Mike Green to Elite

[BamBam2140]

Mike Green announced as crew chief for Elite Motorsports Top Fuel team in 2026

Elite Motorsports has announced multi-championship crew chief Mike Green will lead their Top Fuel program beginning in the 2026 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season. Green will no longer be tuning this season for Scag Racing and driver Justin Ashley after being released by the team.

www.nhra.com

 

[Butch]

Glad he's with Elite/Stewart he will do good there.

 

[stitcherbob]

Silly season started early with a boom!

 

[ironpony]

So he is out with a few races left ?? seems like a cut off your nose to spite your face move for Ashley.

 

[DixonFan]

Sounds like Mike wasn’t thrilled with how things were going at Ashley’s operation. But man, this move makes no sense. You don’t blow up a championship run with two races left! Bringing in a new crew chief this late in the game? No shot. The learning curve’s way too steep for anyone to come in and make it work that fast.

 

[twostep]

So next year Tony Stewart will be driving for Elite Motorsports in 2026 and competing against his wife who will be driving for Tony Stewart Racing? Yep - I'd say Silly Season started a bit early this year.

Indeed, must have been some bad juju in the Ashley camp for Green to depart (or released by) the SKAG team.

 

[camaro]

So next year Tony Stewart will be driving for Elite Motorsports in 2026 and competing against his wife who will be driving for Tony Stewart Racing? Yep - I'd say Silly Season started a bit early this year.

Indeed, must have been some bad juju in the Ashley camp for Green to depart (or released by) the SKAG team.

This is kinda like Nascar, years ago when Jimmy Johnson won all those championships! I believe Jeff Gordon was his car owner and at the same time Jeff was a hired Driver for Rick Hendrick. of course, unlike Tony and Lea, Jimmy and Jeff were not married

 

[none]

I also think the timing is weird. But Tommy DeLago has been with the team for a few years and is a Championship winning CC himself. So it's not like a new guy coming in blind.

Alan

 

[ironpony]

This is kinda like Nascar, years ago when Jimmy Johnson won all those championships! I believe Jeff Gordon was his car owner and at the same time Jeff was a hired Driver for Rick Hendrick. of course, unlike Tony and Lea, Jimmy and Jeff were not married

Hope it doesn't turn out like TJ and Melanie

 

[none]

Jeff was a minority owner of that car. All the Championships and race wins are creditred to Mr. H. And the car was run out of the 24/48 shop at Hendrick Motorsports. I've never heard Jeff referred to as a Championship car owner.

A more accurate comparison would be Dale Sr. and DEI, or Denny Hamlin driving for the Coach, while owning 23XI.

Alan

 

[stitcherbob]

So I guess the biggest question at TSR in 2026 will be
Serta 🛏 or Chesterfield 🛋 ?
Well Tony, which will it be?

 

[Jimmy]

So he is out with a few races left ?? seems like a cut off your nose to spite your face move for Ashley.

It does not make sense to me either. Number 2 in the points, 2 races left, 141 points behind Kalitta. What type of problem or disagreement /clash could have resulted in Green being released abruptly and picked up immediately by Elite ? Maybe when Ashley found out Green was talking to Elite about joining them in 2026 Ashley said just leave now, which is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[Axman]

So next year Tony Stewart will be driving for Elite Motorsports in 2026 and competing against his wife who will be driving for Tony Stewart Racing? Yep - I'd say Silly Season started a bit early this year.

Indeed, must have been some bad juju in the Ashley camp for Green to depart (or released by) the SKAG team.

I must have missed the press conference announcement about TS driving for Elite.

 

[Jack]

So next year Tony Stewart will be driving for Elite Motorsports in 2026 and competing against his wife who will be driving for Tony Stewart Racing? Yep - I'd say Silly Season started a bit early this year.

Indeed, must have been some bad juju in the Ashley camp for Green to depart (or released by) the SKAG team.

Didn't Tony swear that this senerio of having to race his wife would never happen ?

 

[Butch]

My understanding of the situation is that Mike accepted the position at Elite for next year and was up front in telling Ashley/Scag at which time he was "released". I guess they would have preferred he waited until the season ended. Sometimes I guess it's not good to be honest with some people. Kind of a knee jerk reaction why not let him finish the season! The next two races will tell if Ashley/Scag was right or wrong.

 

[J. S.]

Didn't Tony swear that this senerio of having to race his wife would never happen ?

I may have missed it, but I agree that Tony has been quoted several times as John says (see quote above). Yes, things change, but do we know for sure Tony is going to drive a dragster for Elite? Maybe Tony will be driving a Pro Stocker, and Elite will hire another driver for the dragster?

 

[DixonFan]

I may have missed it, but I agree that Tony has been quoted several times as John says (see quote above). Yes, things change, but do we know for sure Tony is going to drive a dragster for Elite? Maybe Tony will be driving a Pro Stocker, and Elite will hire another driver for the dragster?

Quote from Article:
Green will be active in every aspect of building a Top Fuel team around driver Tony Stewart as well as developing an expanded program to license Aaron Stanfield and Erica Enders in 2026. As Elite Motorsports plans to grow for years to come, Green will serve as a cornerstone in Elite’s broader vision to cultivate future leaders in nitro racing.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

So, if Justin wins the championship will Mike be up on the stage with the team ??

 

[twostep]

I may have missed it, but I agree that Tony has been quoted several times as John says (see quote above). Yes, things change, but do we know for sure Tony is going to drive a dragster for Elite? Maybe Tony will be driving a Pro Stocker, and Elite will hire another driver for the dragster?

He tested in one of Elite's PS cars; showed some interest but in the end reiterated his dedication to Top Fuel. There are husbands/wives and sons/fathers who compete against one another but they're on the same team. I've never heard of a husband and wife competing in the same class driving for two different teams.

Should be interesting the first time those two pair off.

 

[camaro]

. . . I've never heard of a husband and wife competing in the same class driving for two different teams.

Should be interesting the first time those two pair off.

It's been done a couple of different times previously. Melanie Troxel / Tommy Johnson & Erica E and Richie Stevens, although regarding the ladder, i'm not a100% sure they were married at the time. I believe they were married and the odd thing i remember about the race, is during the post race interview, with the two of them, Erica was not happy at all