Biffle honors Red Cross with fifth place finish at Darlington

Greg Biffle drove his No. 16 Red Cross Ford Fusion, honoring blood donor Maureen Holt, to a fifth-place finish Saturday night under the lights at Darlington.  Biffle qualified 19th, earned a “Darlington stripe” just 16 laps into the race, and a two-tire gamble resulted in Biffle leading for five laps before settling into the top five. 

“We worked really hard all night and we had good pit stops and track position was everything tonight,” said Biffle.  “Those last restarts we were on the outside, the inside and then the outside and we picked up one or two spots there at the end. Everybody worked hard and we will keep working on our car. We have to get better here but we will keep working at it.”

Biffle started the race 19th and by lap 16 had brushed the outside wall, earning his “Darlington stripe” at the track knick named “Too Tough to Tame.”  In the first half of the race, Biffle hovered just outside the top 15 with a Ford that was too tight and needed more turn.

Crew chief Matt Puccia made a bold two tire call under caution on lap 273.  Biffle came onto pit road 15th and left with the lead.  Biffle lost a few spots to those with four tires, but settled into the top 10 as tire wear started to even out.

Biffle was 10th when the caution came out with 11 laps remaining.  Puccia made another two tire pit stop call and Biffle restarted the race sixth.  Two more cautions followed, resulting in two green-white-checkered attempts to finish the race.  When the checkered flag finally waved Biffle was fifth, earning his first top-five finish of the season and advancing to 11th in the point standings.

RFR PR