May 6, 2006 3 min read

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Greg Biffle is trying to turn things around. That doesn’t mean he’s going to push any harder to get better results. Biffle, second to champion Tony Stewart in last year’s Chase for the championship, posted a lap at 127.395 mph Friday, winning the pole for the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway and giving his team a needed boost.

Biffle arrived at Richmond 23rd in the points after nine races. Saturday night’s race will mark the ninth time he has started in the top 10, but it’s the finishes that need fixing. He has only been in that top 10 twice, none in the last four races.

“I’ve got to finish in the top five and that’s really our goal, so I don’t think it’s pushing too hard,” Biffle said, adding that he made a trip to his team’s shop this week to reassure everyone that he knows they’re all working hard.

“I’ve got to put up that big shield from what happened last week, what would have, should have, could have and might have happened. I’ve got to think about tomorrow night.”

Biffle’s fast lap came with just four of 47 drivers still waiting to make their run at the top spot around the 0.75-mile oval, and it knocked Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin to the outside of the front row. Martin’s lap came at 127.029 mph.

Biffle was surprised it held up as well as it did, especially after he got mad and overcompensated on his second trip around for going too slow entering the first turn.

“I figured I’d kill turn three so I went in over my head and made it through there and I guess I made up what I threw away going into (turn) one,” he said.

“That just goes to show I don’t know what’s going on out there.”

It is Biffle’s first pole at Richmond, and just the third of his career in 124 races in the Nextel Cup Series. He won his second pole earlier this year at Las Vegas.

Behind the Roush Fords in the front row, Casey Mears will start third in his Dodge, Brian Vickers fourth in a Chevrolet and points leader Jimmie Johnson fifth in a Chevy.

Denny Hamlin of Chesterfield, who grew up about 10 miles away from the track, overcame a gash that required 19 stitches in his left hand and posted the seventh-fastest lap. The rookie will make his first career Nextel Cup start at Richmond.

After a long day of testing both his Busch and Cup cars and qualifying both, Hamlin was pleased that a rain delay gave him some time to get his wound attended to.

“It’s stinging really bad right now,” he said.

Kevin Harvick, whose new, three-year contract with Richard Childress was announced earlier in the day, squelching many rumors, will start alongside Hamlin.

“It’s been a great day,” Harvick said. “I’m glad to be all signed and all the rumors and all the stuff that has been talked about is over with and we don’t have to answer too many more of those questions.”

Defending race champion Carl Edwards will start ninth in another Roush Ford.