NASCAR Busch Series looks ahead
By Troy Fletcher, Special to Turner Sports Interactive
December 22, 2001
11:21 AM EST (1621 GMT)
Gone is Kevin Harvick and his starpower. And off to join him as a teammate in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series is championship driver Jeff Green.
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Kevin Harvick celebrates his 2001 title.
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Together, Harvick and Green dominated the Busch Series the past two seasons, winning 17 races and the 2001 and 2000 points titles, respectively.
So where does the NASCAR Busch Series go in 2002?
Well, it should follow Greg Biffle into the spotlight. Many observers are tabbing Biffle, who drives the No. 60 Grainger Ford owned by Jack Roush, as the favorite to wear the next Busch Series crown. For good reason.
Last season as a rookie, Biffle came in fourth in the points chase, thanks to winning five times. What's more, Biffle is experienced in what it takes to be the best.
After all, prior to coming to the Busch Series, Biffle snared the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points championship.
Despite Biffle's talent, Jason Keller, who pilots the No. 57 Albertson's Ford, isn't ready to be forgotten -- especially since he has taken third and second in the BGN points ladder the past two seasons.
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Biffle is one of the favorites to win the Busch title in 2002.
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"I think when you get as close to a championship as we have been the last two years, you focus on what you can improve on to make the race team better," said Keller, who had one win and 14 top five finishes a year ago. "I definitely think we have all the ingredients at ppc Racing to win a Busch championship."
Keller speaks the truth. In 2000, Green -- his ppc teammate -- won the Busch Series championship.
"Although we have a great team, I am smart enough to know that my fellow competitors aren't going to pull over and let me be the series champion," said the 31-year-old Keller. "I need to make it happen. And the No. 1 thing we have to do if we want to be the best is not make our own mistakes. I think last season I maybe wasn't as smart a driver as I needed to be, and the person who wins the championship is going to be the person who makes the least mistakes."
In addition to Biffle, other viable 2002 title contenders include Tony Raines, Mike McLaughlin, Scott Wimmer, Randy Lajoie, Hank Parker Jr. and incoming Hendrick Motorsports stars Jack Sprague and Ricky Hendrick.
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Jason Keller
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"I think when I originally came to the Busch Series fulltime in 1993 it was primarily seen as a stepping stone to Winston Cup," said Keller. "But over the years, drivers like myself and (Mike) McLaughlin and (Randy) Lajoie have made the series our home. We get Sundays off and we can make great livings. That is not to say that I wouldn't want to race in Winston Cup, but things have gone so well for me in the Busch Series that it would have to be an ideal situation for me to leave the series."
In 2002, Keller is also optimistic about working with his new ppc teammate -- former Truck Series driver Scott Riggs, who is replacing Green in the No. 10 Nestle NesQuik Ford.
"I am really looking forward to having Scott as my teammate," said Keller. "I am certainly going to miss Jeff (Green), but I am anxious to help Scott in any way I can and I know having him as my teammate will only make us both better drivers."
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