Confrontational Green dismissed by Childress

Driver Jeff Green was let go after confronting a teammate.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two days after a very public dispute with team owner Richard Childress, Winston Cup driver Jeff Green was released Monday as driver of its No. 30 Chevrolet.
"Our relationship was not where we had hoped it would be at this point so we decided to make this move now," Childress said.
"Jeff is a very good race car driver but sometimes change can be good for everyone involved. I'll always be grateful to him for what he accomplished for RCR in both the Winston Cup and the Busch series."
Feud begins
Green was running in the top five during Saturday night's race in Richmond, Va., when he was hit from behind by teammate Kevin Harvick on Lap 268 of 393, bringing an end to his evening.
Green was upset, and hurried to Harvick's pit. He first confronted Harvick's crew chief, Todd Berrier, then had a heated exchange with Childress, who was standing in the pit area.
"I told Jeff it was a racing accident and it was barely one at that -- Kevin barely touched him," Berrier said Saturday night. "I told him Kevin was on the radio saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' before he even spun around. He didn't want it to happen and he apologized 20 times.
"If it was someone else and not a teammate, we would never have said we were sorry."
Sources told the Charlotte Observer that Childress was very angry over the confrontation with Green.
Green, the 2000 Busch series champion, has driven the No. 30 since its inception for an eight-race schedule in 2001. He finished 17th in points last season and is currently 32nd after 11 of 36 races in 2003.
He earned two poles during his tenure at RCR -- this season's Daytona 500 and the August 2001 race in Bristol, Tenn. He also won two Busch races for RCR's No. 21 team in 2002.
There was no word on Green's future in the series.