Greg Biffle’s Friend Shares Remembrance Video on ‘Worst Day Ever’

Greg Biffle’s closest friends are speaking out after the NASCAR driver and his family were killed in a plane crash.

“This will be one of my favorite videos of all time,” digital creator Garrett Mitchell wrote via Facebook on Thursday, December 18, with video from a recent race. “A wheelie side by side with the Biff. This is the worst day ever.”

Just hours before posting a throwback video with Biffle, Mitchell confirmed in a separate social media post that the 55-year-old motorsports legend and members of his family died.

“Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma and son Ryder were on that plane… because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us,” he shared via Facebook. “We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.”

In July 2011, Biffle and his first wife, Nicole Lunders, welcomed a baby girl named Emma. In September 2020, the NASCAR driver and his second wife, Cristina Grossu, celebrated the arrival of a son named Ryder.

At the time of their deaths, Emma was 14 and Ryder was 5.

News broke on Thursday that there was a plane crash at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. Airport officials confirmed that an aircraft registered to Biffle burst into flames upon landing.

While authorities didn’t immediately identify the passengers on board, Mitchell and family friend Rep. Richard Hudson both confirmed Biffle, Lunders and his two children were on board.

“I am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them,” the congressman shared via X on Thursday. “They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others. Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans. But he was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.”

Although it’s unclear what exactly caused the incident, adverse weather conditions were reported in the vicinity of Statesville Regional Airport around the time of the plane crash.

Golfers at the nearby Lakewood Golf Club in North Carolina recalled a chaotic scene as a plane crashed with little to no warning.

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” Joshua Green, a golfer on the course at the time, told the Associated Press on Thursday. “It was scary.”

As the investigation continues, Biffle is being remembered in the sports world as a decorated racer who had a total of 56 race wins across all three NASCAR series — the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Cup Series.

He most recently raced in the 2022 GEICO 500, which took place in Talladega, Alabama.

Biffle also had a history of racing Stadium Super Trucks and was an avid flyer.

“I sold all my aviation stuff, but I love aviation,” he said on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s “Dirty Mo Media” podcast in February. “I sold everything [but] I own the hanger at the Statesville Airport, which Victory Air leases.”