Mike Green, crew chief on the FRAM Top Fuel dragster driven by Cory McClenathan, was admitted to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown, Texas, early Saturday morning. Green drove himself to the hospital at 4 a.m. suffering pain from possible diverticulitis, which he has suffered from in the past. Phil Shuler, crew chief on the Rockstar Energy Drink Funny Car, will help the team in Green's absence. Green is expected to return to the track some time today. UPDATED - 5:06 PM, EST

UPDATED - 5:06 PM, EST - Mike Green was released from the hospital after they ran some tests and he returned to the track just past noon, still visibly in a lot of pain. "This is my job. It hurts, but it would hurt if I was sitting in the hotel room. I figured I should just come back here and try to help as much as I can. We'll make this qualifying run and I'll get in there and do what I can. We made some changes when I got back from the hospital and I'll go back after this run and try to do things normally and the best I can." 

"Last night when we were getting ready to make our last run I felt some pain and by the time we were back at the trailer looking at the run it hurt pretty bad," said Green. "I went back to hotel and took some Advil and went to bed and slept for about a couple of hours and then got up and drove myself to the hospital. They performed a bunch of tests and confirmed that it was diverticulitis, which I've had once before."

 

 

Mike Green, crew chief on the FRAM Top Fuel dragster driven by Cory McClenathan, was admitted to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown, Texas, early Saturday morning. Green drove himself to the hospital at 4 a.m. suffering pain from possible diverticulitis, which he has suffered from in the past. Phil Shuler, crew chief on the Rockstar Energy Drink Funny Car, will help the team in Green's absence. Green is expected to return to the track some time today.
 
"Phil Shuler is coming over because Phil and Mike work well together," said McClenathan. "It's just logical because Phil's car is eight pairs behind us in this first qualifying session today and he'll be able to get back to the Rockstar Energy Drink Funny Car in time to perform his duties for them. We appreciate Phil stepping up and doing this for us, because the worst thing you can do is take one of the other crew guys away from his normal job and get him out of sync. The only big change is Phil coming in and taking Mike's place. Mike should be back here later this afternoon and he'll just go right into his spot again.
 
"You hate to go to the hospital, especially when you're out of town," added McClenathan. "But the race car doesn't come first; Mike Green comes first. Mike's well being is what I really care about and as long as he's doing OK and he's well enough to come back to the race track and perform his job that's fine."