Fuel call propels Biffle

Monday, May 3, 2004 | 9:50 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

The price for a gallon of gas is at a record high, but there are about a dozen NASCAR Busch Series drivers who would have given their right foot for a splash of fuel at the end of Saturday's Stater Bros. 300 at California Speedway.

Greg Biffle made a splash-and-go fuel stop with 10 laps to go and won the Busch Series race in front of an estimated crowd of 70,000 as driver after driver behind him made futile efforts to get gas and back on the track.

When the fuel dial on Biffle's No. 60 Roush Racing Ford starts bouncing, he knows he has about three laps before he's going to run out of gas. Biffle's dial started bouncing after the 140th of the 150-lap race. And he said he thought his chances of winning the race were gone after he had to pit for fuel.

"I thought we weren't going to win," Biffle said. "I thought for sure there'd be some guys that could make it. I didn't realize nobody was going to make it. I didn't know it was that close. That was a big surprise to me."

After Biffle pitted, the rest of the field started coming down for fuel as well. Tony Stewart came down with five laps to go. Then Michael Waltrip and Kevin Harvick followed. Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth were next.

The 16-car elimination rounds for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock were set for today.

Tony Schumacher has three wins so far this season in the U.S. Army dragster and will start the race in the No. 1 qualifying position after he ran 4.523 seconds at 327.66 mph to pace the Top Fuel category.

Whit Bazemore holds the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car after he went 4.770 at 321.27 mph.

Greg Anderson qualified first in Pro Stock for the 11th consecutive race, going 6.790 at 202.52 mph, both setting track records.

Honda's Kevin Windham won the race, his fifth victory of the year. Also, Kawasaki's James Stewart won the Dave Coombs Sr. 125cc East/West Shootout, and Yamaha's Heath Voss took the season title.