Biffle fastest Ford in qualifying at Texas

GREG BIFFLE - “I am really excited to be back here in Texas. It was a good qualifying lap. It was a little frightening actually. The car was chattering the front tires, chattering the back and I was in and out of the gas. I can’t wait to go see my throttle trace. It probably looks like a saw blade. Over in one and two I wasn’t sure what the car was doing and didn’t have a good feel for it. I drove it in there 100-percent and probably over drove turn one and paid the price center all the way out. I really lost a lot of speed there. I am sure Jimmie (Johnson) is happy about that. Three and four were good. I got through there really good and the guys gave me a heck of a car. It is the same car we won with here in the spring and I am excited about having a good starting spot and a good pit selection for Sunday’s race.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED JIMMIE PUT THAT NUMBER UP WHEN HE DID GOING EARLY LIKE THAT? “You know what is weird is that normally you can write a book about how the speed will pick up throughout qualifying, always. Today it wasn’t really like that. Not taking anything away from the 48 but from when the 48 went and I went guys weren’t going as fast. Kasey went and was fifth. Mark Martin was 10th. Even the guys after us or even the guys between Jimmie and myself that speed that you would call automatic track speed wasn’t there. I think it is because the sun hadn’t really gone down far enough and the temperature hadn’t started dropping enough to give the track more juice if you will. When you meet that critical temperature and it starts cooling down and the grip level really goes up. That didn’t really happen here. Not taking anything away from Jimmie because that was a heck of a lap that early. It just didn’t seem like the speeds picked up like they normally do.”

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO STEAL THE FOCUS THIS TIME OF YEAR AWAY FROM JIMMIE AND BRAD? “I am used to it so it is not an issue for me. We will try to win here on Sunday and that is really what I care about, winning. The points matter and we are a long way back but each position makes a difference. I just drive my car and do the best I can.”

NEXT WEEK YOU GO TO PHOENIX. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THERE? “I remember the race last time and it was a good race. I think the groove just needs to widen out a little more. Maybe the ARCA cars can run there before us. The track changed dramatically at Kansas from those guys being out on the track. The groove was three car lengths wider it seemed like and they put rubber down on that new asphalt and it made a huge difference for us. The track just needs to widen out and get a little more racey. The back dogleg is a little odd but it is a fun track.”

Post-qualifying comments:

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Mac Tools Ford Fusion - “It’s been a brand new day here with a new crew chief and I think it’s been a really successful day so far. I missed it there in qualifying a little bit, just didn’t get to the bottom. But we’ll take this as a really good positive step for our team and look forward to the race.”

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion – “We were really loose and we were loose in practice too. We made some changes to tighten it up but the track picked up so much speed and everyone is running a half-second faster. When it did that the front end traveled and got into the bumps, the splitter did, and then center-off we were really free and couldn’t keep the throttle down like we wanted to.”

TREVOR BAYNE, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion – “That wasn’t a bad run for us. I didn’t know how much we would pick up there. Some cars were four-tenths, some were two and some didn’t pick up any. I think we got about four there. The car got a little too tight. We over-adjusted from practice but it went faster so they went the right way with it which is a really good problem to have. At least we know what we needed now. I don’t know how it will stack up but at worst it will be a top-20 spot for us and we are in the show. That is always something that crosses my mind right before we go out. We aren’t even guaranteed to be racing when we go out. I hoped to run a 50 today and we ran a 48 so I think we did okay there.”

CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – “We were just a little bit tight. We only made one run in practice so I am pretty happy with that qualifying effort. I think it is pretty good. The good news is I think we have a really fast race car for the race on Sunday, so I am really excited about getting out here and racing with it.”

GREG BIFFLE, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – “What had an effect was the ability to keep the gas down in one and two. I drove it down in there and committed but couldn’t hold it down from the center out. The car was sliding and skating and I probably carried too much speed on entry and paid the price on exit. I backed it up a little in three and four and got a better three and four but the 48 put down a heck of a lap going that early. I am sure some guys that are faster here are coming up but we will have to wait and see.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 43 Farmland Ford Fusion – “We were really good in practice and I ran the middle and was undecided on if I should run the middle or top but I just got too tight. We were a little too tight but it is all good though because I think we will be really good on Sunday.”

Ford Racing