By Luis Torres, Staff Writer/Photographer
The world of motorsports has lost not only a champion, but also a humanitarian.
Former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, along with six others, perished in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday morning.
Along with Greg, his wife Cristina Biffle, their son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma, Dennis Dutton and his son Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth have also lost their lives.
First Sergeant Chris Knox of the North Carolina Highway Patrol confirmed the seven fatalities hours after the accident, notably the former Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series champion.
1st Sgt Chris Knox confirms that Greg Biffle is one of seven fatalities in the plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport this morning pic.twitter.com/d1WoLQtcCD
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) December 18, 2025
Following Knox’s comments, a joint statement by the Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families was issued, highlighting their devastation of their lost loved ones.
“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives.”
Additional details and investigation will be handled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Friday.
NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the fatal crash of a Cessna Citation C550 jet in Statesville, North Carolina. The team expects to arrive on scene tonight and Member Michael Graham will be spokesperson on scene. NTSB will hold a media briefing tomorrow, time and…
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) December 18, 2025
NASCAR released a statement on the incident, sharing their condolences to the seven victims:
“NASCAR is devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton in a fatal plane crash.
“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many. His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.
“On the track, Greg’s talent and tenacity earned him championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, as well as numerous wins and accolades in the NASCAR Cup Series. Beyond his racing career, he gave of himself for the betterment 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.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Greg’s entire family, friends, and all who were touched by his life.”
Jack Roush, Biffle’s car owner from 1998-2016, also issued a statement of losing a “dear friend” in the program:
“The entire Charlotte sports community has suffered a tremendous loss.
“The tragic accident involving Greg Biffle and his family today is incredibly heartbreaking. I have lost a dear friend and partner in our NASCAR program. His contributions to our race team over the years are immeasurable.”
From the Pacific Northwest, Biffle first caught the national eye of 1973 NASCAR Cup Series champion Benny Parsons after having impressive showings in the Winter Heat Series. Following a recommendation by Parsons, Jack Roush hired Biffle to compete full-time in the Truck Series in 1998, winning Rookie of the Year in the process.
Biffle showcased a season of dominance the following year where he scored a then-record nine wins but came up just shy of besting Jack Sprague for the title. Biffle finally won the series title the following season, scoring five wins before moving up to the Xfinity Series in 2001.
Much like his Truck career, Biffle nabbed Rookie of the Year honors and followed it up with the series title where he won four races and finished in the top-five on 20 occasions.
In that period, Biffle tipped his toes in the Cup Series, highlighted by leading 12 laps in the fall Richmond race for Andy Petree Racing, filling in for the injured Bobby Hamilton.
In 2003, Roush promoted Biffle to the Cup Series where he scored his first of 19 Cup wins via fuel mileage in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Slowly but surely, Biffle became a force to be reckoned with, beginning with his first of three straight victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2004.
Then in 2005, Biffle saw his most successful season in the premiere division where he scored career-high six wins, 15 top-fives, and 21 top-10 finishes. While Biffle came up 35 points shy of beating Tony Stewart for the title, he won the Homestead finale in style by beating teammate Mark Martin by 0.017 seconds.
— Matthew Martin (@6matthewmartin) December 18, 2025
After stepping away from Roush in 2016, Biffle wouldn’t make another national touring start until 2019 when he returned in a one off drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway.
Through resilience and an excellent pit call from Rudy Fugle, Biffle held off Matt Crafton to score his 56th and final national touring victory (19 in Cup, 20 in Xfinity and 17 in Trucks), a popular victory in the sport.
Four years later, NASCAR named Biffle as one of 75 Greatest Drivers.
Recently, Biffle has run three ARCA Menards Series West races over the past two years, including Portland International Raceway in August. Biffle finished fourth in what turned out to be his final stock car race of his career.
Despite his accolades behind the wheel, it all pales in comparison to his greatest contribution and what may end up being his legacy.
Last September, Biffle became a symbolic North Carolina hero after helping folks who were affected by Hurricane Helene last September, making numerous flights into the affected areas in his helicopter to deliver relief supplies and rescue those stranded.
The difference maker was recognized earlier this year by earning the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Pocono Spirit Award for his efforts.
“The reason why I’m still going is people are still in need, and I don’t want to leave a soldier behind. That’s why I’m still at it,” said Biffle last October about his motivation of helping people during Hurricane Helene.
Greg would’ve turned 56 years old this coming Tuesday.
All of us at Motorsports Tribune share our condolences to the entire Biffle, Grossu, Dutton, Lunders and Wadsworth families.
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