Notes: Biffle, Bowyer sign deals with current teams

LOUDON, N.H. -- After weeks of saying he was close to signing a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing, Greg Biffle announced Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that he will drive Roush's No. 16 Ford through 2011, with 3M continuing as his sponsor.

"Certainly, I'm very excited to announce that we've done a multi-year extension with Roush Fenway," said Biffle, who has driven for the organization since 1998, first in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, then in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series.

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"It was a long process. I weighed, certainly, all of my options out, and I felt like the 16 car is where I really wanted to spend my next three years driving. A lot of things went into making a decision on where I was gonna be. One was Ford's commitment to the racing program and supporting us technologically, and Roush Fenway's commitment to put [general manager] Robbie Reiser in the position that they did.

"I just feel like we're making all the right decisions at our company right now to win championships and races, and I like all the guys on the 16 team. We've developed a pretty good relationship. [Crew chief] Greg Erwin and myself and all the guys, I feel like this is really the first year that the team has been together, so to speak. So we've made a lot of strides in this amount of time, and I feel like if we can continue to run like we are, we can make the Chase and we'll be a threat in the Chase, I think."

Biffle currently is seventh in the Cup standings, 389 points behind leader Kyle Busch with 10 races left before the Chase for the Sprint Cup field is set.

Change at Ford

Ford Motor Company announced Friday that Brian Wolfe will succeed Dan Davis, who will retire Aug. 1 after 32 years with the company, as Director of Ford Racing Technology.

"Dan has done a great job for the company and its racing program, and he's going to be a tough act to follow," said Wolfe, 47, a 26-year Ford veteran who has held a series of management positions within Ford's powertrain operations.

Bowyer re-ups with Childress

Clint Bowyer returned Friday to NHMS, site of his first Cup victory this past September, and chose that opportunity to confirm he has signed a contract extension with Richard Childress Racing through 2011.

"I've signed with RCR for three more years," acknowledged Bowyer, who says there's more pressure on him this week as the winner of the last race at NHMS (read more). "You've got to live up to what you did last time, and there is a little bit more pressure -- but it is what it is."

With three drivers solidly in place -- Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick -- Childress still must fill the seat of the fourth full-time Cup car he will field next season. Casey Mears, who has been told he won't return to the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet next year, reportedly is a leading candidate for the job (read more).