#16-Greg Biffle was cruising around Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 204 mph when his tire exploded, sending him crashing into the wall. Knocked unconscious, he dislocated his right shoulder and briefly had blurred vision. This week’s three-day testing session at Daytona is the first time Biffle has been back behind the wheel of a race car since the Dec. 7 accident, and he admitted being nervous. Although his shoulder has healed, he wasn’t sure what kind of limitations he might have with getting his helmet on, grabbing his seat belts and hooking up the safety devices – all of which require a full range of motion. Biffle said he was sore after Monday’s session but felt a little better Tuesday. He raised his arm above his head Wednesday to demonstrate how well he was doing. But he acknowledged Wednesday that the emergency response team that responded to him in Las Vegas was slow and unprepared to treat his injuries. Instead of taking him to the hospital or infield care center, Biffle said he was given a ride back to the team truck. After receiving no medical advice, Biffle said he drove out of the race track and immediately flew home to North Carolina to see a doctor. Once there, he learned the injury to his brain made it dangerous for him to fly. Asked Wednesday if Biffle was competent enough to decline medical attention after being knocked out, a track spokesman said officials had no authority to force him to go to the hospital. The accident destroyed his favorite race car (the one that won the past three season finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway) and limited his activity during NASCAR’s brief offseason.(Associated Press) LVMS Responds: Las Vegas Motor Speedway wishes to respond to statements attributed to NASCAR driver Greg Biffle regarding his crash Dec. 7 while he was conducting a Goodyear Tire test at LVMS. “We were surprised and shocked that Mr. Biffle would make – almost five weeks later – critical remarks about the response of our fire and safety team in the moments following his crash,” said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “His criticism is misguided and has no merit in fact. His recollection of the event is in gross error. Mr. Biffle’s crash occurred in the middle of turns one and two. Our safety team was positioned on the inside of the speedway across from the point at which Mr. Biffle’s car made contact with the wall. The safety truck rolled toward Mr. Biffle’s car, which came to a halt in the middle of the backstretch, as soon as our personnel were assured that the other car on the speedway, driven by Kyle Busch, also had slowed and it was apparent that Mr. Busch was aware of an on-track emergency situation. When the speedway’s safety truck reached Mr. Biffle’s car, he already had removed his head-and-neck restraint and was attempting to exit his car. The speedway paramedic rushed to Mr. Biffle’s aid, but Mr. Biffle assured the paramedic that he (Mr. Biffle) was fine and wanted only to be returned to his team’s hauler in the infield. Mr. Biffle was attended to by the paramedic in the ambulance during the ride back to the hauler and received aid for several minutes upon reaching the infield destination. The speedway’s paramedic strongly urged Mr. Biffle to consent to being transported to the hospital, but Mr. Biffle steadfastly refused. In fact, Mr. Biffle signed a form saying that he refused being transported and he himself wrote, ‘I feel fine’ on a release document. Mr. Biffle himself completed that document at 1:25 p.m., several minutes after he had been returned to the team’s hauler. Mr. Biffle’s statement was written as a response to a demand on the document that requested a reason for his refusing to be transported. Mr. Biffle was tended to by the speedway’s paramedic for several minutes at the hauler. He stated firmly that he was unhurt but said he was, in his words, ‘just upset because I crashed my best race car.'” LVMS’s Powell added: “At no time since Mr. Biffle’s crash on Dec. 7 has he or anyone else from Roush Racing or from NASCAR made statements to me or anyone from our speedway that our safety efforts were lacking. We regret that comments attributed to Mr. Biffle now have been published that seem to say otherwise. Our safety team members have long been cited by NASCAR and other sanctioning bodies as among the best in motorsports, and we are more than confident in their skill level and dedication to the well-being of anyone who comes onto the property of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”(LVMS PR)(1-11-2007)
