Biffle Finishes 28th at Infineon in 3M/Post It Ford Fusion; Currently Eighth in Point Standings

June 22, 2009
10:30 AM

Sonoma, Cal. (June 21, 2009) – Greg Biffle and the 3M team took a car to Infineon Raceway this weekend that they felt confident could run up front based on a recent test at Road Atlanta. After practice, their confidence was confirmed and they felt that they had a top-10 car. Biffle qualified 15th after getting an early draw and started on the inside of row eight. Pit strategy became the biggest obstacle for the 3M team in Sunday’s race and nothing seemed to play out in their favor. Biffle ran as high as 11th early in the race but dropped to the back with old tires midway through the race. He and the team fought to work their way back through the field but ended the day with a 28th place finish. Despite the disappointing day, Biffle lost only one position in the point standings and is currently eighth.

After having the ninth fastest time in practice on Friday, Biffle went out sixth for time trials. He turned in the 15th fastest lap of the day and the team began preparing the car for the two practice sessions on Saturday. Biffle was 11th and ninth in those two practices and he seemed pretty confident that he could compete with the frontrunners on Sunday.

Shortly after the drop of the green flag, Biffle reported that the car was a little tight but he made his way up to the 11th position before the first caution came out on lap 20. Crew chief Greg Erwin and engineer Ben Beshore had not intended to pit for fuel until a few laps later but brought Biffle to pit road under caution for tires and fuel. When the field restarted on lap 24, Biffle was in the 19th position.

Biffle reported that the car was still tight but the teams who had not pitted during the caution had begun to pit. He was running sixth when Erwin instructed him to come to pit road for fuel only to try to get back on their original plan. Biffle returned to the track around the 26th position but struggled as those around him had fresher tires. The second caution of the day came out on lap 52 and this time Biffle stayed out. He restarted 17th on lap 56 but the cars who had pitted for fresh tires and fuel were not far behind and soon Biffle was losing positions yet again to fresher tires.

Around lap 65 several of the teams began making green-flag pit stops and Erwin instructed Biffle to come to pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment on lap 67. Biffle could now make it to the end of the race on fuel and several of the other competitors would have to pit at least one more time. He fell back to 34th before making his way up to 19th which is where he was when contact from Robby Gordon sent him for a spin on lap 93.

On lap 97, Biffle pitted for four tires and damage repair under yellow-flag conditions. He restarted 37th on lap 99 and picked up nine positions in the closing laps for a 28th-place finish.

Greg Biffle and the 3M team dropped to eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings following their 28th-place finish in Sonoma. They are 372 points behind leader Tony Stewart but 78 points ahead of 13th. The 3M team will return to the track on Sunday, June 28th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing operates nine full-time motorsports teams, five in NASCAR Sprint Cup with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; Three in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Erik Darnell, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Colin Braun; and one in the Camping World Truck Series with Braun. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

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