TALLADEGA, Ala. — Austin Green didn't look like a rookie on Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway as he made his Craftsman Truck Series debut.
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He took advantage of a fast truck that handled extremely well in the draft, and he delivered a top-three finish in his debut race. He also helped push teammate Sammy Smith to his first career Truck Series win.
This was exactly the performance Green, the son of former O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion David Green, needed after losing his seat at Peterson Racing.
"I didn't think I really fought anything," Green told FanBuzz on pit road after the race. "You know, I felt like if Sammy and I were together, we could kind of hook up and make our own speed.
"But I think (the competitors) kind of made it... we weren't together all race, so I think they kind of made it hard on us. But yeah, I don't know. Like I said, I'm used to the O'Reilly stuff on speedways, so this is my first Truck race.
"So learning how to do all the aero stuff is huge. Like I said, probably most fun I've had all year, and it's in one piece, and it looked good going fast."
Austin Green made his Truck Series debut in a big way. He kept the No. 77 clean and crossed the finish line without damage.
"Probably the most fun" he's had. pic.twitter.com/2YsdP95abW— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) October 23, 2026
Green didn't simply make his way to the front of the pack while avoiding the wrecks that brought out the caution five times. He qualified sixth at the 2.66-mile Alabama track, and he continued to race in the top 10 while pushing and receiving pushes.
Green finished the opening stage in third place and the second stage in eighth place. He then continued racing in the top 10 as the end of the race and overtime approached.
The 25-year-old remained on the bottom lane and just behind Smith after taking the white flag. They had Ty Majeski and Layne Riggs in front of them as they began the final lap. Meanwhile, the field crashed behind them.
Riggs was shuffled out of the pack after the wreck, so this left Majeski and championship leader Kaden Honeycutt on the outside lane. Smith and Green made up the inside lane.
Honeycutt dove to the inside and took the lead, so Smith jumped to the outside going down the backstretch. As the field entered the tri-oval, they went four-wide. Smith and Tyler Ankrum raced on the outside nose-to-tail while Majeski, Green, and Honeycutt took part in a drag race.
Smith and Ankrum crossed the finish line in first and second place, respectively. Green took third. Majeski and Honeycutt rounded out the top five.
WHAT A LAST LAP?!@sammysmithSS fights back to claim his first win in his 11th start in the truck series. pic.twitter.com/BPnXR1eIlH
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) October 23, 2026
"I think just the side drafts are so big here," Green said when asked if he could have done anything differently on the final lap. "I don't know. Try to stay out front a little bit longer.
"I don't know. I think (the) cards just kind of fell where they fell, or thankfully, had a fast enough truck to stay up there."
