Greg Biffle tells KTT he’s bummed over denial to sweep NASCAR’s Triple Truck Challenge

By Jerry Jordan, Editor

JUSTIN, Texas – Before Greg Biffle ever sat behind the wheel of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra and won the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night, the question was asked if he would attempt to run the Triple Truck Challenge for a chance to win $500,000.

Busch said he already had other drivers lined up to run the truck after Texas and Biffle was only inked for a one-off race. But that all changed when “The Biff” put the Toyota Tundra in the hottest Victory Lane on the truck series circuit. For those unfamiliar, the Triple Truck Challenge is a bonus program for truck series drivers who get an additional $50,000 for wining the race at TMS, Iowa Speedway or Gateway Motorsports Park. But if a driver wins all three consecutive events, they get a huge half-million bonus. That’s a lot of money for a truck series team.

But NASCAR isn’t not going to let Biffle run for the $500,000 because his team – which would have presumably been KBM – did not submit his name on the entry blank for next week’s race at Iowa.

“The rules specified that both the driver and team needed to be entered before the entry deadline,” read a statement from a NASCAR spokesperson.

Biffle can try to win another $50,000 at Gateway but the “rules” have ensured no truck series driver will lock down all three wins and get the big bucks.

“Well rules will be rules, I know NASCAR issues waivers in many cases when there are certain circumstances,” Biffle told Kickin’ the Tires exclusively. “This doesn’t affect any of the competitors in the field by allowing me to compete because no one can win all three because I’ve won the first one … I felt this is a turning point for NASCAR with all the attention and social media around this deal and my come back … I was told this was the highest TV ratings all season. Not sure but in any event lots of fans and eyeballs are on this. I hope they don’t make the wrong decision for their sake … #letthebiffrace”

A couple of things come into play – Biffle ibviously didn’t know he would win, so if he had a one-off deal why would he submit a preliminary entry by this past Thursday for Iowa? He didn’t have a team. He didn’t know if KBM could even field a truck because that would put five KBM Tundras on the track at Iowa. But most importantly, NASCAR has a history of making decisions on the fly – Bill France Sr. used to patrol the NASCAR garage carrying a legal pad and was known to write down a rule the day of the race, at least, that’s what the sport’s legends claim.

Biffle explained that he thinks the decision to disallow his eligibility only hurts the sanctioning body and he doesn’t want that. Plus, at the end of the day, there is no guarantee he could go out and win back-to-back-to-back.

“I don’t care either way but this is a big downer for them is all,” he said. The momentum of a driver having a shot at a half-million-dollar payday in the truck series would be a huge PR boon for NASCAR’s lowest-level national touring series.

Even Marcus Lemonis, whose Gander Outdoors company is the primary sponsor for the truck series is on-board with Biffle having a shot to sweep all three race in the Triple Truck Challenge.

“Congrats @gbiffle on race one of #TheTrip @GanderOutdoors @GanderRV #winner hey @KyleBusch let’s get him in the truck again… nice finish to all,” he tweeted after the win.