Greg Biffle wins Sylvania 300

LOUDON, N.H. --- Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Dish Network Turbo HD Ford fielded by Roush Fenway Racing, yesterday snapped a 33-race winless drought by winning Sunday's Sylvania 300, the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Biffle, whose last victory came last September at Kansas Speedway, recorded his 13th Sprint Cup victory of his career after he passed Jimmie Johnson in Turn 3 for the lead with 11 laps remaining. Biffle never relinquished the lead, holding off the two-time and defending Sprint Cup champ to climb six spots to third in the championship points.

``I can't describe it,'' Biffle said. ``I needed a lot of help to get here and all these guys behind me and the engine department, everybody has just given me so much help and support. All of my friends and family at home just kept telling us we could do it.''

Biffle said he held back the reins as long as he could, conserving his brakes and fuel, before making an unbridled gallop to the finish.

``That's what my plan was inside the car -- close us up to Jimmie Johnson and get me a shot at him,'' Biffle said. ``I was a little better than him on that short run. He was a little bit loose and I knew it.''

Carl Edwards, Biffle's Roush Fenway Racing teammate who finished third, wound up vaulting into a first-place tie with Johnson in the championship after points leader finished 34th, 12 laps down.

``Man, I feel like we won this thing just because of how terrible we were in practice,'' Edwards said. ``For us to finish this well and to finish tied [for first] in the points is a good day for us.''

The Top Five:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Carl Edwards
4. Jeff Burton
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.