Roush Fenway drivers usually deliver big in Texas

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

Everyone knows the old adage “everything’s bigger in Texas.”

There is no team that better personifies this than Roush Fenway Racing. While current drivers Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle lead the charge with three and two wins, respectively, three other drivers have also won races at Texas Motor Speedway for the organization: Matt Kenseth (two), Jeff Burton (one) and Mark Martin (one).

When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls into Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN), Roush Fenway will arrive full of confidence that it, more than any other outfit on the circuit, have figured out all the track’s nuances. In all, Roush Fenway drivers have collected nine NASCAR Sprint Cup victories at the 1.5-mile track, five more than the two closest teams: Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Edwards, who already has two checkered flags in 2013 (Phoenix and Richmond), leads all drivers in wins at Texas. He won the 2005 Chase race and swept both events in 2008. In April’s race, he finished a respectable third. In addition to his past success at the track, Edwards participated in a recent test.

“I really enjoy racing at Texas. We had a great test there the other day…” Edwards said. “It’s aged a little bit, so it has some character, and you can drive the car into the corner really aggressively, slide it around a lot, and that makes it really fun to drive.”

Although Edwards and his teammate Biffle are both in the Chase, they sit far enough back where they could be considered spoilers this weekend. Edwards arrives in Fort Worth 10th in points, 76 markers back, while eighth-place Biffle trails co-leaders Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson by 58.

In 17 starts at Texas, Missouri native Edwards has compiled six top fives and eight top 10s. Through 33 races this season, Edwards, in addition to two wins, has collected nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 12.7. Being out of the title conversation doesn’t affect the impact a win would have on his season — and it sure doesn’t mean he won’t be trying his hardest to be the first to cross the finish line on Sunday afternoon. Edward’s fully aware of the task laid out before him.

“When you get down to these last few races … each problem is a big deal, and there’s nothing else you think about,” Edwards said. “Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, those guys, they are going to Texas and they’re going to know every single thing about their cars. They’re going to have a plan for everything.”

Biffle, who is set to make his 400th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this weekend, was also one of the drivers testing at Texas last week. In preparing for Sunday’s race, he noted — as did other drivers — that the track was taking on more rubber and the groove was getting wider.

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic race,” Biffle said. “The reason why is with a limited amount of cars there, we were running almost all the way up against the fence, on the bottom and the middle had good grip. We were using the whole race track.

“That race track rubbers up in one practice session really, and will continue to take rubber. I tell you what, a hundred laps in, 70 laps in, that place will be rubbered up from top to bottom.”

In 19 starts at the Fort Worth track, Biffle has eight top fives and 12 top 10s to go along with his two victories (spring races in 2005 and 2012). In April’s race, he finished fourth. He’s logged 458 fastest laps there, which ranks first among all drivers. His only trip to Victory Lane in 2013 came in the first Michigan race. He has also collected four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes on the season.

Although Biffle is likely out of the championship hunt, he’s not looking to 2014 just yet. He is fully aware of the importance of each driver’s final points position and will use this weekend’s race, as well as the final two races, to improve his ranking in the standings.

“If you kind of analyze it, it’s really easy to not do that,” said Biffle when asked how difficult it is to not turn his attention to 2014. “Each year, if you will, the season is graded by where you finish in points. So every position is very important when it comes down to the end of this thing.”

Of the three remaining races, Texas provides the Roush Fenway duo the best opportunity to seize the checkered flag and move their way up the standings.

Speedway Digest Staff
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