Green out at RCR, no replacement named

WELCOME, N.C. -- Jeff Green, who never achieved the Winston Cup potential forecast by his dominant 2000 NASCAR Busch Series championship, was fired Monday as driver of Richard Childress Racing's No. 30 AOL Chevrolet.

The Winston Cup Series is idle for the next 11 days, until practice opens May 16 at Lowe's Motor Speedway for The Winston all-star race and the companion Winston Open.

The team had no comment on its plans to replace Green, who had a three-year contract that expired at the end of the 2004 season.

	Green didn't win in 55 starts for RCR. Credit: Autostock

"Our relationship was not where we had hoped it would be at this point so we decided to make this move now," Childress said. "Jeff is a very good race car driver but sometimes change can be good for everyone involved."

In 55 starts for RCR since 2001, Green had four top-fives, eight top-10s and two Bud Pole Awards, including this year's Daytona 500.

Any displeasure the team owner might have felt for his displaced driver came to a head Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

While Green and teammate Kevin Harvick were battling for positions inside the top-10 in the Pontiac Excitement 400, Harvick ran into Green's car from behind, causing it to hit the wall and be eliminated from the race on the spot.

Green stayed on the race track and gestured wildly at Harvick as he drove past under caution. Green then went to Harvick's pit stall and confronted his crew chief, Todd Berrier. After speaking briefly with Childress, Green left the pits.

VIDEO CLIPS Green blames Harvick for spinning him out in Richmond Play video

Berrier told a television reporter that Harvick began apologizing for the contact immediately after striking his teammate's car, which on TV replays appeared to hesitate as a closely following Harvick picked up the throttle.

Green would hear none of it.

AUDIO CLIPS Kevin Harvick reacts to his teammate getting fired / 5:58 Listen

"It's one thing to get spun out -- it's another thing to get spun out by your teammate," Green told reporters. "I can't hardly swallow that. Tough to be teammates when it seems like there's only one car at RCR."

Green drove eight Winston Cup races for Childress in 2001, his last season with ppc Racing. He then competed in 22 Busch races in 2002 for RCR, winning twice and scoring 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

"I'll always be grateful to him for what he accomplished for RCR in both the Winston Cup Series and the Busch Series," Childress said.

This season, Childress hired Ron Hornaday as his full-time Busch Series driver and split his other program between Harvick and Johnny Sauter.

Green was the driver for the America Online team since its inception in 2001. He finished 17th in the 2002 Winston Cup standings and is currently in 32nd place after 11 races.