Greg Biffle's proclamation of championship contention at Michigan made sense. After all, his second win of the season had vaulted him back into the points lead, a lead that he ended up keeping through Richmond.
And yet for many, it was still somewhat surprising. Greg Biffle? He's going to win the championship?
No, it's not crazy. Immediately boosted by a second place finish to teammate Matt Kenseth in the Daytona 500, Biffle hasn't been lower than fourth in the points all season, and even that was only for a week after Kentucky. The rest of the time, he's been firmly planted in the top three.
Maybe a 16th place finish the preceding year really does divert attention from you the following season, no matter how well you do. But we'll say this, no one will be talking about Greg Biffle being overlooked if he is in fact at the head table at the Sprint Cup banquet.
Best Chase Track: That's Kansas, where Biffle has two wins and 7 top fives in 12 starts. And while the repave may mean any past data is irrelevant, it's still a 1.5 mile oval, and Biffle is pretty good at those.
Worst Chase Track: For as much of a strength as Martinsville is in the arsenals of Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, it's Biffle's weakness. In 19 starts, he has just two top 10s. And the most recent top 10 was in 2007. That race will be all about survival for Biffle.
NB's prediction: 8th. Yeah, this seems too low, and this pick has the feeling of being the most regrettable one. Biffle has finished outside the top 20 just three times this season. If he continues that and wins a few races... this prediction will seem really stupid. And if he does win the championship, Biffle will become the first driver to win titles in all three of NASCAR's top series. Pretty impressive.
