Austin Green was able to climb from his No. 87 3-Dimensional Services Chevrolet Camaro under his own power Friday afternoon, after being involved in a horrifying crash during NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice at Sonoma Raceway.
The Concord, North Carolina-native was working on completing a lap around the 1.99-mile, 11-turn road course in Sonoma, California, when the brakes on his Peterson Racing Group machine gave out, sending him hurdling towards the outside tire pack in the hairpin (Turn 11).
What resulted was one of the most severe accidents that Sonoma Raceway has seen, in NASCAR competition, in quite some time, especially in that section of the racetrack – which, in theory, when run without issue, is supposed to be one of the slowest sections on the track.
The impact was so forceful that not only did it bury the yellow-and-red No. 87 Chevrolet deep into the tire barriers, which required extrication from two tow trucks, but it also snapped the pit road wall into two pieces, which required a fix from NASCAR Officials before the session resumed.
Green was able to quickly jump out of his Chevrolet Camaro.
Being a small NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team with three employees and operating from Sanford, North Carolina, Peterson Racing Group does not have a useable backup for Saturday’s Pit Boss / FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway.
A member of the Peterson Racing Group crew tells JosephSrigley.com that the organization does have its car from last weekend’s event at Naval Base Coronado on-site, but that there aren’t enough pieces on board their truck to get that car in shape to start tomorrow’s event.
Based on reports from the racetrack, it appears that Peterson Racing Group will have to borrow a backup car from another NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team.
Green, an extremely strong road racer, will have to come from the rear of the field in Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Sonoma Raceway, and do it with a foreign racecar. The 25-year-old driver has scored 10 top-10 finishes on road courses throughout his career in NASCAR’s second-tier series — including an eighth last time out at San Diego.
Green’s future in the No. 87 Peterson Racing Group Chevrolet is uncertain after this weekend’s event at Sonoma Raceway. On May 31, JosephSrigley.com reported that Nick Sanchez would be placed in the vehicle for multiple oval events, which will continue next weekend at Chicagoland. Green’s next race has yet to be announced.
