Driver Biffle Wins Pole in Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Points leader Greg Biffle didn't ease off despite a seemingly safe lead in NASCAR's Busch series and won the pole Thursday for the Bashas' Supermarkets 200. <br><br>Biffle

Friday, November 8th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Points leader Greg Biffle didn't ease off despite a seemingly safe lead in NASCAR's Busch series and won the pole Thursday for the Bashas' Supermarkets 200.

Biffle leads Jason Keller by 212 points entering the event Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, and a good finish could give him the championship. Keller wound up fourth on the grid.

``I really like this race track,'' Biffle said. ``My car wasn't as good as I thought it needed to be in race trim, but in qualifying trim it was pretty good. I just made one qualifying run and parked it for the rest of the practice there.''

He got around the flat, 1-mile oval in his Roush Racing Ford at 132.193 mph. The 32-year-old driver from Vancouver, Wash., will start up front for the seventh time this season and third in the last four races. He got around in 27.233 seconds.

Biffle, who will move up next season to NASCAR's Winston Cup division, is looking for his fifth victory this year in Busch competition.

``I really want to win here and sew the title up at the same time. That would be fun _ to celebrate a win and that at the same time,'' Biffle said.

But he's not getting greedy.

``I'll be happy to finish in the top five, and I think the team is capable of doing that, and we've got a car that can do that, so I'm just excited to be starting up front,'' he said.

Two-time Busch champion Randy LaJoie claimed the outside of the front row after qualifying his Chevrolet at 132.194. Third-fastest among 45 who tried to make the 43-car field was David Green, whose Chevy went 131.815.

Winston Cup regular Jeff Burton, a five-time winner for Roush in Busch competition this season, qualified fifth.

Completing the top 10 were Casey Mears, Jimmy Spencer, rookie Johnny Sauter, Kenny Wallace and rookie Shane Hmiel.