Just as Hurricane Dean hit Mexico for the second time in two days, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series struck the half-mile oval of Bristol Motor Speedway for the O'Reilly 200 on Wednesday night. As hurricane Dean was blasting the Eastern State of Veracruz with strong winds, pounding rain, dangerous floods and mudslides, David Green and the No.1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota took to the track for some risky racing at the notorious short-track dubbed "Thunder Valley".

After taking part in a four-hour rain stricken practice session on Tuesday, Green and the Red Horse Racing team hit the track for two practice sessions and qualifying on Wednesday. As the rain clouds pushed out and the heat moved in, Green took to the blistering track, laying down a fast lap of 16.246 seconds at a speed of 118.109 miles per hour. The competition proved to be fierce as Green's lap was only four-tenths off the pole speed but would see him line up 29th for the start of the 200-lap event.

When the green flag flew, 43 trucks thundered around the .533-mile oval with Green quickly keying the radio to tell Crew Chief Jamie "JJ" Jones that his RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota was "tight on exit, but not bad" as he raced his way into 24th position. NASCAR displayed the caution flag for a wreck on the frontstretch on lap 35 and "JJ" brought Green to pit road where the crew made a track bar adjustment and filled the fuel cell with fuel before returning their Toyota to the track in 16th position.

With other teams taking four tires under caution, Green gradually descended to 24th before a debris caution waved on lap 71. Four tires proved to be the way to go, so "JJ" called Green to pit road for a four tire stop, where the crew made an air pressure adjustment and gave the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota a drink of fuel before returning it to the track in 28th position.

On the restart at lap 75, Green raged on through the field and moved into 20th spot by the half-way mark. Green pitted again when another caution was displayed for debris on lap 116, which was ultimately his final stop of the night. "JJ" called for four fresh tires and fuel before returning Green to the track in 22nd. Green battled door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper in the closing laps while managing to avoid the event's last five cautions. Despite a couple of very close calls, Green drove the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota to 16th in his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the famed half-mile oval.

"Our RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota really felt good at the start of the race," explained Green. "We got a little tight from the center off but for the most part we were 90% better than we had been the last two days. For me, that's a positive. I think we learned a lot."

"Bristol is one of my favorite tracks but when you start 29th, you almost have to switch into a different mode," he continued. "Starting that far back it's survival plus trying to go as hard as you can and miss all the wrecks while trying not to get turned around. We experienced it all tonight. Missed a few and almost got turned around a couple times. I'm tickled with the progress that we made. This afternoon wasn't looking very pretty and our qualifying result showed that. I thought that we would be better in the race and we were. It's Bristol - even though it's a new surface - it's the same old Bristol. To come from 29th to finish 16th is a good night. The pit crew did well, everyone worked hard, and I think we learned a lot."

Green's next chance to learn more will come in Madison, Illinois as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes on Gateway International Raceway for the Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 on Saturday, September 1st.