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Greg Biffle was selected by NASCAR as one of the top 75 drivers in history. he was the one Hall of Fame Stock car series nominee and he drove for 18 years at the top of the sport.
Yet for all the races and some memorable victories, he is perhaps best remembered for his selfless and tireless work helping provide aid to others as a helicopter pilot in the devastation left by Hurricane Helen a year earlier.
Biffle loved to fly and was in the air again Thursday, aboard a small jet that crashed at Statesville Airport to the north. charlotteOfficials said. He was believed to be among the seven killed, including his wife and two children. He was 55 years old.
“This tragedy has brought pain beyond words to all of our families,” a joint statement issued by the victims said. “Greg and Christina were dedicated parents and active philanthropists whose lives centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter. emmaEmma was a wonderful person with a kind soul who was loved by many, Ryder was an active, curious and immensely joyful child,
The statement identified the other people on board the plane as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack. and Craig Wadsworth, all “beloved by many in the NASCAR community.”
“Each of them means everything to us and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the statement said.
Biffle won championships in both the lower-level national truck and Xfinity series – the first driver to do so – and spent almost his entire career driving for Roush Fenway Racing, which is headquartered about 40 miles south of the crash site.
“I have lost a dear friend and partner in our NASCAR program,” team owner Jack Roush said on social media. “His contributions to our race team over the years have been immeasurable.”
A wave of anguish swept through the closely-knit auto racing community, from drivers to team owners like Chip Ganassi. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein selected Biffle for his “courage and compassion” and for helping hurricane victims. NASCAR did the same.
As the series states, Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to many. Beyond his racing career, he dedicated himself to the well-being of our community. Most notably, Greg spent countless hours of his time helping the citizens of North Carolina during the disasters that followed Hurricane Helene. “His tireless work saved lives.”
A native of Vancouver, Washington, Biffle made over 800 starts in three NASCAR series and won the Truck Series title in 2000 and the Xfinity title in 2002. In total, he won 54 races across NASCAR’s three national circuits, including 19 races at the top Cup Series level. He finished second to Tony Stewart in the championship standings in 2005, his best season, and three years later became the first driver to win two playoff races in the same year.
Biffle made his cup debut in 2002. He had earned his spot with Roush through the old “Gong Show” method of selecting drivers, in which candidates went head-to-head to get a job with one of the top teams in NASCAR.
He went into semi-retirement in 2016, but returned in 2022 to compete in five races, including the Daytona 500. He was 52 years old at that time.
Retired Hall of Fame driver Jeff Gordon wrote on social media, “I had great respect for Greg as a driver, and we shared countless tough battles on the track.” “Like many others, I was inspired by their tireless relief work during Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to the Biffle family and all victims.”
had a deep love of piloting and biffle youtube Channels and social accounts were filled with joyful outings with friends and family. In 2024, Biffle won the National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award for humanitarian aid efforts in the wake of Helen. Biffle operated his private helicopter to deliver supplies and aid to hard-hit communities in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
During one of his trips to the mountains, a stranded man signals Biffle for help through a mirror. After several attempts, Biffle was able to land his helicopter and deliver supplies to the man and his neighbors. He returned this year to check-in.
Biffle later recalled, “I had no idea at the time how devastating this storm was.” “What started as a call to save one family… turned into 4,000 messages. … It went viral.”
One of his partners in this endeavor was friend Garrett Mitchell, a YouTuber and race car driver known as Cleetus McFarland. Mitchell said the Biffle family was going to spend Thursday afternoon with him in Florida.
“We are devastated,” Mitchell wrote on Facebook.
So was U.S. Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina.
“Biffles led hundreds of rescues in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Hudson wrote on social media. “The last time I spoke to Christina a few weeks ago, she asked me how she could help the relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s where the Biffles were.”
Team owner Roush was involved in several plane crashes during his years as a pilot and was nearly killed in a 2002 crash in which he landed upside down in a lake near Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Before Roush sank, Larry Hicks, a retired member of the US Marine Corps, rescued Roush from the overturned wreck.
Several of his former drivers have earned their pilot’s licenses, including Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin, all Hall of Fame drivers.
Biffle spent his retirement years building cars in his shop, running a mine in Virginia, and raising his two children. Less than a week ago, Biffle posted a video of his family — 14-year-old daughter Emma, 5-year-old son Ryder and wife Christina — picking out a Christmas tree on an outing that also included a trip for ice cream.
“It was a successful day,” Biffle said. “Now it’s time to take out the decorations and let it go.”
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AP Auto Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing