Getty Greg Biffle (left) said he handpicked Kurt Busch (right).
Greg Biffle has just provided a fascinating piece of information. The 19-time Cup Series winner revealed that he personally handpicked Kurt Busch for Jack Roush and helped kickstart a career that will likely end in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Biffle provided the revelation during the September 13 episode of “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast. He explained how he came from a unique background of building his own race cars up in Portland, Ore., and how Benny Parsons helped him make the move to NASCAR. Biffle then explained the role he played in both Kurt and Kyle Busch getting some opportunities.
“It’s funny. It’s sorta like when I came in, guys were… it was unheard of to hire a guy to drive a Cup car who was under 25, 28,” Biffle told Earnhardt and Mike Davis. “It didn’t happen! And I’m not saying I started a trend because Jeff Gordon was younger than I was.
As Biffle explained, Roush wanted to see how many more drivers like him were spread across the United States just waiting for an opportunity. He set out to determine the number, which led to a crucial moment in the careers of both Busch brothers.
“And I handpicked — at Toledo, Ohio — I handpicked Kurt Busch,” Biffle added. “They wanted to hire this other guy. I said, ‘That’s your guy.’ And we hired [him]. Kurt was like 18, 19, and so here comes Kurt in. And then we hire his brother. His brother is 16.”
Busch Delivered Wins for Roush
GettyKurt Busch delivered a championship to Roush.
Busch and Biffle were teammates for multiple seasons in both the Truck Series and the Cup Series. They delivered numerous wins, and they even finished first and second overall during the 2000 Truck Series season.
Busch, in particular, made some major moves after one full-time season in the Truck Series. He moved up to the Cup Series and drove the No. 97 Ford full-time in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He achieved considerable success in the entry while winning 14 races and capturing the 2004 Cup Series championship.
Busch’s time with Roush and Biffle came to an end after the 2005 season, but he has continued to produce big moments in the Cup Series. He has 34 career wins, putting him 25th on the all-time list. Busch has also reached Victory Lane with Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, which puts him on a very elite list of drivers.
Kyle Busch’s Role Led to a Rule Change in NASCAR
GettyNASCAR made a rule change because of Kyle Busch.
The elder Busch signed with Roush and made his national series debut during his age 21 season, 2000. His younger brother, Kyle, made his Truck Series debut for Roush one year later at the age of 16.
Rowdy made six starts in the No. 99 Ford for Roush during the 2001 season. He finished ninth at both Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Las Vegas Motor Speedway while posting an average finish of 19.2 during his debut.
On this day 20 years ago, @KyleBusch made his NASCAR debut at age 16, finishing 9th at IRP for Roush Racing. (via u/Fyrien) t.co/wTVpS6yYI6 #NASCAR
Kyle was set to make his seventh start of the year at Auto Club Speedway, but he did not get this opportunity. The reason, as Biffle explained, is that NASCAR made a rule change and raised the minimum age to race in the Cup Series. This made Kyle unavailable for Roush.
Kyle did not return and compete in the Truck Series until the 2004 season. Instead, he joined Hendrick Motorsports and took on the Xfinity Series in 2003 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He made seven starts and then moved to a full-time schedule in 2004, a season that featured five trips to Victory Lane.