NASCAR Star Greg Biffle and Family Dead After Plane Crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina

Race car driver Greg Biffle is dead at 55 following a fatal plane crash.

Rep. Richard Hudson, a family friend, confirmed Biffle, his wife, Cristina, and his two children died on Thursday, December 18.

“I am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them,” the congressman shared on 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.”

Another friend of the family, Garrett Mitchell, best known as his social media alter ego Cleetus McFarland, was first to reveal that the family was on board the flight headed to Sarasota, Florida, with a second destination of the Bahamas.

“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 wrote via Facebook on Thursday. “We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.”

News broke on Thursday that a plane belonging to Biffle had crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.

“At approximately 10:15 am, an aircraft crashed while landing,” airport officials said in a statement, per The Charlotte Observer. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is en route and will investigate the incident.”

Local law enforcement officers subsequently confirmed that there were multiple fatalities from the crash without identifying any of the passengers.

Further details of the crash have not been revealed, though there were reports of “adverse” weather.

“Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet were reported at 10:15 a.m. The cloud ceiling had reportedly lowered to around 400 feet, with heavy rain reducing visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.,” AccuWeather’s vice president of forecasting operations, Dan DePodwin, said in a press release. “Weather conditions are often a critical factor that investigators carefully review after a plane crash. It may take months to a year or longer for investigators to determine if the weather conditions contributed to the crash.”

Biffle was on the plane with his wife of three years, Cristina Grossu, and his two children. (The late athlete shared daughter Emma and son Ryder with ex-wife Nicole Lunders.)

He had an accomplished career as a NASCAR racer.

“I loved it because of the competition,” Biffle said on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s “Dirty Mo Media” podcast in February, recalling how he got his start. “I loved cars, and [racing] was something I wanted to do.”

Biffle started building vehicles when he was a teenager, eventually taking a seat behind the driver’s seat on the track. He ultimately retired in 2016 for less competitive pursuits.

“I loved running equipment and building trails at my mountain property all the years, and I was building a big pond project. I got about half done and this quarry I was getting the stone from for the shoreline went out of business,” Biffle said earlier this year. “I tried to find the stone somewhere else, and I couldn’t match it. I’m, like, ‘I got to start over or I can take this place over [for] not a lot of money.’ I traded [the owner] a little bit of rock, and I got the mining permit.”

In addition to his 10-year quarry business, Biffle also had a passion for aviation.

“I sold all my aviation stuff, but I love aviation,” he said. “I sold everything [but] I own the hanger at the Statesville Airport, which Victory Air leases.”

After putting aside his aviation hobby, Biffle picked up a new one for various outdoor activities.

“I don’t hunt that much, but I love to fish,” he said. “I’ve got a house in Florida and my boat’s behind the house. I’ll take [the boat] to Nassau … [where] I was always on my small boat out fishing, snorkeling, on the beach drinking a beer. Those are the days I love.”