Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Myers Brothers Award.
Biffle, 54, receives the honor after his extraordinary efforts to aid mountain communities in Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene left its mark especially on remote towns.
This recognition, named after two of NASCAR’s earliest competitors Billy and Bob Myers, is awarded by the National Motorsports Press Association. The Myers Brothers Award celebrates “individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.”
Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, Biffle used his personal helicopter to help rescue groups from trapped enclosures and deliver others’ vital supplies like EpiPens, insulin, formula and other necessities.
“It started on a Saturday morning when I got a phone call for somebody in need of assistance,” Biffle said Friday night. “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.”
During his consecutive days flying toward and back from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biffle was quick to credit those around him who made these deliveries possible.
“I mean, the list goes on. I don’t want to leave anyone out,” Biffle told NASCAR.com in an October interview. “Team guys are up there on their days off with trucks, trailers, chainsaws. They said, ‘We just drove up there and found a road that was blocked, and started cutting and moving trees out of the way. We got miles in and found people, and they had food and water and supplies.’ So it’s just real cowboys, coming out of NASCAR and helping, and it’s great to see that. But it makes me proud to be a part of that community.”
Past recipients of the award include seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty in addition to Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, former MRN lead announcer Barney Hall and former NASCAR president Mike Helton.