How the late legendary Northwest driver Greg Biffle ‘left an impact’ on entire racing community
Greg Biffle, one of the greats of Northwest short-track racing who went on to compete in the top tiers of NASCAR, will be celebrated on Friday in Charlotte, N.C.
Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder and three others died in an aviation accident on Dec. 18.
Biffle’s ties to the Northwest go far and wide. With championships at Portland Speedway and Tri-City Raceway, along with high-profile late model wins, fans and competitors knew of his talents on the racetrack.
The Vancouver native had many connections to our region as well. Prior to joining NASCAR’s top ranks, Biffle competed on the NASCAR Northwest Tour, driving for Spokane’s Hall Motorsports, then followed that up one year later as an organizational teammate of Chad Little while both raced for Jack Roush.
Biffle followed in the path laid out during the 1990s by Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope, with Little heading back East a few years after Cope. Biffle’s arrival and success took it to an even higher level, with championships in two of the top three divisions (Trucks and the Busch Series) as well as multiple Cup Series victories.
“Coming from the short tracks in that time frame you had Derrike come out then myself and then Greg and we each showed ability from our careers in the Northwest. At that time, when we all came out to the East Coast, we didn’t have a ride. What we did have were contacts in the industry and Greg certainly made the most of his to get his start at Roush,” Little said.
In 1998, Little was based in the team’s North Carolina shops with Biffle racing out of Roush’s Michigan complex. The two had crossed paths in their Northwest days.
Little has fond memories of those events and Biffle’s abilities.
“We had competed against each other in some races in Monroe,” Little said. “He was the new hot shoe coming in, and I was the old man if you will. Greg was a smart kid and really knew his cars. When he came to Roush, I was in the Cup Series, and he got started in the Trucks. He certainly had the talent to compete out here.”
Reflecting on Biffle’s career, impact on his community and respect he’d built in racing, Little had nothing but praise.
“Greg was easy to talk to and evolved into a successful business person. What Greg did when Hurricane Helene came through, it was national news. He used his resources and he really wanted to help people up in the Appalachian area. Greg left an impact on so many things in his career and life.”
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Early in the 1997 NASCAR Northwest Tour season, Ron and Kathy Hall tabbed Biffle to be their driver beginning with the Tour’s second race. The decision set in motion Biffle’s ascension to the top levels of NASCAR.
“Greg had competed in a few Northwest Tour races and some support shows, so we knew who he was,” said Hall’s son, Mike Merry. “Competing against him at Tri-Cities opened my eyes because he was so fast there. We opened the 1997 season with another driver and had a falling out with that person, so Dad needed to find someone else quick to take over and I suggested Biffle.”
With the season opener setback on a Saturday and the next race a few weeks away, Ron Hall took his son’s suggestion that Monday and made some phone calls.
“He heard me but also wanted to check it out himself. In those calls people confirmed what I’d said about Greg’s abilities to take care of our cars and compete. Greg was looking to take that year off, so he was excited to be asked to be part of our team and in addition he didn’t have to pay the bills as a driver.”
Biffle quickly adapted to the Halls’ race car, adjusting it for his driving style while taking the team to some of its best finishes historically.
“We had incredible runs on the Northwest, Southwest and Southeast Series. One of the many highlights that year was the Southeast road course race in Topeka where Greg got the car qualified on the outside of the front row and dominated much of the race before we broke a suspension part that forced us to the pits and ended our day,” Merry said.
The hard-charging driving style that Biffle delivered for the Halls also brought solid results in the Northwest, Merry added.
“We were in Wenatchee and he got the car to a third-place finish despite the left front hub bearing failing with 15 laps to go in the race. He just had so much skill in the car and could handle just about anything.”
Each start for the Halls showed that a breakout weekend was on the horizon. Finally in the season finale on the Northwest Tour, Biffle rewarded the faith the Halls had in his abilities.
“For us, the crown jewel came at Twin Falls in the Tour finale,” Merry said. “We’re adjusting during practice and Greg came on the radio asking if he could stay out on a long run. Several of our competitors began asking if there was a problem. Of course, there wasn’t. Greg just knew that the car could win that night and wanted everything to be right. He qualified third quick and set out to get to the front. By Lap 6 Greg passed for the lead. A few laps later he came over the radio and asked if it was OK to lap the field or should he make a show out of it. He won the race and got us our fifth top-five finish on the tour.”
Biffle’s final two starts in a NASCAR event came last summer on the Menard’s West Series. Both came at facilities he’d competed at coming up through the ranks, Tri-City Raceway and Portland International Raceway. He brought home top-five finishes at each race and left plenty of memories for those in attendance.
Again, it reminded Merry and others what Biffle was all about. Always ready to put on a show, interact with race fans and give back to the communities that gave him his start in racing.
Merry will miss the friendship he and Biffle had over the years. Racing success was important, but the time spent together is a legacy never to be forgotten.
“Some of my best memories came from that 1997 season. I know Ron and Kathy adored Greg and I’m pretty sure they would have traded me to his parents Jack and Sally in return for Greg. He and I remained friends for 28 years. We stayed in touch, even after I went into the Army and left the world of racing. His friendship meant a great deal to me and our mutual respect never disappeared.”