David Green (racing Driver) - Winston Cup

Winston Cup

After the 1995 season, Green was offered a contract from Buz McCall, owner of the new American Equipment Racing team. Running the #95, Green returned to his former dominance, winning twice and finishing runner-up to Johnny Benson in the championship chase. At the end of the season, McCall and Green elevated their operation to Winston Cup, this time as the #96 with sponsorship from Caterpillar. Unfortunately, they were not able to duplicate their success, as Green failed to qualify for six races, and could only manage a best finish of 16th at the Coca-Cola 600. Despite this, he still finished runner-up to Mike Skinner for Rookie of the Year. After he could not manage a higher finish than 17th at Talladega Superspeedway in 1998, Green was fired from the 96 ride. Green returned to the Busch Series to drive the #36 Stanley Works Pontiac Grand Prix for Team 34. He drove for the rest of the year, and finished in the top-five in his first six races for the team. Late in the season, he received a call from Larry Hedrick Motorsports, who had been struggling following the release of Steve Grissom from their #41 Kodiak Chevy. Green would run four races for Hedrick for the rest of the year, and signed to drive for them in 1999. In addition, he would run the #41 AFG Industries car in the Busch Series for Hedrick on a limited schedule. Still, Green continued to struggle, but had the lowest DNQ count (2) in his career.

As the season began to close, Green signed on for the rest of the season with Tyler Jet Motorsports, and enjoyed the best performance of his career, finishing a career-best 12th at Phoenix International Raceway, then won the pole the next race at the inaugural Pennzoil 400. Green did well in the Busch Series, running seventeen races and having seven top-tens and a pole position. He ran the Bud Shootout in 2000 in a car owned by Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and hoped to run the Daytona 500, but sponorship problems forced that deal to fall through. Green would fill in for an injured Bill Elliott for two races later on that season, with a best finish of twenty-fifth.