 | | As David Green waits for another opportunity to drive, he looks to pass his knowledge on to Brian Vickers as his spotter Credit: Scott Halleran |
Official Release
January 12, 2007
11:57 AM EST (16:57 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- They're separated by 25 years and three full seasons, but the pairing of Brian Vickers and David Green summons fresh memories -- even with one in a racecar and the other's voice in his ears. Both former Busch Series champions, Vickers, 23, and Green, 48, have worked in tandem during this week's Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway as Green begins 2007 as a spotter for Vickers.  | 
| Busch Series |
| 2003 Season Standings |
| Pos. |
Driver |
Behind |
| 1. |
Brian Vickers |
Leader |
| 2. |
David Green |
-14 |
| 3. |
Ron Hornaday |
-46 |
| 4. |
Bobby Hamilton Jr. |
-49 |
| 5. |
Jason Keller |
-109 |
| 6. |
Scott Riggs |
-175 |
| 7. |
Kasey Kahne |
-533 |
| 8. |
Johnny Sauter |
-539 |
| 9. |
Scott Wimmer |
-578 |
| 10. |
Mike Bliss |
-705 |
|
 |
Thursday marked the final day of the Nextel Cup Series' first preseason session, with Green providing the soundtrack to Vickers' endless laps. It's a role Green enjoys, even as he yearns for the driver's seat. "That's something I look at for when I hang my helmet up," Green said of spotting. "I want to help a young driver." Flash back four years -- and 260 miles south -- when the then-20-year-old Vickers became NASCAR's youngest national series champion. He captured the 2003 Busch Series crown following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, fending off Green, the 1994 series champion. The margin between champion and runner-up -- 14 points. "It's always fun to hang out with him," Green said of Vickers. "But I still get a little bit ticked at him because he beat me for the championship in '03. A lot of people remember that. So as soon as I think I'm having a lot of fun with him -- which I do -- I remember he beat me. "But that's OK. We have a lot of good things to talk about, and a lot of good times to talk about." Green hopes to be back in a Busch Series seat soon. He's working on a program with the new Riley-D'Hondt Motorsports, and was happy to assist Vickers this week. Former fellow Busch Series competitor Elton Sawyer, now Team Red Bull's competition director, made the request, an assignment that includes the Nextel Cup preseason test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Jan. 29-30. After leaving Brewco Motorsports near the end of last season, Green spotted for David Gilliland for eight races. He's also spotted for Dale Jarrett and Hendrick Motorsports' Busch Series team during his NASCAR career. "We're just knocking off the rust as a group," he said of this week's Daytona test. Vickers posted the 12th-fastest time on Thursday morning, the final session of his test. | 
