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MRTI: Former Pro Mazda racer Jeff Green dies at 61

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Jeff Green was the unsung hero of the Pro Mazda season. Photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography

Chris Jones

Jeff Green, 61, a former competitor in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, passed away on Saturday as a result of injuries sustained in a crash while competing in a vintage race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Per a report from TSO Ladder, Green, competing in the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC) Vintage Grand Prix, had started on the pole in his Lola T300, but crashed entering Turn 8 after the back straight away.

Green, a native of Peoria, Illinois, where he also owned a pair of car dealerships, was extracted from the car and tended to by the on-site medical staff before being transported to a local hospital, but he was unable to survive his injuries.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jeffrey Green,” said Myles Brandt, President and General Manager of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in a statement on the track’s website. “We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family, friends and fellow competitors.”

Green demonstrated steady progress in the 2017 Pro Mazda season, finishing fifth on two occasions (Race 2 at Road America and at Gateway Motorsports Park, where he also recorded the third fastest lap of the race).

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Bret Kelley

However, his impact on that year’s championship came outside of his own driver’s seat.

As described in the aforementioned TSO Ladder report, when Juncos Racing expanded last year to include a two-car Indianapolis 500 effort, team owner Ricardo Juncos dropped his Pro Mazda program, and Green ultimately purchased the equipment with the intention of racing it himself.

However, he later elected to work with an established team, and Juncos’ Pro Mazda program was reborn, but they needed a second driver in the mix to run for the championship.

Enter Victor Franzoni, a standout in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, but he lacked sufficient funding to continue his racing career, so he entered 2017 thinking he’d be on the sidelines.

Franzoni was added as a full-time teammate to Green, and the rest as they say is history - Franzoni won seven races on his way to the Pro Mazda crown.

A heartbroken Franzoni posted the below message on his Instagram page:

“Devasted!! Yesterday this awesome guy Jeff Green had a racing accident and left us. Jeff was one of the most amazing person I met, always extremely happy and helping everyone!! I learned a lot with you Jeff!! You were an inspiration and You’ll be always remembered. Prayers for his family and friends. R.I.P Jeff Green.”

Juncos Racing also expressed their grief on their twitter page.

Follow@KyleMLavigne