Greg Biffle was riding high in 2005 after winning six races and finishing second in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup to teammate Kurt Busch.
But in 2006, Biffle's season fell off despite two wins. He missed the Chase and finished 13th in points. Then in the offseason, crew chief and good friend Doug Richert left for another team.
The results for 2007 have been mediocre at best. He is 15th in points with two top 10 finishes in 10 races.
Fortunately for Biffle, the next stop in the Cup Series is Saturday night at Darlington Raceway for the Dodge Avenger 500. Biffle has tamed the legendary Lady in Black the past two years, winning both races and leading 346 of 737 laps run.
"I tell you, I really, really love Darlington," Biffle said. "We always run very, very good there. It's a tire management racetrack.
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"And it's just a challenging - very, very challenging place. ... That's what I mostly love about that racetrack is how tough it is."
It might be even tougher this year. Saturday night's race features the Car of Tomorrow.
Biffle has Ford's best finish in the new car, a fifth at Bristol, and was running very strong at Richmond before a spin took him out of contention and he finished 19th. Based on testing, Biffle says the team will be good at Darlington, too.
"We were the fastest," said Biffle, noting Jeff Gordon, Dave Blaney and Reid Sorensen were among the drivers who also tested at Darlington, "and ran probably the most consistent laps."
Biffle's biggest challenge will come from the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, who have won all four COT races. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing have been strong as well.
"I think right now we're all chasing Hendrick in the COT," said Pat Tryson, Biffle's new crew chief. "It's just a matter of getting it just right. You're just going to have to be pretty much on the money with it at Darlington, I think."
Kyle Busch won the first COT race, at Bristol. Jimmie Johnson won the next week at Martinsville and again last week at Richmond. Gordon won the other COT race, at Phoenix. At Richmond, Busch ran second and Gordon fourth.
"To be honest with you, I was a little bit better than (Johnson) last weekend at times," Biffle said. "I don't know if they worked on their chassis or not, but, you know, I was as good as (Busch). (Gordon) was right in front of me for the whole run, and I caught (Johnson) and passed him at one run. So I don't think we were that far off."
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Besides trying to break the Hendrick stranglehold, Biffle will be chasing history Saturday night. If he wins, he would join Gordon and Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers with three consecutive Cup wins at Darlington.
"I'm real confident that I can go back to Darlington and have a chance at winning again to make it three in a row," Biffle said. "I feel like we have a good opportunity there."
Fast facts
What: Dodge Avenger 500.
Where: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
TV: Fox, 6 p.m.
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite.
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Track layout: 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
Race distance: 367 laps/501.3 miles.
2006 winner: Greg Biffle.
2006 polesitter: Kasey Kahne.
