While all eyes have been on #16-Greg Biffle’s teammate, #99-Carl Edwards, to be the biggest domino to fall, could Biffle actually be the one to set everything in motion? As recently as April, the 44-year-old stated his intention was to stay at Roush Fenway Racing and that a new deal was imminent.
“We’ve been working pretty diligently on that,” he told Frontstretch back then. “It has been a pretty good negotiation so far. There are a lot of new people on both sides of the table, so everyone is kind of getting a feel for the program and learning it. We feel pretty good that we’ll have something to announce before we get to summer.”
But as May rolled around, warm weather looming Biffle suddenly sounded colder, less confident in his status for the future. “I think there’s plenty of opportunities in the industry to be in competitive cars,” he said in an interview on SiriusXM Radio earlier this month.
“I enjoy being at Roush Fenway. I love 3M. We have a great relationship and the program works really, really well for 3M … Plain and simple, I’ve got options. I know I’m going to be racing. I know I’m going to be driving a car. So I’m not worried.”
Supposedly things have deteriorated from there.
Despite saying two weeks ago in Kansas Biffle was “absolutely, 100%” not looking outside his current organization, I’ve learned that’s not the case.
Sources claim the driver’s plans lie elsewhere for 2015, that he is actively seeking other employment and that the feeling is mutual. One link in particular, direct to the Roush organization who wished to remain anonymous said he’s been told the future for Biffle involves “anything but” RFR, the only NASCAR team he’s really driven for.
If the driver, a Roush Cup full-timer since 2003, does not return next year, speculation has been rampant that he will take sponsor 3M with him. A red flag went up about that possibility on Saturday, when RFR announced that they planned to return their #6 to the track next year.
Owner Jack Roush said that he plans for the new team, driven by Trevor Bayne, to be a fourth car, but it’s also possible he’s prepping to lose financial backing for 2015.
(Frontstretch)
