Championship winning Top Fuel crew chief Mike Green is on the move. Until the close of this year’s Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, Green has been the crew chief for Justin Ashley’s dragster program; Ashley currently occupies second place in the standings with two races left to go: at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and on the In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, CA.
Green, who engineered Tony Schumacher to a pair of his eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel championships, joined Ashley’s enterprise in 2020 when it was named Dustin David Motorsports, as co-crew chief with Tommy DeLago, who now becomes the lead crew chief for Ashley. Green worked to elevate the start-up to the position they’re currently occupying in the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs, just 141 points behind Kalitta Motorsports’ Doug Kalitta. Ashley was the runner-up in Charlotte and fell to Brittany Force at Texas in the quarterfinals.
Elite Motorsports announced on Friday, October 17th that Green will be the team leader for its Top Fuel enterprise, one that will see Tony Stewart in the team’s dragster for NHRA’s 75th anniversary season next year. “We had conversations with a handful of potential crew chiefs over the past several weeks, all great options,” revealed Richard Freeman, Elite Motorsports team owner. “When Mike and I talked after the Dallas event, it felt like a natural fit, for both of us. We’re excited to have him on board.
“Mike is a hall of fame caliber crew chief,” Freeman asserted, “who has proven he’s capable of putting together a program to win championships. That’s what we’re after. He’s known for elevating those around him and we have that same growth mentally here at Elite Motorsports.”
As he did with Justin Ashley’s program, Green will be active in every aspect of building a winning Top Fuel team around Stewart. he is also charged with developing an expanded program to license a pair of Elite Motorsports Pro Stock standouts during the 2026 campaign: Aaron Stanfield and six-time champion Erica Enders. With Freeman’s growth intentions, Green will serve as the cornerstone in Elite’s vision, in which it intends to cultivate future nitro racing leaders.
Mike Green, who grew up in Sacramento, California, first started working in NHRA’s professional ranks in 1987 as a member of Darrell Gwynn’s Top Fuel squad. Since that time, he has tuned both Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters, the former with Tommy Johnson and the latter for Cory McClenathan, Tony Schumacher at Don Schumacher Racing, with Austin Prock at John Force Racing and Ashley for SCAG Racing.
It took less than a week for Elite Motorsports and Mike Green to align as partners. “I’m excited to be joining Elite Motorsports and to help them build their Top Fuel program,” Green said. “With talent like Tony Stewart, Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield being in the mix, this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I look forward to being part of Elite, and Richard’s vision to grow the sport.
“i’ve enjoyed working with Justin these past few years,” Green said of the driver he’s led to four 2025 wins. “He’s a brilliant driver and I’m disappointed I won’t have the opportunity to see him through to the end of the 2025 season. I wish him and the guys all the best of luck. I’ll be rooting for them. Now Im looking ahead to 2026.”
Mike Green’s tenure as crew chief for Elite’s new Top Fuel team starts immediately, as Elite Motorsports prepares for the 75th anniversary season-starter NHRA Gatornationals the first weekend of March 2026, which takes place on the Gainesville Raceway dragstrip in Florida.
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