Based on his performance in the Samsung Radio Shack 500, no one would have suspected that Greg Biffle wasn’t driving his primary car. Following a crash in Saturday morning’s practice session, the #16 team was forced unload their backup car, the same car that Biffle drove to a win in California. Along with crew chief Doug Richert, the team brought the car back to victory Lane in dominant fashion. Richert’s day made him the easy choice for the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. For going to his backup car, Biffle was forced to sacrifice his fifth place qualifying position and start the race in forty-first place. Biffle wheeled the Post-It/National Guard Ford into the lead in on lap 88, remaining up front for 219 laps, until cruising to his fifth career Nextel Cup victory. “We went to a backup car and Doug (Richert) and I talked about it until probably 10 o’clock last night – things we ran in California, things that we had in the other car,” said Biffle. “This is the car I won with at California and we like to keep it for a flatter race track. It doesn’t have as much clearance underneath it for this kind of a banked race track. That’s why I brought the Atlanta car, so it’s just a fantastic day. Pit stops were unbelievable. I just couldn’t have asked for a better racecar and people working on it. It was phenomenal.” The panel of voters selecting the Crew Chief of the Race; including David Wellham of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a Wypall Wipers representative and Tony Eury, Sr; unanimously agreed Richert deserved top honors. With his second Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race award, Richert assumes first place in the Crew Chief of the Year standings. Robbie Loomis, Scott Miller, Bob Osborne, Alan Gustafson and Pete Rondeau are tied for second place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will win $20,000 and be crowned the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year. For more information, visit www.wypall.com.(SMC500 PR)(4-18-2005)
