Greg Biffle will be joined by five other teammates in Friday night's Busch race. Credit: Autostock

Nothing dry about Biffle's past in Phoenix desert

Roush flooding Busch field for Phoenix, where it swept last season

Eight for eight so far, but if there's ever been a better chance to have a repeat winner in the Busch Series this season, it's Friday night at Phoenix.

At least Greg Biffle thinks so.

	Greg Biffle already has one victory this year, and he'd like to make it two. Credit: Autostock
	Greg Biffle Career NBS stats at Phoenix Year Start Finish 2001 4 1 2002 1 3 2003 2 10 2004 2 5 2005 20 1 2005 7 5 Avg. 6.0 4.2 2005 FlashbackLook back as Greg Biffle celebrates his win at Phoenix 2005 FlashbackWatch all the videos from the 2005 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

And Why not? In his six career races at the Wild West 1-mile oval, he's got six top-10 finishes. Five of those are top-fives, and he's got two victories to boot. In that time, he's led 409 laps. His closest competition: Kyle Busch with 151, all in one race.

"I feel pretty confident about our chances in the Ameriquest car on Friday," said Biffle, who won last year's spring race and in 2001, his first trip to the track in a Busch car.

"We're taking a car that we tested last week at Richmond and we think it should be pretty good for Phoenix."

Crew chief Eddie Pardue agrees.

"We had a great test with it at Richmond and we are excited about our chances to put the Ameriquest Ford Fusion in Victory Lane," said Pardue of the chassis his team is taking. "Phoenix is one of Greg's better tracks. He runs good every time he goes there. We are looking forward to it."

The group tested at Richmond at the end of March, and Biffle was the fastest car on the first day's morning session. Richmond is .75 miles in length, while Phoenix is a 1-mile oval, although both tracks mirror each other with flat turns.

In theory, a fast car at Richmond would translate to a fast car at Phoenix. And Biffle has already started backing that up.

Thursday's first practice left Biffle's No. 16 Ford atop the leaderboard. Less than four hours later, he led the second practice, too.

"We've had a lot of success at Phoenix with a couple of wins in the Busch Series and a few really good runs in the Cup Series," he said. "I always enjoy racing on the West Coast and especially at a track where we've had some success."

BASHAS' SUPERMARKETS 200 •   Entry List •   1st Practice Speeds •   2nd Practice Speeds •   Complete Coverage •   TV Schedule

He won at California back in February and has four top-five finishes in just six races this season. Despite missing two of the season's eight races, Biffle is still sitting 13th in the points, ahead of 13 other drivers who have raced in each event of 2006.

But to become the first repeat winner this year, it will take more than practice laps to put his machine up front when the lights turn on for Friday night's Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (8:30 p.m. ET, FX).

Kyle Busch was second at Phoenix in his only Busch race two years ago and has won there in a Cup car. Kurt Busch, who took home the trophy two weeks ago at Texas in his Busch Series debut, will drive this weekend again in the No. 39 Dodge and, like his brother, has won in a Cup machine.

Add to that, Biffle will have five other teammates on the track competing against him, as Roush Racing will have a full house on the desert's dust bowl.

In addition to regulars Danny O'Quinn Jr. and Todd Kluever, veteran Mark Martin -- a former Phoenix winner -- is in the field. So is Matt Kenseth, who'll have Jimmy Fennig as his crew chief after last week's shuffling at Roush. And Carl Edwards will be there as well. He won last year's fall race at PIR and has an average finish of 4.5 at the track.

But none of them have as much experience at Phoenix as Biffle. And that's exactly what his team is banking on.

"It will be a good race," Biffle said, "and with all six Roush Busch teams in it again this weekend, our stiffest competition will probably be our teammates."