Biffle and Brewco Hold on to
Top-Ten Finish
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
(February 19)--- Greg Biffle, driver
of the #66 Duraflame Ford started
twelfth and finished eighth in the
TAKE 5 300 at Daytona International
Speedway. In his first career start
with Brewco Motorsports, Biffle
wasted little time showing his new
team what he is all about. Needless
to say, with a new sponsor, a new
driver, and a new manufacturer,
there was a definite sense of
anxiety prior to the start of the
three-hundred mile event.
Nevertheless, after months of hard
work and preparation, the Newt Moore
led team headed into the
season-opener full of optimism.
Per the 2005 NASCAR
Busch Series rulebook, all cars will
be impounded after Busch Pole
qualifying. With that in mind, crew
chief Newt Moore, decided to focus
his attention throughout the week on
"race set-up." With only six sets
of tires issued per team for the
entire week, Moore and Biffle
elected to skip a practice session
in an effort to conserve tires for
race time. Despite having only
three hours of total practice time,
Moore felt confident he had prepared
a car capable of winning the
prestigious event.
"There's really no
reason to make mock-qualifying runs
in practice anymore. We made a few
single car runs during pre-season
testing, so we have an idea of what
this car is capable of, but our main
concern is getting this Ford ready
for the race. Greg is an
experienced, aggressive driver and
he knows what it takes to win," crew
chief Moore added prior to Busch
Pole qualifying.
Patiently waiting his
turn to qualify, Greg Biffle finally
got his chance late Friday
afternoon. Despite high winds and
fluctuating temperatures, the 2002
Busch Series champion managed to
qualify the #66 Duraflame Ford in
twelfth position. "I'm thrilled
with our qualifying effort.
Considering we never made a
mock-run, I think we are in really
good shape for the race. This car
has drafted well all week, and I
can't wait for the green flag to
drop," Biffle added after
qualifying.
With forty-three cars
securely tucked away in the garage
bay, teams had little to do Saturday
morning expect anxiously await the
official start of the 2005 season.
As the green flag fell for the first
time, Biffle quickly worked his way
through the field. In only ten
laps, Biffle managed to race his way
into seventh place. With the help
of his spotter, Biffle was able to
crack the top-five within fifteen
laps. The first caution of the
season fell on lap twenty-one. When
asked how his car was performing
Biffle radioed, "I've got a terrible
vibration. I think it's in the
engine- the oil temps are through
the roof. I don't know that this
thing is going to last."
Following the first
and second place cars to pit road,
Biffle made his first stop of the
day on lap twenty-five. In third
and out third, the #66 crew changed
four tires and took one round out of
the right rear to help "tighten up"
the Duraflame Ford. Biffle would
restart the race in third place,
where he would remain for much of
the race. The second caution of the
day would fall on lap forty-seven.
With only two sets of tires
remaining, Moore and Biffle debated
whether or not to pit. Despite
their initial concerns, Biffle made
his second stop on lap forty nine.
When asked how the vibration was,
Biffle said, "It's still really bad,
but I'm not so sure it isn't in the
transmission. I think we will be
fine."
Just shy of the
halfway mark and only one set of
tires remaining, Greg Biffle was
hoping for a long green flag run.
Unfortunately, the caution flag fell
on lap sixty-eight. As the majority
of drivers headed to pit road to get
a fresh set of rubber, Biffle
gambled and made a fuel-only stop.
Biffle would restart the race in
first place.
Despite the lack of
fresh tires, Biffle held off a hard
charging Tony Stewart for a handful
of laps. On lap seventy-five,
Stewart made a move to the inside
and ultimately made contact with the
#66. As a result of the contact,
the left rear bumper was split at
the seam. Unfortunately, the body
damage made the car
aerodynamically-unstable. Biffle
quickly fell to the rear of the
field. Crew Chief Newt Moore tried
his best to calm his driver and let
him know they would fix the damage
during the next stop. Fortunately,
the yellow flag would fall on lap
one hundred.
During the four tire
stop, the #66 crew would change four
tires and repair the left rear body
damage. With only fifteen laps
remaining, Biffle had his work cut
out for him, restarting from the
thirty-second spot. In remarkable
fashion, Biffle managed to race his
way into the top-ten before the
yellow flag would fall on the last
lap.
"That car was an
absolute rocket ship. I had at
least ten miles per hour on everyone
during that last run. There's no
doubt I could have gained a few more
positions if the caution had not
come out. I know this car was good
enough for a top-three finish, and
here you never know what can happen
if you are in the right spot. I'm
really, really excited for this
season. We will carry over this
confidence to California Speedway,
and really show them what we are
made of," Biffle said after
finishing eighth in the
season-opener.
Next up, Team Brewco
heads to California Speedway for the
Stater Bros. 300 on Saturday,
February 26th. FX and
MRN will provide live coverage of
the event beginning at 5:30pm ET.
Greg Biffle is the defending
champion of the three-hundred mile
event.
