Expect to see Greg Biffle behind a microphone more than a steering wheel this season.
More than anyone else, Greg Biffle serves as a reminder of just how far Roush Fenway Racing has slipped during this decade. Once of the top teams in NASCAR, RFR has been in a continuous decline that has left its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage with just two cars for 2017.
Neither of those cars is being driven by Biffle, who went from the veteran voice supporting Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne to the odd man out almost overnight. Silly Season came and went without any news on the 47-year old finding a Cup Series ride, so the question of what he’d be doing this season has been hanging around like an unwanted rain cloud.
The ray of sunshine to clear it up came from Biffle himself via Twitter:
After a great deal of consideration from all the offers I've received, I've decided not to participate full time in #NASCAR this season....
— Greg Biffle (@gbiffle) February 17, 2017
If the right opportunity arises I may return to the driver’s seat...
— Greg Biffle (@gbiffle) February 17, 2017
I’ve accepted a great opportunity @NBCSports as a reoccurring guest analyst on their show #NASCARAmerica, my first appearance is March 1
— Greg Biffle (@gbiffle) February 17, 2017
It’s not a bad move for Biffle considering his wealth of knowledge of all three of NASCAR’s top national series. As a driver who came up what now is the old school way, winning Truck Series and then-Busch Series championships before becoming a full time Cup Series driver, NBC can utilize him in any number of ways.
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And if he gets the itch to race again halfway through the 2017 season, there are plenty of teams out there without concrete plans for every race — though it must be said that more of them are at the XFINITY Series level. This might not be the way Biffle envisioned things going after so many loyal seasons carrying the Roush Fenway flag, but it might be preferable for him to close out that chapter and see if other opportunities are more promising. Even if those are behind a microphone.