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Posted 5-10-08
Biffle Sets Record in Winning Pole at Darlington
Darlington, SC (Sports Network) - Greg Biffle won the pole for Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500 at the Darlington Raceway. The No.16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver circled the newly-paved "Lady in Black" in a record-setting 27.405 seconds (179.442 m.p.h.). The old mark was 173.797 m.p.h. set by Ward Burton in March 1996.
The pole victory was Biffle's first of 2008 and the fifth of his Sprint Cup career.
Starting alongside Biffle will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who posted a time of 27.418 seconds.
Two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (27.441) and Tony Stewart (27.461) will start in row two.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Kurt Busch (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), Jeff Gordon (8th), Kevin Harvick (11th), Jeff Burton (12th), Denny Hamlin (21st) and Carl Edwards (36th).
Kyle Busch will have a pretty big target on his rear deck lid when the NASCAR caravan stops this week in Darlington, SC. Not only did Busch knock Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the lead late in last Saturday night's race at Richmond, but his second-place finish gave him the Sprint Cup points lead.
And he is not the most likable driver to begin with.
Busch's aggressive style on the track has led to run-ins with a number of drivers over the years. He has been immature at times, throwing items at drivers and insults at team members. Even when he wins a race he has been known to complain. When he won the first COT race, it was Busch that blurted out his hatred for the new car.
To Earnhardt Jr.'s credit, he called the incident a racing move, even recalling a race in 2007 at Kansas when the shoe was on the other foot.
"It was just hard racing," Earnhardt Jr. said.
The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (et).
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