DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Sherwin Williams Ford) may have won the first two races in the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but he knows many miles stand between him and a championship.
For instance, a two-day test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Biffle and over 50 of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series peers spent two days this week – Tuesday and Wednesday – putting down laps during the season’s seventh and final NASCAR-sanctioned test. It’s taken place at the 1.5-mile track nearest most teams’ shops, an important mid-week session considering teams will compete on five 1.5-mile tracks during the Chase.
That’s comforting for Biffle, who usually excels at those venues. He finished second to Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge) in both the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the Coco-Cola 600 at LMS in May.
Tuesday evening, Biffle admitted he was pleased with his crew’s test efforts.
“I think you’re gonna see a great race here, I really do,” he said of the Bank of America 500 that LMS will host on Oct. 11. “This race track and this tire are really starting to come together. I think the 600 and the All-Star race were pretty good races too, chasing guys down at the end. Kasey and I had a pretty good race in both of them, but I think you’re gonna see another pretty exciting race.”
Biffle hopes more excitement awaits this weekend at Kansas Speedway, where he will attempt to become only the second Chase participant to win three consecutive Chase events. Reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) is the other driver to accomplish that feat.
Biffle also is the defending champion of Sunday’s Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman.
“One thing that gives me a lot of confidence is we’re going to Kansas where we won last year, so I feel really good about going there and defending our win at Kansas,” Biffle added. “We were talking about it in the truck and we’re really ready. The whole team is ready to go to Kansas.”
After beginning the Chase as the ninth seed, Biffle has rocketed up the standings with his two consecutive victories. Opening 80 points behind then-leader Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota), Biffle now ranks third, only 10 points behind current leader and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford).
And he doesn’t expect a downturn in his or his opponents’ performance. Biffle, who finished as series runner-up in 2005, only 35 points from a title, hopes to finish one spot better in 2008. After enduing two sub-par, non-Chase seasons in 2006 and 2007, Biffle thinks coming so close once may help him close the deal if he gets the chance.
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