Green joins Darrell Gwynn racing as crew chief

      Mike Green has been appointed as crew chief for the New York Yankees-sponsored Top Fuel dragster fielded by Darrell Gwynn Racing and driven by Andrew Cowin.

Green, a veteran tuner in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes, assumes his duties following a mutual agreement between the Gwynns and Todd Smith at the conclusion of the O'Reilly Summer Nationals May 26. Smith, who had previously served as the team's co-crew chief with Ken Veney in 2001, had assumed the sole responsibility of crew chief for the 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season.

"We started the season with the fundamental mission of developing our tuning package for greater predictability and consistency," Gwynn said. "That's not an easy task with a Top Fuel dragster, and unfortunately it is taking us much longer to achieve than anyone imagined. Although certainly a tough personal decision, we believe this change is warranted under these time-sensitive circumstances.

"Make no mistake, Todd Smith is a very talented, committed individual with the organizational skills and dedication to be a great nitro crew chief. He has much to offer and we wish him well."

Green, 42, currently of Brownsburg, Ind., is no stranger to the Gwynn Racing camp. He previously served with the team as a lead mechanic during the 1987-88 seasons.

"We are very pleased to have Mike Green rejoin our organization," said Gwynn. "He has continued to develop into an experienced and versatile crew chief, and we look forward to the application of his skills to our program."

Darrell Gwynn Racing fields the New York Yankees-sponsored dragster in NHRA POWERade Drag Racing's Top Fuel division. Darrell Gwynn and his father, Jerry, each former NHRA champions, lead the team. The team's race car is driven by Cowin and tuned by crew chief Green. Major associate sponsors include Ray Parsons Motorsports, Munchables, MBNA America Bank, Winnebago Industries, Inc., GMC, and Mac Tools.