Biffle can cli9nch championship at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas - Greg Biffle, driver of Jack Roush's Grainger Ford, has an excellent chance to clinch the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship during the O'Reilly 400 at Texas Motor Speedway Oct. 13. With a 290-point lead over second-place Mike Wallace, Biffle needs to pick up 80 points to secure the title, which he can do by finishing 27th or better - even lower if he garners bonus points for leading a lap.

A 27th-place finish should be a cakewalk for the Vancouver, Wash., native currently in his third year of Craftsman Truck Series competition. In the first 22 races of the 2000 season, Biffle's worst finish has been 14th (twice), but he has also scored an amazing 17 top-five finishes, including five victories.

If Biffle leaves Texas with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship:

* It will be the first time in the six-year history of the Series that the championship was decided prior to the final race of the season (see the attached Championship Summary).

* It will be the first championship won by a driver who did not participate in the Craftsman Truck Series' inaugural season in 1995.

* It will be the first NASCAR Championship for Jack Roush and Roush Racing, which fields a total of nine teams in NASCAR's Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck Series.

* It will be the first major NASCAR championship to be determined in the 2000 season.

* It will cap a stellar Craftsman Truck Series career for Biffle, who won Rookie of the Year in his freshman year of 1998, and a Series-record nine races in 1999.

While the Craftsman Truck Series championship chase seems to be nearing an end, the rest of the finishing order is still up for grabs. Biffle's 290-point lead over second seems quite comfortable, but a mere 310 points cover second through sixth. Biffle may drive defensively during the O'Reilly 400, but the rest of the field will be honking to pass.

Craftsman is the Official Tool of NASCAR, and has been sponsor of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since it began six years ago. Craftsman tools continue to be the top-selling mechanic and auto specialty tools in the U.S., with more than 1,800 Craftsman tools, all made in America and guaranteed forever. For more information, visit www.sears.com/craftsman.