Like ‘winning the lottery’. Those are Greg Biffle’s exact words when it came to explaining his golden opportunity with Jack Rousch. Securing a win on national television during the Tucson Winter Heat Series was Biffle’s big break, and it wasn’t long after when Rousch came calling. However, just a few years before his big break, Biffle was tussling with the law during his early years driving cars.
Now NASCAR isn’t a sport with drivers unfamiliar with the law. Junior Johnson’s moonshining exploits are famous in the racing community not just in America but all over the world. Well, embracing that spirit, Biffle had run-ins with the law, but it wasn’t for moonshining.
In an episode of Dale Jr.’s podcast, Biffle revealed how his early years driving without a license meant he was arrested on a few occasions.
Growing up in Washington state far away from the hallowed tracks of Southern United States, Biffle was obsessed with all things car. He got a real kick out of racing around the streets, even while he was helping out with his dad’s steel business and putting in hours at the auto shop. It was where he felt alive. “I was a troublemaker in a car.” He confessed, “Me and my buddies were always street racing or doing dumb stuff. I think I got arrested for driving without one. I probably got arrested maybe once really. I think I got arrested for driving without a license. I got too many speeding tickets. In a small town, right, like Morrisville, I grew up in. Of course, they see my car sneak by and they’re like, he doesn’t have a license.”
And it wasn’t just about driving cars. The Biff purchased a special car, as he would reveal. “I bought a 74 Ford Torino out of the newspaper. 74 Ford Torino because my dad was a Ford guy. So we tore this car apart and built a street-stock car.” Eventually, his father’s love for Fords would translate into the Biff’s career as well. While he raced with Chevrolet and Dodge for a season here and there, he stuck to Ford for a major part of his career.
His story is very much like those of some NASCAR greats. Darrell Waltrip once explained it about Dale Earnhardt Sr. “He didn’t have anything when he started. Most everything he had, he had to borrow or beg to get. People wanted to help Dale once they got to know him because he was so driven. I think he was as successful as he was because he was not afraid to work. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He didn’t care what it took.” And since Biffle grew up watching Earnhardt, he followed him down the same path.
With four starts, Biffle turned his first into something major. He won the 2002 Xfinity championship, the 2000 Truck Series title, and 19 Cup Series victory. He is a consistent presence, even today when he helped out victims of Hurricane Helene. In hindsight, he realized events could have turned out differently. “I only adored driving anything with wheels and gas,” he remarked. “Maybe it ended well. “
What is Biffle’s biggest regret?
Looking back, he regrets one major decision: not departing Roush Racing beforehand. Throughout the Dale Jr. refers Download, Biffle did not hesitate to offer his thoughts. “I’m going to be absolutely honest with you; I should have exited several times.”
Driving the No. 16 Ford, Biffle spent his whole full-time Cup career with Roush (now RFK Racing) from 2003 to 2016. Although he achieved success, a Cup Series title always eluded him. Now, he questions whether being faithful to only one team cost him the top prize. “Though I was frightened, I might have gone somewhere else and won many races and maybe even a title.”
He confesses that fear of the unknown, of sponsor relationships, and of breaking away from the only NASCAR home he had known kept him from departing. Also of great relevance was Roush Racing itself. It was among the most powerful groups in NASCAR at its height. However, Biffle saw it start to fall behind. “Technology passed the spot,” he said, implying that Roush failed to innovate while other teams evolved.
In a sport where change is constant, Biffle now sees how staying put may have held him back. Knowing when to gamble and accept the unfamiliar is a lesson in his narrative. Though he has had an excellent career, he will always wonder what might have been if he had acted when he had the opportunity.
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