This week, with just four races remaining in the Chase for the Championship, it seems unlikely that any driver has a solid chance of prying a third straight points championship away from Johnson.
But there is one who likely has the best shot — Greg Biffle.
Biffle is No. 2 in the Chase points standings as the series heads this weekend to Atlanta Motor Speedway. He is 149 points behind Johnson and has not had a top-five finish in three weeks. But looking ahead, he does have a couple of things going for him.
“We finished fourth at the spring race,” Biffle said, “but we were chasing down the leader, Kyle Busch, at the end and were second, but just ran out of tires a little bit late in the race and ended up slipping back a few positions.”
But it is not just Biffle’s own history that has him thinking positive thoughts as the Chase winds down. His team, Roush Fenway Racing, has been among the best when it comes to winning at Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead.
“The places we have been competitive at, we have tended to come back and be competitive, and I don’t think it’s any different than Hendrick’s domination at Martinsville,” he said, referring to the fact that Hendrick Motorsports’ Johnson won at that track last weekend. “The (Hendrick) 48, 88, 24, all four cars were right there at Martinsville.
“I think we are going to be really good at Atlanta. I think we are going to be really good at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead and I think we can beat the 48 (Johnson). Now, what happens to him if he finishes fifth in all those races? There’s nothing we can do about that. But we can just go there and try and do our best.”
Were Biffle to somehow catch and pass Johnson in the standings, and then go on to win the championship, he would become the first driver to be a triple-crown guy — meaning win points championship in the Craftsman Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series.
“It would mean a great deal,” he said. “I’ve certainly paid my dues. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and effort. We’ve got four opportunities left to try and close that deal and it would mean a great deal to me, especially doing it with the same team … It would be a dream come true for me, a lifelong goal, obviously, to win all three of them, but most importantly, win the Sprint Cup title.”
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