Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, May 16, 2008

NASCAR notes: Biffle still happy with Roush even after Darlington disaster

Also items on Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Richard Childress

Associated Press

 CONCORD, N.C. — Despite his harsh comments about his race team at Darlington Raceway, Greg Biffle said he's still committed to signing a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing.

"Nothing has changed," Biffle said Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I don't understand. I don't quit. I'm not going to quit on my guys. I'm not going to give up."

Biffle is in the final year of his contract with Roush, and has maintained since last season that he intends to sign an extension with the team. But talks have been slow, and his intent came into question Saturday night when he blasted his team because his pole-winning car broke down after leading 95 laps at Darlington.

"All I want is equipment to drive that stays together," he ranted after dropping out of the race and finishing 43rd. "I give it 110 percent as a driver all the time, and you just want your equipment to last and be able to win these races."

Biffle blamed his critical remarks on frustration, and said any driver would have been angry after his car had a pair of loose wheels, a vibration and finally the broken timing belt that ended his evening early.

"I want you guys to go interview 42 other guys and tell me one guy that wouldn't have got out of that car and been mad — just been kicking rocks and going 'Dang it, I'm leading the race with a 5-second lead and now I'm out,' " he said. "I had a great car. That's the positive thing about it, a fast race car, and that's what I always complain about — wanting to have a fast race car.

"I did have a fast race car. There's no doubt in my mind and that's exciting for him."

BUSY, BUSY BUSCH: Kyle Busch would race every day if he could, and that passion is what's led him to not yet rule out running for the championship in all three of NASCAR's top series.

In fact, he'll try to run all three series in different states on the same weekend next month.

Busch said Friday he's trying to run the Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 6, followed by the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway and the Sprint Cup Series event Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

"So we're going to ... practice and do everything in Pocono, go to the truck race, come back and practice Saturday, go to Nashville for the Nationwide race and then come back and race again in Pocono," he said. "It'll be a fun weekend."

Busch has won three Cup races this year, three Nationwide races and a pair of Truck Series events. He leads the Cup standings, is second in Nationwide and sixth in Trucks. He hasn't ruled out winning titles in all three series.

"Does it make sense? No," he said. "Do I still think that there's a chance possibly for a title in all three? There could be. It would take a lot, probably some bad luck on the other drivers' parts in some races where I'm not there or just other times during the year in order to make up ground, but it's just fun.

"I love racing, I love making a show out of things, and I guess, also, it's more PR for NASCAR. So let's help them out."

If this full schedule isn't enough, Busch is already thinking about filling his offseason. He's talking with Toyota officials about driving a Formula One car in Japan in either November or December.

Lee White, senior vice president of Toyota Racing Development, said such an event would be similar to when Mike Skinner took a Toyota Tundra to Mount Fuji, in Oyama for a demonstration.

"It was very well received when we did it with Mike, and Kyle has expressed some interest and there's some interest in Japan and here," White said. "So we've had some tentative discussions, and we would probably take one of his Cup cars over for a demonstration and probably give him an opportunity to drive a Formula One car around Mount Fuji."

Would Busch be interested in someday pursuing a career in F1?

"We'll see how good I test first, see if my neck can withstand the G-forces with braking and everything," Busch said. "But I wouldn't mind it. If I can do it and I'm good at it, then I'll give it a shot and try it."

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: By any standards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having a fabulous start to his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.

But he's still seeking his first win with his new team, and his 73-race winless streak has him hesitant to be content with his current results. Earnhardt has eight top 10 finishes through 11 races and is third in the season standings.

"Finishing good, running good, being competitive — it ain't good enough," he said. "I want to win races, but I had a deal because if I say 'Man I'm happy,' if I tell you the truth, you're gonna say I don't have enough drive and determination to go for wins and I don't run hard enough.

"So I got to tell you every once in awhile 'Man, you know, I really want to go after them wins and they really mean a lot' just so you won't bury me."

But the reality is Earnhardt is rather pleased with his start to the season.

"I am having a great time right now. I got great cars. I got way more confidence in my team and our ability to show up with cars that are in the ballpark and are running good all weekend," he said. "That feels good — running in the top five, being able to do what I feel like I should be able to do. I'm able to perform the way I feel like I should perform.

"Once we figure out what that little extra bit is, we'll be able to compete for those wins. But we'll take the top 5's if they keep coming."

HALL OF FAME CHILDRESS: Car owner Richard Childress was one of eight people inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame this week.

Childress' Welcome, N.C.-based team won six Cup titles with Dale Earnhardt from 1986-94. He currently fields three Sprint Cup teams with drivers Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

"Only in America can a kid with a dream to drive a race car be fortunate enough to be inducted into the hall of fame of his home state," said Childress, who was honored at a banquet Thursday in Raleigh. "I'd be remiss if I didn't give Dale Earnhardt a lot of credit for my induction. I also have to thank all of the longtime team members at RCR and the current team members who are keeping the RCR heritage strong."

The rest of the 2008 class included North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams; former Duke athletic director Tom Butters; former Duke quarterback Leo Hart; longtime promoter Bill Hensley; former North Carolina and NFL offensive linemen Ken Huff; former Guilford College men's golf and basketball coach Jack Jensen; and former Harlem Globetrotter Curly Neal.

TUNDRA DOMINANCE: Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first Truck Series pole of the season Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but it was 50th overall for the manufacturer.

Not too shabby, considering Toyota only entered that series in 2004 and has racked up all those poles in just 106 races. Mike Skinner has tallied the most, with 28 since Toyota began racing.

"It's almost 50 percent of the poles, and that's an incredible number," said Jim Aust, outgoing president of Toyota Racing Development. "To have it happen in the short time frame that it did is a testament to the program."

Toyota drivers have won 41 Truck Series races.

SPEAKING: "You know you're racing for a million dollars here because everybody makes such a big deal about it. If I didn't have any money, that money would seem so large obviously. And it is large — don't get me wrong. But at this point in my career, I'm much more concerned about the history that's involved in winning it, the legacy that's created, the trophy that's yours. Those things really mean more to me than anything else," Jeff Burton on the $1 million payout to the winner of Saturday's All-Star race.
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