Is Biffle NASCAR's new hard-luck driver?
Jeff Owens
Jeff Owens has been covering NASCAR since 1991 and began covering the circuit full time in 1993. He has been with Street & Smith's Sports Group since 1998.
I’m starting to think that Greg Biffle is the next Mark Martin.
You know, the guy who should win several races every year but always seems to have something go wrong.
Martin has won 35 Cup races in his illustrious career, but I’ve watched him lose more than he has won. There have been countless races in which Martin had the best car and looked as if he was going to win, only to have something go wrong at the end.
Sometimes it was a blown engine. Sometimes a flat tire. Sometimes he ran out of gas. Sometimes his crew made a bad pit stop. Sometimes another driver simply emerged at the end to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, saddling Martin with yet another bitter disappointment.
Martin, to me, is one of the greatest of all time, but for years, he was known as NASCAR’s most hard-luck driver. Whatever could go wrong, often did.
Biffle appears to be emerging as NASCAR’s next great hard-luck case.
He appeared on his way to his first win of the season at Darlington on Saturday night when he suddenly had a variety of problems, starting with a loose wheel and ending with a blown engine that left him with a last-place finish.
Afterward, Biffle scorched his crew, something you have never seen Martin do.
Though it’s hard to condone Biffle for publicly ripping his crew, it’s also hard to blame him when something seems to go wrong every time he’s running well and in position to win.
Biffle has 12 career wins. Like Martin, he should have many more.
Martin also never won a championship, though he was in contention year after year. You can’t help but wonder if the same fate awaits Biffle.
Will Roush Fenway Racing get the problems on Biffle’s team fixed? Will Biffle, his frustration at a fever pitch, even stay there beyond this season?
But, more importantly, will his luck ever turn?
