‘Heartbroken beyond words’: Remembering Greg Biffle, NASCAR’s underappreciated star

Former NASCAR star Greg Biffle, who died in a aircraft crash Thursday in Statesville, North Carolina, was not a flashy driver or particular person. For all his accomplishments, he was a lunch-pail driver who paid his dues, obtained his shot and by no means appeared again.

Along with Biffle, the crash claimed the lives of his spouse, Cristina, their son Ryder and his daughter Emma, in addition to Dennis Dutton and his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth.

The primary stories of the crash happened 10:15 a.m. Thursday. The dying of the 55-year-old former NASCAR driver was confirmed by the North Carolina State Freeway Patrol.

“NASCAR is devastated,” the group stated concerning the tragedy.

Biffle was named certainly one of NASCAR’s 75 Biggest Drivers in 2023, however he could have been underrated as a driver. He ranks among the many high 50 drivers in Cup Sequence historical past with 19 victories. Biffle additionally received championships in each the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence and the NASCAR Busch Sequence (now Xfinity Sequence).

Proprietor Jack Roush gave Greg Biffle a chance

Legendary staff proprietor Jack Roush gave the then-28-year-old Biffle the nod in 1998 to drive for his Truck Sequence staff. In three years, Biffle received 14 Truck Sequence races and captured the 2000 championship.

Biffle moved as much as the NASCAR Busch Sequence in 2001, successful the 2002 championship, earlier than Roush promoted him to Cup Sequence competitors in 2003. Over a Cup Sequence profession spanning 14 seasons, Biffle received 19 races, together with a six-win marketing campaign in 2005 that noticed him end runner-up to Tony Stewart for the championship. Had he received, Biffle would have develop into the one driver to win championships in all three of NASCAR’s high divisions.

Biffle’s ultimate Cup Sequence begin got here in 2022, along with his final victory in certainly one of NASCAR’s high three sequence occurring in a Truck Sequence race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2019. His final Cup Sequence win got here at Michigan Worldwide Speedway in 2013, and he made the NASCAR playoffs for the ultimate time in 2014.

Biffle retired from full-time Cup Sequence racing after the 2016 season.