| | Associated Press
Results
RICHMOND, Va. -- Jeff Green outfoxed Mark Martin with 85
laps to go, then held off a nose-to-tail challenge by Matt Kenseth
on Friday night and won the Hardee's 250 Busch Grand National race,
his first victory of the season.
Green, the series points leader, took the lead when Martin
pitted for tires and fuel with 54 laps to go, more than 30 laps
after Green and most of the other challengers stopped. The gamble
failed, allowing Green to become the first series regular to win a
race this year that included Winston Cup drivers.
"You beat the best when you beat Mark Martin and Jeff Burton
and Steve Park. He ran awfully good tonight too," Green said. "We
had a great race car and I know he's on a mission to win every race
he starts, but we are too.
"It's very special to beat him."
Martin, racing after learning of the death of his nephew earlier
in the day, made a furious dash from 22nd on a restart with 42 laps
to go to finish fourth. It was his worst finish in six BGN races
this year after four firsts and a second.
Christian Lovendahl, 27, died in a car accident near
Mooresville, N.C., after returning with two other team members from
Richmond International Raceway. The other two were treated and
released from Lake Norman Medical Center. All three worked for
owner David Ridling, whose car, driven by P.J. Jones, did not make
the race.
"My head wasn't really in this race tonight. I'm glad it's over
with," said Martin, whose 44 career Busch victories are the most
in series history.
Green's victory was the fifth of his career and first at
Richmond. He started from the pole.
"I don't think we could have beat Mark, but we outsmarted him
tonight," said Green, who won three times in 1999. "(My crew)
made the right adjustments, great pit stops, to get me out front,
and the right adjustments to keep me there."
Kenseth closed within less than a car length with three laps to
go, but could only muster a last-gasp challenge on the inside at
the finish. Green, who led four times for 84 laps, won by .105
seconds at an average speed of 81.023 mph.
"I was worried about Matt. He was doing all he could to get me," Green said.
Kenseth's showing was his best at Richmond, and he was followed
by rookie Kevin Harvick in third. Jason Keller followed Martin, and
Steve Park was sixth.
Green's victory increased his lead in the points race to 73 over
Todd Bodine, who finished seventh. Kenseth moved to within 10
points of Bodine.
Martin led 147 of the 250 laps, and he and Park were dominant
until Bobby Hillin Jr's spin in the backstretch on the 165th lap
brought out the sixth caution. After Martin and Park bypassed pit
road, the challengers ducked in.
"I figured Mark would pull off then, but he didn't," Green
said.
Martin said he assumed the field would stay out on the track with him.
"In hindsight, it didn't work, but it wasn't a bad call," he
said.
Martin finally pitted when the seventh caution flew with 55 laps
to go, but emerged 22nd in the field and needing 10 more laps than
remained in the race.
"The guys did a great job, but we were just so far back in that
line we couldn't get up through there," he said. "Those guys just
outsmarted us."
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ALSO SEE
Busch Series crew chief Lovendahl dies in wreck
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jeff Green takes the checkered flag in the Busch Series Hardee's 250.
avi: 1327 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jeff Green says his team earned it's victory on Friday.
avi: 1330 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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