Greg Biffle's NASCAR Truck Series return "a bit intimidating"

Biffle, a former Truck and Xfinity series champion who also amassed 19 wins in the Cup Series during his career, will drive KBM’s No. 51 Toyota in the June 7 race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Before his first Truck start in 15 seasons, Biffle, 49, did get time on Thursday running some laps in the No. 51 and scuffing tires for Kyle Busch, who is entered in Friday night’s race.

“It was a bit intimidating getting in there for the first time in a few years and get back on the race track. The plan was I was going to go out maybe at the end of the first practice session and the end of the second practice session and then about eight minutes before practice started, they decided I would go first and scuff four or five sets of tires,” Biffle said Thursday.

“I wasn’t quite prepared for that but it’s all good. I felt good in the truck. It’s been a long time since I been in these but it feels similar to a Cup car. Part of the issue is (Turns) 1 and 2 are quite a bit different and then all the PJ1 on the race track kind of looks like the groove.

“When a track takes rubber you can see where everyone is running. So, when I come down the frontstretch I see that black line and I think it’s the groove and then all of a sudden I realize the corner is over there. It took me a lap or two to get my bearings.”

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M&M's Chocolate Bar, Greg Biffle

Photo by: Logan Whitton / NKP / LAT Images

Biffle, who has not competed in a NASCAR event since the Cup Series finale in 2016, has 16 wins, 12 poles, 42 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes in 81 career Truck Series starts. He captured series rookie of the year honors in 1998, finished second in the championship standings in 1999 and then won the series championship in 2000.

“I’ve been friends with Greg for a long time and we’ve always joked about how it would be cool for him to drive trucks again,” Busch said. “When this opportunity came about the talks got serious and we both decided it was smart decision.

“Not only is he capable of stepping right in and getting another win for the No. 51 team as we work towards the owner’s championship, he will also be an experienced teammate for Harrison (Burton) and Todd (Gilliland) to lean on that weekend as they try to secure a spot in the playoffs.”

Biffle said it was good to get some laps in the truck so he doesn’t have to show up in June “cold turkey.”

“The trucks seems good, drives good. I was wanting to be fairly conservative. I didn’t want to get out there and turn it around and do anything to do it. I was relatively cautious,” he said.

“Part of coming here was I had mentioned it to Kyle, if you want me to run in June what are the chances I can get in the truck in April for even 10 laps so I get an idea what this thing looks like?”

Asked if he would do more Truck races down the road if he could, Biffle said: “I’ll see how June goes. I could be talked into some more – maybe.”