NASCAR Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Late Driver Greg Biffle at Daytona 500

NASCAR is paying tribute to the late former driver Greg Biffle two months following his tragic passing in a plane crash.

The three-minute memorial aired on FOX during the live Daytona 500 coverage on Sunday, February 15, featuring heartfelt memories shared by Biffle’s friends, family, and colleagues.

“Greg Biffle was the most skilled driver I’ve ever collaborated with. He had incredible speed, was fearless, and exceptionally intelligent … He never found himself in a situation he thought he couldn’t win. He always extracted the maximum performance from the car, which is the hallmark of a great driver,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines, in the tribute.

“He exuded supreme confidence,” reflected Biffle’s Roush Racing teammate Jeff Bourton. “He would maneuver his car in ways that others wouldn’t dare to.”

Teammate Matt Kenseth remarked, “He was a tenacious racer. Winning was his top priority.”

Biffle’s niece, Jordyn, reminisced about how her uncle provided support during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024.

“His instinct was, ‘Let’s take the helicopter and assess the situation. How can we assist?’” she recalled, while friend Cleetus McFarland added, “He financed the fuel for my helicopter and was the one organizing supplies initially. He truly went above and beyond just being a guy in a helicopter.”

While Jordyn emphasized that racing was a “significant part” of Biffle’s life, she acknowledged that “helping others was undoubtedly where he found the most happiness.”

In December 2025, it was reported that a plane owned by Biffle crashed shortly after takeoff at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, igniting a fire.

“At approximately 10:15 a.m., an aircraft encountered trouble while landing,” airport officials stated in a message to The Charlotte Observer on Thursday. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is on-site and will conduct an investigation into this incident.”

Although the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office confirmed fatalities from the crash without disclosing further details, a family friend indicated that Biffle and his family were among the seven casualties on board. (Biffle was married to Cristina, and they had a 14-year-old daughter, Emma, and a 5-year-old son, Ryder.)

“I regret to inform you that Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that flight … they were heading to spend the afternoon with us,” Garrett Mitchell shared on Facebook. “We are heartbroken. I’m so sorry to convey this.”

Earlier this month, a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that Biffle was not piloting the plane during the crash. Retired pilot Dennis Dutton was at the controls, with his son, Jack Dutton, as co-pilot, according to the NTSB report released in January.

The report indicated that Dennis was licensed to operate the Cessna 550 aircraft, provided he had an authorized co-pilot. However, Jack was not qualified. The document noted that Dennis was flying when he briefly transferred control to Jack and took it back while attempting to land.

After discovering a malfunction with the altimeter and concluding that the “left side flight instruments may not have functioned correctly,” they attempted to return to the airport.

“Both engines remained attached to their pylons, and both thrust reversers were in the stowed position,” the report continued. “No evidence of uncontained engine failure was found in either engine.”

As the plane approached for landing, it collided with trees and light poles outside the airport’s boundary. The aircraft then breached a fence separating the airport from the public roadway. The precise cause of the crash is still under investigation.