Off the track, Biffle thinks dogs and cats are important, too.

That's why the Greg Biffle Foundation was formed - to help unwanted pets find homes, to fund spay and neuter programs, to support no-kill shelters and encourage the public to adopt animals that need them the most.

"My dogs are my kids to me," Biffle said Tuesday during a promotional appearance on behalf of Ford Racing at the Miller Motorsports Park. "They live in the house. They fly on the airplane to the race track. They stay in my motor home. . . . I thought if we could make a small difference by raising some money and trying to get the message across, that was what I wanted to do."

Before creating his foundation, Biffle was a regular contributor to a variety of the charities supported by other NASCAR drivers.

"It just seemed like everybody had all the bases covered," Biffle said. "So when we saw some of these cruelty cases on TV about unwanted pets and how many of them get put down in the shelters, we decided to try and help."

The Biffle Foundation's biggest fundraiser involves the production and sale of the NASCAR pet calendar. Every year, 12 drivers pose with their pets for photos that are used in the calendar.

"It gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers," Biffle said. "They are just casual pictures - at home, on vacation. A lot of drivers help us, and there are always a lot of cool pets in there. . . . It has worked out very well."

The 2009 calendar is already on sale, according to Biffle, who races today in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis.

Because of the track's history, it is one of the races all the leading NASCAR drivers put on their calendars every year.

"It's special," Biffle said. "It's the second biggest race of our season, next to the Daytona 500. So certainly - for every driver - it's a prestigious place to go and win. There is so much heritage at that place. The Indianapolis 500 has made that place famous for all the years and for us to be able to go there and race is kind of neat."

Two weeks ago, Biffle used a fourth-place finish in Chicago to jump into seventh place in the season point standings. He's hoping for a similar effort - or more - at Indianapolis.

"Certainly I'd like to be on the podium this week," Biffle said. "But we're trying to get into the Chase and top-five finishes are important for us. So a win, obviously, would be good for us. So would a top-five finish."

Points leader Kyle Busch will try to win his third straight Sprint Cup race, while Jeff Gordon attempts to snap a 24-race losing streak. Still, he has won four times at the Brickyard.

The race begins at noon and will be televised by ESPN.

For Biffle, Indianapolis is a long way from the small tracks near Portland, Ore., where he started racing.

"I got started in the local Friday night-Saturday night bullrings," said Biffle, a 38-year-old native of Vancouver, Wash. "I raced at Portland Speedway. I raced at Tri-Cities Raceway. There are short tracks like that all over the United States and that's how a lot of drivers start. Dirt tracks, asphalt tracks and you move up through the ranks."

Biffle moved quickly.

In 2003, he won his first Winston/NEXTEL/Sprint Cup race - the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. One of his 30 victories in NASCAR's two major circuits, Biffle still calls it his most memorable win.

"You remember them all," he said. "But the biggest one is probably your first. And you talk about big places - Daytona is about as big as they get. . . . Even though it wasn't the Daytona 500, a Daytona win was still my first one and it will always be pretty special."

Biffle came to Utah to promote Miller Motorsports Park, the upcoming Camping World Series race Aug. 1-2 and the Ford High Performance Driving School offered by the track.

"This is a great facility and a great place," Biffle said. "It's really unbelievable . . . remarkable."

luhm@sltrib.com

Greg Biffle file

Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.

Residence: Mooresville, N.C.

Age: 38

Car number: 16

Race team: Roush Fenway Racing

NASCAR wins: 30

NASCAR career earnings: $37,943,080

Highlights: 1998 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year. . . . 2000 Craftsman Truck Series champion. . . . 2001 Busch Series Rookie of the Year. . . . 2002 Busch Series champion. . . . Won Winston/NEXTEL/Sprint Cup Pepsi 400 in 2003. . . . Won six races and finished second in the 2005 Cup championship standings, just 35 points behind Tony Stewart. . . . Won the Dodge Charger 400 at Darlington and Ford 400 at Homestead in 2006. . . . Won the Kansas Lifelock 400 in 2007. . . . Signed three-year contract extension with Roush Fenway in June.

TODAY'S RACE: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

WHERE: Indianapolis

TIME: Noon

TV: ESPN

POLE-SITTER: Jimmie Johnson