Replies

NASCAR Champion Greg Biffle Advocates For Animals

(NAPSI)-Stock car racing superstar Greg Biffle, who finished third in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is always envisioning the finish line. Now he’s heading for another victory, this time to end companion animal euthanasia. He’s spokesperson for SPAY/USA (www.spayusa.org), a nationwide network and referral service for affordable spay/neuter services and a program of North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Biffle is championing the prevention of unwanted litters. He is convinced that by raising awareness, more pet owners will follow his lead and alter their pets, leading to a dramatic decrease in shelter euthanasia.

The NASCAR champion and owner of three dogs likens his passion for animal welfare to his love of auto racing.

“It’s vitally important to control pet overpopulation. There are over 7,000 puppies and kittens born each day, with millions of healthy, innocent, unwanted animals put to death as a result of overpopulation,” cited Biffle, who says that he believes he can make a difference.

Biffle, who has achieved 48 career wins since 1996, says he plans to use the NASCAR community and the racing world to get the message across that it’s crucial and lifesaving to spay or neuter pets. He has set an example by spaying and neutering his own dogs.

Biffle and his wife Nicole founded the Greg Biffle Foundation to create awareness and serve as an advocate to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motorsports industry.

The organization recently funded scholarships to help send rescue groups to the SPAY/USA National Conference.

Esther Mechler, SPAY/USA founder and director, applauds Biffle’s commitment. “I believe that Greg and his foundation provided an invaluable opportunity for people dedicated to animal welfare,” commented Mechler, adding that with Greg’s outreach as SPAY/ USA’s spokesperson, she is certain there will be significant effect amongst responsible pet owners.

To learn more and see Greg Biffle’s interview about his work on behalf of the organization, visit spayusa.org. To find out about low-cost spay/neuter services, call 1-800-248-SPAY (1-800-248-7729) or visit AnimalLeague.org.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — No passing. That was the only rule Tony Stewart had to abide by in Saturday’s 38th annual Fiesta Bowl parade.

Thankfully, the two-time Cup Series champion sat far enough away from the steering wheel.

Instead, he sat atop the trunk of a Corvette convertible waving to the crowd along the 1.9-mile parade route, fulfilling one of his primary duties as grand marshal of this year’s Fiesta Bowl. This year’s game features the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Texas Longhorns (8 p.m. ET Monday on FOX).

“
Anytime I come out to the Phoenix area, it’s like a home-coming. ... To think that it all kind of started at Phoenix, I guess you could say it’s the place where my career came full-circle.
”
— TONY STEWART”That was like driver introductions at Indianapolis times 10,” said Stewart, referring to the ritual of riding in the back of a pickup truck around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “This is a huge event and I’m just honored to be a part of it. It’s pretty cool to sort of venture outside our box a little bit and take in a game of this magnitude.

“With the racing season being what it is, getting away to see a college football game is kind of tough. When the Fiesta Bowl Committee called and asked if I was interested in being their grand marshal, I said, ‘As long as I get a ticket and a field pass to the game, I’m in.’ “

Stewart got that and then some. Announcing his presence in the parade were two red No. 14 Chevrolets. One was emblazoned with Office Depot and the other with Old Spice, his co-primary sponsors for the 2009 racing season — Stewart’s first as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Being grand marshal was also a great opportunity for our race team,” said Stewart, who is already an accomplished team owner in the USAC and the World of Outlaws, where his teams have won nine championships — seven in USAC and two in the World of Outlaws. “It’s not everyday that we’re able to crossover into other sporting events, so to be able to do that and bring my team and sponsors a little extra exposure was a no-brainer.

“Plus, we’re going to be back out here in April at Phoenix International Raceway, and hopefully the time we spend here in January brings a few more people out to the race track in April.”

Stewart’s ties to the Phoenix area are strong. The 1-mile oval in Avondale is where Stewart’s racing career truly began.

It was February 1993 at PIR’s famed Copper World Classic where the season-opening race for the USAC Silver Crown division was held. In Stewart’s first ever race at the desert mile, he qualified second to Davey Hamilton — a former IRL IndyCar Series veteran — and led 31 of the 50 laps before finishing second to Mike Bliss — the 2003 Truck Series champion.

The $3,500 payday for his second-place effort made eight-hour days at $5 an hour at the Columbus, Ind., machine shop where Stewart worked seem unnecessary. Packing the rest of the 1993 season with Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget races across the nation, Stewart’s quick ascent up the racing ladder began.

In all, Stewart has scored 11 driving championships in 29 years of racing, a tally that includes four USAC titles, one IndyCar Series crown and his two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships.

“Anytime I come out to the Phoenix area, it’s like a homecoming,” Stewart said. “It’s a place where I feel comfortable. I started racing there in ‘93 when I ran a Silver Crown car, and since then I’ve run USAC Midgets, Indy cars, Supermodifieds, NASCAR Nationwide Series cars, and of course, Sprint Cup cars. So, I’ve logged a bunch of laps there. To think that it all kind of started at Phoenix, I guess you could say it’s the place where my career came full-circle.”

Serving as grand marshal of the Fiesta Bowl has helped solidify that feeling, for the Ohio State-Texas pairing provides Stewart the opportunity to further enhance his relationships with his new partners at Stewart-Haas Racing.

“I own a race track in Ohio, but a few of our sponsors have some really strong ties to Texas,” said Stewart, who owns Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. “So, I’m going to take a page from the Fiesta Bowl’s playbook and say that I just want to see a really good game.”