Motorsports

Blazing speed? No Biffle happy at 14

By BRANT JAMES
Published February 14, 2005

DAYTONA BEACH - Greg Biffle was watching television in his motorcoach before qualifying on Sunday when the camera panned to a car ablaze on pit road. It didn't take more than second to identify that distinct red, white and blue color scheme.

It was the No. 16 Ford. His ride. He was alarmed. Initially, of course, because his car was smoldering before his eyes.

Biffle's 2003 Pepsi 400 win, pole in last year's Daytona 500 and strong run in the Bud Shootout made his car a valuable tool he'd rather not see incinerated.

"I was thinking, "Gosh, where's our crew guys?"' Biffle said. "They should be around the car."'

They were hustling for fire extinguishers.

"The flames were under there rolling around and then they came in and shot it with the fire extinguisher chemical," crew chief Doug Richert said.

"The rest, we went back to the garage because we wanted to make sure we didn't burn the oil lines or anything stupid."

Despite burns to insulation, various wires and the fuel tank the car helped Biffle qualify 14th. The fire started when an oil tank heating probe sparked.

"We took the time to go back to the garage and double check and make sure we don't do something stupid," Richert said.

"We tried to take a bad thing and make sure we don't do something any worse than it already was. Hey, it happens."

The aftermath of the blaze made for an unpleasant ride.

"I had the worst taste ever in my mouth - that dry chemical going though the car when I took off and for about the first lap," Biffle said. "That was the thing I was most worried about making my qualifying laps was that it smelled so bad inside the car with all that chemical in there, under the seat and everywhere where they couldn't get it all out. That was probably the worst time I've ever been in a race car."

NEW STUFF: Robby Gordon "was able to call in a favor" Sunday and lease a motor for qualifying from Dale Earnhardt Inc. after a part on his original power plant was declared illegal and confiscated by NASCAR on Saturday.

Gordon is driving for his own team this season.

Gordon's engine-builder, Menard Engineering, had never built a restricted engine.

"I don't know if they tried to get away with the most they could or if they just didn't know that the parts we had just weren't legal," Gordon said.

He qualified 38th and will have to earn his way into the Daytona 500 by finishing in the top four of drivers not among the top 35 in owner points in 150-mile qualifying races Thursday.

Gordon plans to use Menard engines in the Auto Club 500 on Feb. 27 at California Speedway in Fontana.

SPARK PLUGS: Billy Venturini , 28, had surgery on Sunday to repair ligament and vertebrae damage in his neck after being involved in a 13-car crash near the end of the ARCA race at DIS on Saturday. ... Jeff Green was unable to post a qualifying time when his No. 43 Dodge blew a motor. He is guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500 because his car finished 35th or better in owner points (32nd) last season.

[Last modified February 14, 2005, 01:20:17]