A memorial was held Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, to remember the seven people killed in a Dec. 18 plane crash at the Statesville (N.C.) Regional Airport.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A memorial was held Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, to remember the seven people killed in a Dec. 18 plane crash at the Statesville (N.C.) Regional Airport.
Motor Racing Outreach led the ceremony remembering Greg Biffle, Ryder Biffle, Emma Biffle, Cristina Biffle, Craig Wadsworth, Dennis Dutton and Jack Dutton.
MRO's Billy Mauldin opened the ceremony with special acknowledgements to each person lost in the plane crash:
Dennis and Jack Dutton
"I can so relate to the common bond and passion. You want nothing more than to have a son who can be like you and as a son, someone you can look up to and they had that."
Craig Wadsworth
"A tremendous outpouring of friends gathered to share their stories and what was said, I think Michael Waltrip summed up best -- Craig was selfless, genuine and a caring friend."
Ryder and Emma Biffle
"They had been consistently referred to as bright and shining lights and they are still bright and shining. We can all learn from them that you are never too young to impact your given sphere of friends and family and all of us can and should be inspired to be bright and shining lights."
Cristina Biffle
"So much about her was special but for the sake of time, I'd like to note one thing -- her smile. It was not just beautiful, it was welcoming. She made you feel at ease and light. A perfect outward reflection of a heart and soul that loved life and cared genuinely for others."
Greg Biffle
"His heart for others and to help however he could, it was now on display for literally the world to see. As he went to go direct relief efforts after Helene, more and more got to see but personally our talks involved his little boat he loved... Where he was going on it, where it was docked, what he loved about it and let me know where it was docked... And he'd often say, 'come by and see us!' and as a chaplain, you don't often get these inputs into people's lives as people are guarded. But not Greg. He was quick to help, ask questions, invite and leave you genuinely feeling cared about. Greg, simply to me, was just a great friend and his friendship was special to me."
Biffle was discovered by Benny Parsons, whose brother Phil spoke about what the 19-time NASCAR Cup Series winner meant to their family away from the track.
"Greg always took the time to credit BP for helping him get the shot with Roush Racing and he went out of his way to be there at events which were important to BP, such as a golf tournament held each year in Elkin, North Carolina, to raise money to fight hunger in Wilkes County, where BP was born and raised," Phil Parsons said. "He was there in early December for this past year's event. I think that shows what type of a person Greg was; someone who always thought of others first."
Former Roush teammate Jeff Burton spoke about being a teammate with Biffle, remembering him as the perfect driver at Roush and recalling a story that involved teammate Mark Martin.
"Mark told Jack he can't get in Greg's car and make it go faster. That was a rare thing," Burton said. "One time at a test at Watkins Glen, Mark was struggling and Greg was hauling a-s so he wanted to get in Greg's car... So when Mark got in your car, he was gonna go faster than you.
"Mark goes out, Greg is nervous and Mark goes out there and after a couple of laps, says it's not this racecar that's faster than me. It's Greg... Greg was pushing Mark Martin to be a better race car driver."
Burton remembered Biffle as a jack of all trades and a key part of Roush's historic success in the 2000s. He also remembered him for the shenanigans he got into as a Cup rookie -- whether it involved messing with rental cars or covering up an injury.
Burton recalled, in 2003, Biffle went to great lengths to cover up a broken arm he sustained prior to the April 27, 2003 race at Auto Club Speedway. Burton said Biffle wore a winter jacket, got his own motor home, avoided press and even spun out in the race with the broken arm -- yet still finished ahead of him in the race and won that season.
Jordyn Biffle, Greg's niece, spoke about family life, recalling how he built chassis in his grandpa's shop and his grandma always cheered him on, saying "Dig Biffle!", when her grandson raced. She also remembered the way Cristina and Greg were "destined to find each other" and "complemented each other in a way that I've rarely seen."
Garrett Mitchell, the social media influencer known as Cleetus McFarland who has made ARCA Menards Series starts and was one of the publicly closest people to Biffle in his last years, spoke with disbelief over Biffle's loss. He called him "Mr. The Biff" and reflected on the fun times they had after first bonding in 2024 over Ford Crown Victorias and helicopters.
"He was exactly like us. 20 years old than I was and exactly like us to a T. He fit into our group," McFarland said.
McFarland remembered Ryder, whom he raced with -- and crashed with.
"I expected he was gonna be crying but he was laughing and wanted to race again," McFarland said.
In closing, McFarland called upon everyone to "Be Like Biff":
"We've been saying, 'Be Like Biff,' since we lost our hero and what does that mean? That means to take opportunities when you see them. Whether you're taking the opportunity to pass somebody on the track, getting off your couch or chasing a dream you've only been talking about for the last five years. It means showing up for your friends and family. It means using your heart to make the world a better place. It means being generous whenever you can and helping other humans when they're down.
"That is what it means to be like Biff, so spread the word."
