NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle, Family Killed in NC Plane Crash

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family have been killed in a North Carolina plane crash. Seven people died in the accident, including Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma and his son Ryder.

Craig Wadsorth and Dennis and Jack Dutton were also killed.

Biffle family friend and auto racing social media personality Garrett Mitchell confirmed the report.

"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," Mitchell, who posts under the pseudonym Cleetus McFarland, said in a Facebook post. "We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this."

The Cessna C550 private jet crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport in Iredell County in North Carolina.

Biffle's company, GB Aviation, owned the Cessna C550 airplane that crashed around 10:15 a.m. on an attempted landing in Statesville.

The families of all seven people on the plane released a joint statement Thursday afternoon.

"We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones. This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words.
Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma (mother – Nicole Lunders)," a joint statement from the Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders family said. "Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child. Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them. Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.

"Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives.
We ask for privacy, compassion and understanding as we grieve and begin to process this unimaginable loss. We are grateful for the kindness and support that has been extended to our families during this incredibly difficult time.
At this moment, our focus is on honoring their lives and supporting one another."

Biffle, 55, was a successful driver from Day 1 in his NASCAR career. He was the 1998 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, before winning the truck championship in 2000. He immediately followed that with an Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year award in 2001, with a 2002 championship.

In 14 years on the Cup Series, Biffle won 19 times in 515 starts, and according to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, was named as one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers ever.

"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," a statement from NASCAR read.

"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."

Greg Biffle and his wife Cristina Grossu Biffle were married in January of 2023, and their son Ryder was born in September of 2020. Biffle's daughter Emma, from his first marriage, was born in 2007.

Off the track, Biffle made a huge impact, particularly during Hurricane Helene relief efforts in North Carolina. Biffle flew his private helicopter into Banner Elk, helping bring relief supplies in and rescuing stranded victims, and sparking a much larger effort with other private pilots.

"I'll tell you, the feeling you get when you win a race, you can only ask drivers, right?" Biffle said in the NASCAR piece. "Because the feeling you get when you win that race, that’s the feeling you get when you’re able to help people in need."

For his efforts, Biffle was named the 2024 Myers Brothers Award winner from the NASCAR Motorsports Press Association.

"It started on a Saturday morning when I got a phone call for somebody in need of assistance," Biffle said. "And what I thought was one family turned in to be, a pretty devastating event and just escalated one thing after another. And I thought, you know, I’ve got the resources, and if I don’t go, who's going to go? So that day, I drove to the airport. Power was out, so we used the tug to get the hanger door open, got my helicopter out, put fuel on and tried to go rescue that family. And what turned out to be 4,000 messages after that just turned into 12 days of flying, sun up to sun down. We feel good about what we did. And then over 100 helicopters joined the effort, a lot of guys from this room. So it was a great effort and I'm glad that I was part of it."

According to FlightAware tracking, the plane with the tag N257BW took off from Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday with a destination of Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Florida. The plane was scheduled to be in Florida for less than an hour, before heading to Treasure Cay in the Bahamas. It was then scheduled to head to Fort Lauderdale, before returning to Statesville at a scheduled arrival time of 8:22 p.m.

Biffle's friend Garrett Mitchell, who is better known in racing circles as social-media personality Cleetus McFarland, said the family was coming to spend time with him in Florida. He was the first to publicly release the Biffle family was on the plane in his Facebook post at 1:25 p.m., after speculation had run rampant online.

Biffle and Mitchell became friends during Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, and had remained close. Biffle was serving as a mentor for Mitchell in the ARCA racing circuit.

Mitchell has posted several posts since the announcement, all of them remembering his friend, including one of the duo driving side-by-side, "This will be one of my favorite videos of all time. A wheelie side by side with the Biff. This is the worst day ever."

Statesville officials held a brief news conference at 12:30 p.m., confirming that the plane had crashed and further information would be released later. They said the airport was currently closed because of the debris on the runway.

The plane had not gotten far from Statesville after taking off. WCNC meteorologist posted flight tracking that showed the flight had lost elevation dramatically as it attempted to circle back for an emergency landing.