Biffle Setting Record Pace in 2001

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 25, 2001) - Everyone has been so caught up in the Busch Series championship hunt and the Greg Biffle/Kevin Harvick rivalry lately that they have overlooked the fact that Biffle is having one of the best rookie seasons in Busch Series history. If he continues to perform in the final 13 races like he did in the first 20, he will break many rookie records and practically sweep every category in the record books.

Many thought that Greg Biffle would be a strong contender for the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year title going into the 2001 season, but no one had any idea that he would also be contending for the Busch Series Championship two-thirds of the way through the season. The same consistency that has Biffle and the Grainger team sitting in second place in the series title race also has Biffle sitting pretty when it comes to rookie season records and breaking them.

One record Biffle is on track to break is most starts by a rookie in a single season. Currently that record is held by Kevin Harvick (2000), Tony Raines (1999) and Ricky Craven (1992) each with 31 starts. It helps that the series has added races to the schedule but you still have to make all of them nonetheless.

Now let's get into the records that can show how impressive Biffle's rookie season will be even if he breaks only a few of them. The record for most wins in a rookie season currently stands at three with Biffle being tied with Kevin Harvick (2000) and Steve Park (1997). It only took Biffle 20 races to reach three, and with 13 to go, a fourth or maybe even fifth win is within reach. Kenny Wallace (1989) holds the record for most poles in a rookie season with three. Biffle has charted two Bud Poles already, and is heading back to a track (North Carolina Speedway) where he captured his first in the Busch Series.

Most top-five and top-10 finishes in a rookie season are records that Biffle has a legitimate chance at reaching. Steve Park holds them both with 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes during his rookie run in 1997. Biffle has nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, and if he has any chance of winning the series title, he's definitely going to have to top Park's numbers.

Biffle is currently tied with Steve Park at 14 for most races led in a rookie season. This record could be beat at Pikes Peak this weekend; Biffle won there in the Craftman Truck Series in 2000. He is also just six laps shy of reaching the most laps led mark (665) set by Kevin Harvick last year.

Harvick set the winnings total last season, racking up $995,274 including post-season awards. Biffle has already surpassed Harvick's race winnings total of $625,805, bringing home a total of $723,007 so far this season. This record is probably going to fall, but we won't make the early call.

The two most important records that need to be broken for Biffle to have a shot at the Busch Series title are most overall points (4,113) set by Harvick last year and highest final finishing position, which is a tie at third place between Park and Harvick. Biffle currently sits second in the points, and with a total of 2865 points to date and an average of 143.25 points per event through 20 races, he's got a shot at beating both.

Even if Biffle only breaks one or two of the rookie records that exist today, everyone will have to agree that at the season's end he put on one impressive display of racing talent. The most important thing is that we are witnessing the rise of one of NASCAR's newest stars.