Biffle Tackles Rallycross Car at CMS

On the eve of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point leader Greg Biffle stopped by the track to try his hand at Global Rallycross racing, a new -- and very different -- on-track event that will make its Charlotte debut as part of a racing doubleheader on May 26.

Biffle strapped into the passenger seat of action sports superstar Brian Deegan’s 600-horsepower turbo-charged Ford Fiesta as the X Games star navigated the hairpin turns and high-speed straightaways along the legendary 1.5-mile superspeedway’s frontstretch; part of the newly-designed rally course. After Deegan showed him the line, Biffle took the wheel for several laps around the custom-designed, three-quarter-mile track.

Deegan said the unique layout of the course will produce high speeds and plenty of excitement for fans when some of the sport’s best drivers battle during the racing doubleheader.

“It’s cool to see a course finally that we’re going to see really high speeds,” Deegan said. “We’re going to see who’s really got the guts coming into that first turn into a 180-degree hairpin, eight cars wide, going 100-plus. It should be pretty exciting.”

Deegan, who has raced motocross, rallycross and off-road trucks, said it was the competition in Global Rallycross that most drew him to the sport.

“Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, Tanner Foust. It’s a good chance to get the action sports elites together in the ultimate battle,” he said. “It’s kind of like the all-star race of action sports. It’s just intense.”

Biffle will face his share of competition as he joins NASCAR’s best in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, before tackling the ultimate test of man and machine in the granddaddy of them all, the 53^rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27.

Asked to pick his favorite between the two, Biffle said there was no clear winner.

“It’s hard to pick between them. I really like them both,” he said. “I like the All-Star Race because it’s a million dollars to win. Both trophies are spectacular. Winning here at home is neat. But ultimately the 600 pays more because it pays us points towards winning a championship and that’s really what’s important to us.”