Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle’s relationship was not something that clicked from the very start. Instead, it evolved through feuds, on-track rivalries, fights, mutual respect, and realism.
Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle’s relationship was not something that clicked from the very start. Instead, it evolved through feuds, on-track rivalries, fights, mutual respect, and realism. They never pretended to have affection for each other and locked horns in heated on-track battles throughout their racing careers. That said, it matured into a bond of mutual respect later in their lives, as evidenced by Harvick’s recent comments.
Harvick has always spoken highly of Biffle’s caliber as a driver and the character he displayed away from the track. On the Harvick Happy Hour podcast, he shared heartfelt condolences and reflections on their long history together, discussing what Biffle’s untimely passing made him realize.
Harvick stated, “We had some intense rivalries along the way, but always had a good relationship with Greg that was very friendly. He drove for Roush, and I drove for RCR. So it was never like we were best friends.”
“But, I think from a competitor standpoint, and just being able to appreciate who Greg was on the racetrack for what he did behind the wheel, and basically coming from nothing to make a career out of what he did and build a great life for him and his family.”
Like it did to others, Biffle’s death in December shook Harvick. It saddened him and, at the same time, made him realize that life can end at a moment’s notice.
“And to see the way that it all came to an end makes you really sit back and think about, I know when the plane accident happened, it really made me sit back and think about all right what important. What are we doing here? You look at your kids and your wife and realize that that one moment could happen really, really quick,” Harvick continued.
Harvick emphasized how, over recent years, people witnessed who Biffle truly was and everything he accomplished from a charitable perspective, flying his helicopter into the mountains to assist with the situation they faced with all the floods and devastation up there. From Harvick’s point of view, Biffle was an intense competitor and, beyond anything else, an exceptional human being away from the racetrack.
Feuds between Harvick and Biffle over the years
The duo were fierce competitors beginning in the mid-1990s in the Late Model series and continuing into the NASCAR national series. The rivalry featured several on-track incidents and off-track confrontations, most infamously at Bristol in 2002. That day, Harvick had been wrecked by Biffle late in the race on lap 241 of a 250-lap race and waited for Biffle on pit road while the race wound down, engaging in a confrontation with the former Roush Fenway Racing driver once he parked his machine.
After Biffle finished P5 and fielded questions from the media, Harvick flung across the roof of Biffle’s #60 Ford, grabbing him around the throat and exchanging words before NASCAR officials intervened to break up the incident. Harvick was slapped with a $15,000 fine and landed on probation until August 28.
Biffle later branded Harvick a “chicken” and a “punk” following a 2005 incident at Chicagoland, where he accused Harvick of deliberately refusing to overtake the leader, Reed Sorenson. Biffle suspected Harvick’s maneuver was calculated to preserve the free pass position for himself, denying Biffle the opportunity to claim it, which Biffle condemned as deplorable gamesmanship.
Harvick and Biffle clashed again in practice and the garage ahead of the Martinsville race in 2011. On the track, Biffle ran into the back of Harvick’s car. Harvick later hit Biffle in the back. The drivers subsequently stopped at the exit of Turn 2, then headed for the garage, where Harvick pulled in alongside Biffle, then pulled ahead, momentarily blocking Biffle’s access to his stall. Biffle turned in anyway, clipping the back of Harvick’s car.
After climbing from his car, Biffle headed to Harvick’s garage stall, drawing a crowd of team members and officials. The conversation, however, thankfully, did not turn into a feud or physical fight.
The post “What Are We Doing Here?”: Despite Frosty Relationship, Kevin Harvick Pays the Perfect Tribute to Greg Biffle appeared first on The SportsRush.
Category: General Sports
