Greg Biffle

Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Gregory Jack Biffle


Birthdate = birth date and age|1969|12|23 | Birthplace = Camas, Washington
Cup_Car_Team = #16 - Roush Fenway Racing
Previous_Year = 2007 | Prev_Cup_Pos = 14th | Best_Cup_Pos = 2nd (Tied with Carl Edwards)- 2005 (NEXTEL Cup| Cup_Wins =13 | Cup_Top_Tens = 73 | Cup_Poles = 6 | First_Cup_Race = 2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 (Fontana) | First_Cup_Win = 2003 Pepsi 400 (Daytona) | Last_Cup_Win = 2008 Camping World RV 400 (Dover) | Busch_Car_Team = #16 - Roush Fenway Racing
Prev_Busch_Year = 2007
Prev_Busch_Pos = 10th
Best_Busch_Pos = 1st - 2002 (Busch Series)
First_Busch_Race = 1996 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham
First_Busch_Win = 2001 Pepsi 300 (Nashville)
Last_Busch_Win = 2006 Stater Brothers 300 (Fontana)
Busch_Wins = 18
Busch_Top_Tens = 133
Busch_Poles = 14
Best_Truck_Pos = 1st - 2000 (Craftsman Truck Series)
First_Truck_Race = 1998 Chevy Trucks Challenge (Orlando)
First_Truck_Win = 1999 Memphis 200 (Memphis)
Last_Truck_Win = 2001 Chevy Silverado 150 (Phoenix)
Last_Truck_Race = 2004 Ford 200 (Homestead)
Years_In_Truck = 5
Total_Truck_Races = 81 | Truck_Wins = 16
Truck_Top_Tens = 54
Truck_Poles = 12
Awards = 1998 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year

2000 Craftsman Truck Series Champion

2001 Busch Series Rookie of the Year

2002 Busch Series Champion
Updated_On = [September 16] , 2008

Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969 in Vancouver, Washington) is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing. He now lives in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Early career

Biffle started his racing career in 1990 entering Skip Barber events. In 1993, Biffle finished 4th in the Barber Saab Pro Series. In 1994, Biffle moved to Europe and drove in the Formula Opel Lotus series. In 1995 Biffle finished 9th in British Formula 3. In 1996 Biffle moved back to the USA and gained national attention when he raced in the NASCAR Winter Heat series on ESPN2 in the winter of 1995/1996. Former ESPN announcer and NASCAR champion Benny Parsons told Jack Roush that there was no way he could pass up the chance to hire Biffle, and that if he did he would regret it while watching Biffle win races for another team owner [ [http://www.roushracing.com/Greg_Biffle/default.asp?page=/greg_biffle/gbbio.htm&menu=greg Greg Biffle ] ] .

Craftsman Truck Series

Starting in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Biffle first won Rookie of the Year in 1998 for Roush Fenway Racing. In 2000, he won the series title in the #50 Grainger Ford F-150, which was his first championship in one of NASCAR's three major series. In 2001, he ran four more races for Jack Roush in the #99 Eldon Ford F-150. His last truck start was in 2004 for Tom Mitchell in the #44 Ford Racing Ford F-150 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Busch/Nationwide Series

Biffle first drove two races in 1996 for Dick Bown in the #51 Barbasol Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Biffle joined the NASCAR Busch Series full-time in 2001. He won the series rookie of the year award. He had five wins and finished fourth in points. In 2002 Biffle brought Roush another championship, this time in the NASCAR Busch Series. His four wins, 20-top-fives and 25-top-tens earned him the championship victory over fellow Busch Series regulars Jason Keller and Scott Wimmer. Biffle has continued to drive in the Busch Series every season since then. Biffle ran only part-time in 2003, but contended for the NASCAR Busch Series championship again in 2004, finishing third behind future Sprint Cup Series regulars Martin Truex, Jr. and Kyle Busch. Running part-time again in 2005, Biffle again placed in the top ten in NASCAR Busch Series points standings, despite running only 27 races, eight races fewer than the full season.

Winston/NEXTEL/Sprint Cup Series

In 2002, Biffle drove his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race at California Speedway in the #16 Volvo Trucks Ford Taurus for Roush Fenway Racing. He also drove for Andy Petree Racing in the #55 Schneider Electric Chevrolet Monte Carlo and for Petty Enterprises in the #44 Georgia Pacific Dodge Intrepid. In total, Biffle ran seven races with three-top-five starts and a best finish of 13th.

Biffle started competing full time in NASCAR's top circuit in 2003, and he finished in 20th place in the final Winston Cup Series points. He earned his first win at the Daytona International Speedway in the Pepsi 400. He finished second to Jamie McMurray for Raybestos Rookie of the Year. His car was sponsored by Grainger Industrial Supply, Co., who had previously sponsored him in his Busch and truck series efforts.

Greg Biffle showed steady improvement over the 2004 season as he earned two more race wins en route to a 17th place finish in the points.

2005 was Biffle's breakout season. He finished the season tied with teammate Carl Edwards for second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship, thirty-five points behind champion Tony Stewart. Biffle won the tie-breaker for second because of his six race victories, the most of any driver in the Nextel Cup Series that season.

In 2006, Biffle won twice, at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Biffle struggled considerably during the year, finishing 24th at Pocono Raceway, 33rd at the Brickyard and 38th at Watkins Glen International.

The Army National Guard served as the primary sponsor from 2004-2006. Ameriquest served as a primary sponsor for most of 2007 before selling off a lot of its sponsorship to other companies due to financial difficulty and is no longer a sponsor of the #16 Ford. Other sponsors included Post-it/3M, Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, Subway, Charter Communications and Prism Guard Shield.

For 2008, Biffle will drive the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle signed a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing for 3 additional years in June 2008. With a strong start in the Chase, Biffle looks to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win a championship in all three of NASCARs national series.

Personal life

Greg is a fan of fishing and enjoys deep sea fishing in Mexico, where he keeps his factory sponsored Luhrs fishing boat. Greg formerly owned a pub venture in his hometown of Vancouver, WA called "Biffles Pub and Grill" located at 11500 NE 76th St Vancouver, WA. Greg was married on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007 in South Carolina to his longtime girlfriend Nicole Lunders. [http://www.mlive.com/autoracing/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1200245106198940.xml&coll=6] .

Greg guest starred in CBS's situational comedy Yes, Dear. The episode, On Your Marks, Get Set, Mow, featured a tractor racing subplot which interloped with the greater "Father fights for respect of his son" theme. Biffle portrays himself as a NASCAR racer moonlighting in the small time tractor series.

Greg also appeared on a special features scene of the Will Ferrell comedy film about NASCAR, .

On December 22, 2007 Greg appeared on the Food Network show Paula's Party with cook Paula Deen to cook steak, [ [http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=3e5fe5a9-3071-4545-bf3f-368afc0561a2 Greg Biffle cooks steak with Paula Deen] .] and take Paula for a ride in his 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. [ [http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=0a653093-8aa5-460d-a1ef-b1e3dcacd0ab Greg Biffle doing donuts with Paula Deen] ]

Greg Biffle Foundation

Greg also has a foundation in his name that he and Nicole manage. Their primary goal is to create awareness and serve as an advocate to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motorsports industry. The foundation donates to local Humane Societies, no-kill animal shelters, spay and neuter clinics, and the Animal Adoption League.

Races Won

Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup (14 career wins)

*2008 (2 wins) Sylvania 300 (New Hampshire International Speedway), Camping World RV 400 (Dover)
*2007 (1 win) Lifelock 400 (Kansas)
*2006 (2 wins) Dodge Charger 500 (Darlington), Ford 400 (Homestead)
*2005 (6 wins) Auto Club 500 (Fontana), Samsung/Radio Shack 500 (Texas), Dodge Charger 500 (Darlington), MBNA RacePoints 400 (Dover), Batman Begins 400 (Michigan), Ford 400 (Homestead)
*2004 (2 wins) GFS Marketplace 400 (Michigan), Ford 400 (Homestead)
*2003 (1 win) Pepsi 400 (Daytona)

Busch/Nationwide Series (18 career wins)

*2006 (1 win) Stater Brothers 300 (Fontana)
*2005 (1 win) Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix)
*2004 (5 wins) Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Darlington), Stater Brothers 300 presented by Gatorade (Fontana), MBNA America 200 (Dover), Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 250 (Pikes Peak), Target House 300 (Fontana)
*2003 (2 wins) Little Trees 300 (Charlotte), Nicorette 300 (Atlanta)
*2002 (4 wins) MBNA Platinum 200 (Dover), GNC Live Well 250 (Milwaukee), Charter Pipeline 250 (Madison), Kroger 200 (Indianapolis), Busch Series Championship
*2001 (5 wins) Pepsi 300 presented by Mapco/Williams (Nashville), Nazareth 200 (Nazareth), GNC Live Well 250 (Milwaukee), Little Trees 300 (Charlotte), Outback Steakhouse 200 (Phoenix)

Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Data as of June 22, 2008 [ [http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=bifflgr01 Greg Biffle Career Statistics] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.roushracing.com/greg_biffle/default.asp Greg Biffle - New Roush Racing]
* [http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/gbiffle00/cup/index.html Greg Biffle at Nascar.com]
* [http://www.gregbifflefoundation.com Greg Biffle Foundation]
* [http://www.cocacolaracingfamily.com/biffle.html Coca-Cola Racing Family's Greg Biffle profile]