It’s A Green Day In Charlotte ARCA Tussle

Austin Green in victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Jacy Norgaard photo)

CONCORD, N.C. — Austin Green honed his skills as an aspiring race-car driver on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s frontstretch quarter-mile track.

On Friday, Green was the teacher, the General Tire 150 field were his pupils and Charlotte’s 1.5-mile superspeedway was his asphalt classroom.

Green, a native of Concord, N.C., captured his first ARCA Menards Series victory in his second career start – and his first in nearly five years.

The son of 1994 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion David Green battled William Sawalich for the lead in the closing stages of the race before gradually pulling away in the final 15 laps and scoring an emotional victory by a comfortable 2.569 seconds.

The 24-year-old driver of the No. 82 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet grew up racing Legend Cars and Bandoleros on Charlotte’s quarter-mile, where he developed his skills while competing in the Cook Out Summer Shootout.

The lessons Green learned in the Shootout – including mastering car control and setting up overtakes – came in handy on Friday.

“It’s everything to win here,” Green said, “after running the Summer Shootout and watching the big guys on the big track, hoping one day I’d get to race it.

“It’s my first time on the big oval, so it’s special to win. I don’t think it’s even set in yet. I’m not sure it will until tomorrow.”

Green joins his father as the eighth father-son pair to win an ARCA Menards Series event. David Green captured a win at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 1992.

Sawalich’s once-promising bid for victory came up three positions short, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver faded to fourth in the final laps behind Green, Grant Enfinger and Lavar Scott. Andy Jankowiak completed the top five.

Pole winner Will Kimmel led the first 12 laps before a mechanical failure sidelined his No. 69 Kimmel Racing Ford and relegated Kimmel to a 28th-place finish.

Brenden Queen, who entered the race as the ARCA Menards Series points leader, finished two laps down in 14th after hitting the wall on Lap 11.