It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the passing of retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. Earlier today, around 10:15 to 10:20 AM ET, Thursday, December 18, his Cessna C550 went down shortly after takeoff at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, on route for the Bahamas from Florida. The plane belonged to an aviation company, GB Aviation Leasing LLC, which was owned by Biffle. Biffle was not alone on the airplane, but perished along with his wife Cristina and children Ryder and Emma. They were also accompanied by Dennis Dutton, Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth.
Greg Biffle was a successful stock car driver and named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers. For context, there's normally 40 drivers on track for a single race in a single NASCAR series, and NASCAR has been here for three quarters of a century, so being in the top 75 is more of an accomplishment than it sounds. Biffle was the first driver to win championships in both the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, where he took Rookie of the Year honors in both. In 515 career starts, Biffle took 19 victories and 13 poles. Off the track, he was a respected analyst for NBC Sports.
Greg Biffle hasn't just earned applause on the track, but outside of motorsports for his humanitarian efforts. During Hurricane Helene, the Biffles flew hundreds of rescue missions in western North Carolina. Representative Richard Hudson recalls that just two weeks ago Cristina Biffle had reached out about how she could assist in relief efforts in Jamaica. Whether one is a fan of motorsports or not, or of NASCAR specifically, we all have to respect being a great human being helping and saving others.
The families and friends of the Biffles and companions are in our hearts at this sad time.
