Biffle, Goss just now getting dialed in

Moving to Winston Cup tougher than expected

In many ways, Greg Biffle and his crew chief, Randy Goss haven't gotten all the credit they deserve this season.

Biffle and his crew forced the issue at Michigan International Speedway with a fourth place finish -- Biffle third top-five finish of the season.

It was the latest episode in a season in which it should be impossible to forget that, for the third time in six years, Goss has assembled a team from scratch to carry Biffle to the front of another NASCAR series.

Rookie Standings  Greg Biffle - 228  Jamie McMurray - 220  Casey Mears - 176  Tony Raines - 173  Expanded Rookie Standings

Biffle, Goss and their teammates in some respects have often been undersold this season, after scoring a victory and handily leading the rookie points, by eight points over Jamie McMurray -- despite missing a race early in the season.

On Sunday, Goss said a lot of potential was realized.

"We've been struggling a little bit," Goss said. "We were looking for a real morale booster and this really does it for the team. They performed under pressure in the pits, performed up with the top-10 guys where we want to be.

"This is where our goal was at the start of the year -- to get up in the top-10. It's one thing to talk about trying to get here, but to get in the top 25 in Winston Cup races, that's something to be proud of your guys.

"For them to run as good as they did today, I'm really pumped about it."

	Biffle's run at Michigan paced Roush Racing's five-car outfit.

Biffle and Goss has been a historic tandem for owner Jack Roush. After pairing up in 1998, they have won two rookie of the year titles and two series championships, in the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series.

By default, team building has become a forte of Goss.

"I've got to put a big emphasis on what these guys have managed to do, coming together just this season," Goss said. "When we were on the truck deal it was harder to find people in Michigan but we turned it around and made it a successful race team.

"When we went to the Busch deal, we started over again and when we went to the Cup deal, we started over again. The hardest part about starting over is having the people around you that know you.

"It's almost like having six wives, in that they've got to know you good enough that they help you, they know what you're thinking and when you turn around they hand you what you were thinking of because they already knew it.

Greg Biffle  Driver Page  Video Highlights  Bio

"It takes a while to start that up from scratch, so maybe our expectations were too high to start the season out, coming off winning a Busch championship."

Roush's veterans, such as dominant Winston Cup championship leader Matt Kenseth's crew chief Robbie Reiser, did their part.

"Robbie tried to tell me how hard it was in Winston Cup and I tried to listen," Goss said. "But I don't think I listened good enough the first part of the season. I'm starting to understand what it's like over here, now."

Goss was coy about the particulars, but he hinted Reiser had a hand in Michigan's success.

	Biffle is trying to become the first driver to win titles in the Busch, Winston Cup and Craftsman Truck Series.

"The only thing that I did to this car was I went and talked to Robbie Reiser for a little while," Goss said with a smile. "I can't tell you the rest."

The difference was not lost on Biffle.

"We feel like we've been struggling with our cars," Biffle said. "This is the car we ran at Indy and couldn't get the handle at all (but) we bring it here and it runs great.

"I tell you, the Grainger guys are working really hard. I've got to give them 110 percent (because) they're working harder than any team in this garage area for us to run better and it's paying off.

"Everybody's got their head down digging and nobody is giving up."

Biffle has also adjusted his thinking process in the racecar and Sunday that paid off as well, with his first top-five finish since he won at Daytona, seven races ago.

2003 Winston Cup Series  Results  Standings  Schedule  Tickets  Drivers  Crew Chiefs  Teams  Statistics  Video Highlights  Best 25: Last 6 races  Best Starts by Driver  Best Finishes by Driver

As anxious as Biffle he was to gain his third top-five finish of the season, he easily took a wide-angle view of a late-race battle with defending Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart.

"I didn't have to conserve any fuel -- they said we were good to go," Biffle said. "I was trying to catch the 20 (Stewart) but he was a little better than me.

"I didn't want to wrestle with him long, I just let him go. I needed a good top-five finish and we weren't gonna hold him off for eight to 10 more laps."

Now, the team looks at the next stretch of races in a daunting 20 consecutive weeks ordeal.

"I like going to Bristol because it's more in a driver's hands," Goss said. "You don't have to worry as much because if it's going to happen, it's going to happen and you don't have to worry as much about making mistakes.

"This stretch of races is hard on this team -- a beginning team. No matter how many resources you've got, getting your stuff on the trailer is hard to do.

"And getting your stuff on the trailer so that it's as good as Jeff Gordon's or Matt Kenseth's is even harder to do in the time frame you have, with a new team and this many races in a stretch.

"I personally have never done this many races in a row, and it's pretty tiring. Monday, you're pretty well used up and it's time to get ready for the next one."