After missing out on last year’s grand champion title by just one point, Brendan Greene is back and he’s gunning for the 2019 champion spot. The #18 hauler driver took home his first Challenge win of the season, and also marked his second consecutive win at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 21.
For Greene, the way the 2018 season ended was humbling and only motivated him to come back this year stronger than ever.
“That motivated me a lot,” Greene said. “I was pretty aggravated with myself at the end of last year because I thought back throughout the year and at each event and found five points that I could have easily not lost if I had done one thing or another. So this year I plan to take my time, be a little more methodical and try to pick up the five points here and there when they are easy points.”
We’re not sure what’s in the water at the Joe Gibbs Racing garage, but we know it’s full of hard work and determination. Tom McCrimmon, #20 hauler driver, took second place in Atlanta, in addition to the Challenge grand champion title in 2018. Jamie Price, previous Challenge winner and Greene’s co-driver, took third place at the event on Feb. 21.
The TA Truck Service Challenge is an individual competition, but it’s still a friendly competition between crew members who, on a daily basis, work together as a team to get their jobs done. It’s evident that their teamwork on and off the road shines through in their performance when it comes to competing in the Challenge.
“We are competitive against each other, but we all enjoy it,” Greene said. “We like talking about the Challenge, we talk about what we missed, we study together. I guess we are just a little more tight-knit and I would like to say we’ve got the best of the best. We enjoy what we do.”
It’s clear that the extra studying has been paying off and the Joe Gibbs Racing gentlemen don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
“We plan to keep on winning, just so you know!” Greene said. “That’s why we show up.”
Catch Brendan and the rest of the Challenge competitors at the Texas Motor Speedway on March 28.