NASCAR driver Biffle guest of honor at Spokane County Raceway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran and Vancouver, Washington, native Greg Biffle will be on hand Saturday night as the guest of honor for the return of the Rocky Mountain Challenge Series late model group to the Inland Northwest. After a five-year absence, the series returns to the area, racing Spokane County Raceway for the first time, and with Biffle off this weekend, track operator Rick Nelson invited the NASCAR star to the half-mile to take in some short-track racing action.

“I met Rick through some business ventures I have and he has with his Park Model Homes company and he (Nelson) is a great guy,” Biffle said. “I love short-track racing and am really looking forward to coming to Spokane and seeing this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Challenge Series event. It’s a much needed week off and I’m looking forward to spending it with my daughter out in the Northwest.”

Biffle has ties to the Spokane area as a driver in 1997 on the NASCAR Northwest Tour for Ron and Kathy Hall. The season was one of the best for the family-owned team as Biffle brought them a victory (Twin Falls), five top-5 finishes and eight top-10 runs that propelled him to a sixth-place finish in the championship standings. All that success came after he was put in the car although the team had already run the season’s first race with another driver.

“Words can’t put in to what it means (to have had the support of the Hall family) and there has been a ton of people (in the Northwest) like the Halls, including my dad, who helped build a street stock with me, to A.C. Nutter who built our engines, to Irontech (a Portland business) who sponsored me at Winter Heat where Benny Parsons helped me (suggesting Biffle to Jack Roush as a driver for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team),” Biffle reflected.

While driving for the Halls in the Northwest Tour, Biffle and the team competed against some of the region’s top teams with much less, he added. That made the 1997 season one that still is very special.

“The Halls weren’t a big team in the Tour. It was great to go out and drive their car. We had a great time that year. For me I didn’t have to bring my race car, I just jumped into my truck and brought my helmet and my driver’s suit. It’s one of my fondest years.”

NASCAR’s late model touring program departed the region at the end of the 2006 season, with its K&N Pro Series now the group that travels across the West Coast promoting up-and-coming talent and established veterans. Biffle is hopeful that the sanctioning body will find a track or one will be built in the region that could one day host an event for one of its top-three series.

“It’s (the Northwest) one of the greatest places to race with some real cool race tracks. There is a great opportunity for NASCAR (to grow the sport in the region) and I wish there was a place for us (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series or Camping World Truck Series) to run at.”

While some NASCAR drivers own race teams and occasionally take part in events behind the wheel of their own equipment, Biffle prefers to stick with business ventures and track ownership. Those avenues may be better routes to help young talent gain access to NASCAR team owners, just as Parsons did for Biffle.

“My connections and the race tracks are the best ways I believe for me to help (get someone in the Northwest noticed). It takes more time (being a team owner) then driving so I’ll probably stick to the promoting side (of motorsports).”

During Biffle’s visit at SCR he will be available to sign autographs and take pictures with race fans. For a donation of two cans of food, the track will discount $5 off the price of an admission ticket. To learn more about Biffle’s visit log onto SpokaneCounty Raceway.com