Who Was Greg Biffle? 7 Things to Know About the Ex-NASCAR Driver After He Was Killed in North Carolina Plane Crash

Greg Biffle touched many lives both on and off the racetrack before his death.

The ex-NASCAR driver was born on December 23, 1969, in Vancouver, Wash., but grew up in Camas. He launched his racing career by driving on short tracks before his NASCAR debut in 1996.

Biffle first began attracting attention during the 1995 NASCAR Winter Heat Series, prompting Jack Roush to hire him in 1998.

It later opened the door for him to participate in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, where he won the 1998 Rookie of the Year award and the 2000 series championship. In addition, he made history when he became champion in the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series championship, making him the first driver to win both titles.

Years before his death, he was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers of all time with 515 starts, 19 wins and 13 poles in a 15-year Cup Series career.

In 2024, he made it to the list of nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Biffle exchanged vows with his first wife, Nicole Lunders. They welcomed their daughter, Emma Elizabeth, in 2011, years before they separated in 2016 and divorced in 2017.

The same year the estranged couple finalized their divorce, Lunders filed a lawsuit against Biffle in which she accused him of installing hidden cameras and secretly recording her and her mother, Sara, for about three years. She alleged the former NASCAR driver shared the images with third parties, though Biffle consistently denied the allegations.

A North Carolina jury determined that Biffle violated Lunders' privacy during an August 2018 hearing. They ordered him to pay his ex-wife $250,001.

However, the legal battle did not stop there, as Lunders accused Biffle of not following their custody agreement. The case was dismissed in January.

After his messy divorce from his first wife, Greg moved on with Cristina Biffle and proposed to her in December 2021. They tied the knot in a ceremony in the Bahamas on December 31, 2022.

Greg and Nicole became first-time parents when they welcomed their daughter, Emma Elizabeth, in July 2011.

The NASCAR champion was also a father to his son, Ryder Jack, with Cristina.

On December 18, reports confirmed Greg, his wife and two children were among the seven people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina.

They were traveling aboard a Cessna C550 belonging to Greg when the plane crashed while trying to land in foggy weather at Statesville Regional Airport at around 10:15 a.m., per the WSOC.

"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," Greg's pal Garrett Mitchell confirmed on Facebook. "We are devastated. I'm so sorry to share this."

Meanwhile, NASCAR issued a statement expressing its devastation over the "tragic loss."

"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," the message continued. "His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport."

Dennis Dutton, Jack Dutton and Craig Wadsworth also died during the aviation tragedy.