You're probably going to see eight rows of cars, running five-wide. It's going to be impressive. The track is so wide and there's such a long arc, and the cars don't move around much, especially now that it's smoother. It's going to be big, I guarantee it."
What are your goals in the "car of tomorrow" test on Monday, Oct. 9? "My goal is to try and run 265 miles per hour before NASCAR does something to the cars to slow them down. I don't think the cars are going to be as slow when we first get out there as NASCAR might believe. You definitely need to have a good vantage point to watch the first few laps of the test, because it's going to be something to see.
"As for NASCAR, I think they're looking to find a package where the cars are running around 190 (miles per hour) in the draft. They'll get a base platform to work from, and then from tweaking the aerodynamics and the restrictor plates, their goal is obviously to try and get something that's going to be comfortable for the drivers, but also that puts on a good show for the fans. It's going to be an interesting day."
Do you enjoy racing at Talladega and Daytona? "Well, I've said this before, but I don't like the fact that your fate is not really in your hands at Talladega and Daytona. It's almost too random. At other tracks, if you run bad, you know it's usually your fault. You missed the setup and the car's not handling right, or whatever. At Talladega, it's almost a coin flip as to whether or not your car's going to be in one piece at the end of the day, and I don't like that it's just such a crap shoot."
THAT NEW CAR SMELL: The Haas CNC Racing team is bringing a brand new car, Chassis No. 24, to Talladega Superspeedway.
"CAR OF TOMORROW" TEST: Jeff Green and the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing team are scheduled to participate in the "car of tomorrow" test at Talladega Superspeedway on Monday, Oct. 9.
HAAS CNC RACING TRUCK DRIVER MOONLIGHTS AS RADIO PERSONALITY: Robby Maschhaupt, truck driver for the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing team, is trying his hand at broadcasting. Maschhaupt is a weekly guest on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 147, "Road Dog Trucking Radio," which provides news and information for commercial truck drivers.
Every Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT, Maschhaupt is a guest on the "Carl P. Mayfield & the P-Team" radio show, and always brings along one of his peers that drives a transporter in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Maschhaupt, who has worked with Haas since mid-2003, serves as a moderator as Mayfield talks with the various transporter drivers about racing, the unique demands of their jobs, and any other subject that comes up to mind.
Currently, the show is focusing on truck drivers whose teams are in the "Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship." Joining Maschhaupt this week is Kevin Smith, truck driver for Matt Kenseth's No. 17 team.
JEFF GREEN'S HISTORY AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY: In 10 Nextel Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, Jeff Green's best starting spot is a 13th-place qualifying effort that came in the Sept., 2003, event, when Green drove for Petty Enterprises. Green's best finish in a Cup race at Talladega was a fifth-place finish in Oct., 2002, while driving for Richard Childress Racing.
In seven Busch Series races at Talladega, Green has three top-10 starting positions (1995, 1997 and 2000), and three top-five finishes (third-place finishes in 1997 and 2001, and a fifth-place finish in 2000).
HAAS CNC RACING'S HISTORY AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY: In six Nextel Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, the Haas CNC Racing team has one top-10 starting spot (a 10th-place qualifying effort by driver Ward Burton in April, 2004), and one top-10 finish (a 10th-place finish by Burton in Oct., 2004).
BEST BUY RACING WEBSITE: Best Buy Racing's website, www.racing.bestbuy.com, is the place to find the latest news and information on driver Jeff Green and the No. 66 Best Buy Haas CNC Racing team.
BEST BUY FUN FACT: Many actors that were born or live in Alabama have work that's available at Best Buy locations, and at www.BestBuy.com, including:
Courteney Cox- Raised in Mountain Brook, Ala., Cox is best known for her role as Monica Geller, on the hit TV show Friends, which aired from 1994-2004. Cox has also appeared in several Hollywood hit movies, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and the Scream horror movie trilogy.
George Lindsey – Born in Jasper, Ala., Lindsey is best known for his role as "Goober" Pyle, on The Andy Griffith Show. His distinctive voice has also been heard in several Disney animated features, including Robin Hood and The Aristocats.
Wayne Rogers – Best known for his role as "Trapper John" McIntyre on the TV series, M*A*S*H*, this Birmingham-born actor has also appeared in movies like Cool Hand Luke and 1996' Ghosts of Mississippi.
Michael Biehn – Born just down the road from Talladega Superspeedway in Anniston, Alabama, Biehn is recognized from his role as Johnny Ringo, the psychopathic cowboy bent on killing Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in the movie Tombstone. Biehn also appeared in The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and The Rock.