Posted on by Staff Report

Dennis Hamlin, whose personal sacrifices helped support his son Denny’s eventual rise to NASCAR stardom, died from injuries suffered in a house fire Sunday. He was 75.

First responders arrived at a home in the Stanley community of Gaston County, North Carolina, nearly 20 miles outside Charlotte, after a fire was reported at 6:19 p.m. ET. Authorities said two people were found outside the four-bedroom home when emergency services arrived at 6:27 p.m. and were taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Officials from the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services provided an update Monday evening via news release, confirming that Dennis Hamlin had died from his injuries at the hospital. Mary Lou Hamlin, Dennis Hamlin’s wife and mother to Denny Hamlin, was listed in critical condition and transferred to a hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where officials said she is “actively being treated.”

Due to the extent of fire and resulting structural collapse, officials said the cause is currently undetermined, but the investigation is ongoing.

NASCAR released the following statement Tuesday morning:

“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family. Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

Denny Hamlin provided an update on his social media account Wednesday afternoon: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing. My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”

Denny Hamlin had said as the 2025 season drew to a close that his father had been in declining health. He became emotional when speaking about his father during race weekends, and he had dedicated his most recent NASCAR win — in October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — to him.

Denny Hamlin ranks in a tie for 10th on the NASCAR Cup Series’ all-time win list with 60 big-league victories, including three Daytona 500 triumphs. But those achievements on stock-car racing’s biggest stage have a foundation firmly rooted in his family’s backing, with Dennis and Mary Lou providing support at every stage of their son’s development.

“I wanted to be able to sit in my rocking chair and say I did everything I could to get him there,” Dennis Hamlin told the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record in 2006. “I didn’t want no stone unturned.”

A young Denny Hamlin was introduced to racing early on, sitting on his father’s lap to watch televised races as a child. Dennis Hamlin quickly saw the youngster’s aptitude for the sport. “I saw his potential the first time I watched him drive a go-kart at 7 years old,” Dennis Hamlin told Cox News Service in 2006. “He wasn’t scared of anything. He could get on anything and just fly.” That first go-kart race resulted in victory, but he kept on driving after the end, leading his father and others on a wild chase after him as he continued to lay down laps after the checkered flag.

Denny Hamlin was born in Tampa, Florida, but Dennis and Mary Lou moved to the Richmond, Virginia area when he was 2. Dennis had taken a job as service manager for Great Dane Trailers, and he would later use his expertise to set off on his own, opening Chesterfield Trailer and Hitch with his son as a capable assistant.

“I worked at least 40 hours a week in the shop my senior year in high school,” Denny Hamlin told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2011. “I didn’t concentrate on my education as much as I should have, but we had a plan. And we didn’t have money for college. If I didn’t make it in racing, I was going to work in the trailer shop.”

Dennis Hamlin started a family-owned race team in one of the shop’s bays to help his son pursue his dream. The costs rose as Denny climbed the ladder from four-cylinder Mini Stocks to his eventual grassroots landing place in Late Model competition.

The trailer business paid the family’s bills, but the personal strain and expense of keeping the race team going began to mount. Dennis Hamlin took out two mortgages on their rancher-style house and sold four classic cars, including each of their personal favorites – Dennis’ 1932 Ford and Mary Lou’s 1967 Chevy Camaro Rally Sport convertible – to make ends meet.

The generosity of volunteer crew and fellow car owners kept the Hamlin team afloat once the family’s resources were fully tapped. Hamlin made the most of a Late Model ride with another team in 2003, topping the regulars for victories at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and winning the track championship that year at Southern National Speedway in Kenly, North Carolina.

Denny Hamlin’s big break came that same year. Joe Gibbs Racing acquired a Late Model car from Hamlin for a developmental driver test at Hickory Motor Speedway. The team tasked the young Hamlin with shaking the car down, and the control he showed in those tune-up runs drew the eyes of JGR’s Curtis Markham, a longtime driver in Late Models and what’s now called the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“I said right there, ‘We need to hire this kid,’ “Markham told Cox News Service in 2006. “I called J.D. (Gibbs) right then from my cellphone. He said, ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘We need to get him before somebody else does.’ ”

Denny Hamlin was under contract soon after. Two and a half years later, he had reached NASCAR’s big leagues and landed his breakthrough victory in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition at Daytona.

“A ton of bricks fell off my shoulders right there,” Dennis Hamlin said. “My job was done.”

Denny Hamlin felt the same way, and he repaid them for their dedication – from his father’s efforts to his mother’s work operating the Denny Hamlin Fan Club.

“We never said you owe us this or pay me back for that,” Dennis Hamlin told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “One day, Denny pulled into our driveway and said, ‘Dad, you’re done.’ I said, ‘I’m done what?’ Denny said, ‘You’re done working and you’re moving to Charlotte.’ I said, ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ and he handed me the keys to a new house and said, ‘It’s furnished, take your clothes, sell the business. Mom works for me now. It’s set. You’re going. You’re retired.'”

In retirement, Dennis Hamlin watched his son go on to win 60 Cup Series races, something that Denny reflected on as he shared updates about his father’s health late in the 2025 season. His No. 11 team acknowledged his emotions after he scored his milestone 60th win on Oct. 12 at Las Vegas, telling him over the in-car radio: “We all know you earned that one for your dad.”

“He’s the one that got me into racing,” Denny Hamlin said in Las Vegas. “Just took me to a race track when I was 5, then made all the sacrifices financially to keep me going. Sold everything they had. We almost lost our house a couple times. Just tried to keep it all going. So I’m glad he was able to see 60. That was super important to me.”

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Editor’s note: This is the 28th in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.

Driver: Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Crew chief: James Small
Final 2025 ranking: 3rd
Key stats: 3 wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10s, 884 laps led

How 2025 ended: Briscoe’s fifth Cup Series campaign was the breakout year that was projected as the highly touted driver made the leap to Joe Gibbs Racing after the closing of Stewart-Haas Racing. Piloting the No. 19, replacing Martin Truex Jr., Briscoe surged to three victories to stamp his name as a championship contender. He made the playoffs for the third time and punched his first ticket to the Championship 4 after winning the Round of 8 midpoint at Talladega. Briscoe had a fast car to be in the mix for the title at Phoenix, but ultimately suffered two flat tires that led to an 18th-place result and third in the final standings.

Best race: Having won the 2024 Southern 500 in dramatic fashion to make the playoffs last year, Briscoe followed up with a masterclass to defend his victory in the Labor Day crown-jewel event. After starting on the front row, Briscoe went on to lead 309 laps and swept the stages en route to his second straight Southern 500 win, cementing his status as one of the 2025 title favorites.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Chase Briscoe driver page

Other season highlights: Briscoe had a Cup Series-best seven poles in 2025, including three consecutive at the Coca-Cola 600, Nashville and Michigan. Briscoe picked up a career-high three victories, with his first coming at Pocono Raceway after some fuel-saving wizardry. Briscoe’s 884 laps led and 12.7 average finish also walloped his previous career bests in those categories.

Stat to know: A great season isn’t without a bit of irony. Briscoe failed to win in any of his seven starts from pole position and he didn’t lead the most laps in any of those events, either. His most laps led from pole was 81 at Iowa Speedway.

Quotable: “I’ve always just loved high-pressure situations. I feel like I just perform better for whatever reason. I feel like my whole career has always been a high-pressure situation, right? Like, there was no backup plan. You might only get one race you had to go perform and show your worth. I’ve always felt like I mean every week, I feel like I’m still auditioning to prove that I belong here. Certainly, the higher the pressure, the better I feel like I do.” — Briscoe on competing in the brightest lights after his August Southern 500 win.

Looking ahead: After a run to the Championship 4, the expectation now is to bring home the Bill France Cup for the No. 19 team. Briscoe showed speed throughout an entire weekend consistently in the latter half of 2025 and that should carry over into 2026 as Briscoe looks to become the latest first-time Cup Series titleholder.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Editor’s note: This is the 27th in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.

Driver: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Crew chief: Rudy Fugle
Final 2025 ranking: 4th
Key stats: 3 wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s, 1,330 laps led

How 2025 ended: William Byron’s evolution behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet led him back to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive season after his fourth straight multi-win campaign. Byron was primed for a runner-up finish in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, but his right-front tire wore out and sent him into the Turn 4 wall coming to three laps remaining in regulation, sending the race into overtime and ultimately leaving Byron with a 33rd-place finish. Misfortune led the young veteran to three finishes of 25th or worse in the final four races of 2025, but the exception during that stretch resulted in Byron’s best performance of the year — and maybe his career — at Martinsville Speedway.

Best race: Indeed, the year’s penultimate race at Martinsville produced an absolute masterclass by Byron, Fugle and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team. Entering NASCAR’s final race of the semifinal round beneath the provisional cutline, Byron won the pole, swept the stages and led a career-high 304 of 500 laps en route to winning his way into the Championship 4. Byron muscled past Ryan Blaney with 44 laps remaining to reclaim the lead for the final time, ousting Blaney from Champ 4 contention and propelling Byron to Phoenix.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | William Byron driver page

Other season highlights: Byron began the season by winning the 2025 Daytona 500, becoming just the fifth driver to win the “Great American Race” in consecutive years. In addition to an impressive win at Iowa Speedway — in which he led 141 of 350 laps — Byron also had dominant performances equate to runner-up finishes at Darlington Raceway in the spring and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 24 Chevrolet led the first 243 laps of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington but ultimately could not reclaim the lead late. At Charlotte, a fierce battle between Byron, Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain resulted in a Chastain victory despite Byron leading 283 of 400 laps that evening. The No. 24 team showed notable resolve throughout the season’s opening 26 races, overcoming stretches of adversity and inconsistency all the way to clinch the Regular Season Championship one week early.

Stat to know: Don’t let the fact that Byron scored fewer top fives and top 10s in 2025 than each of his past two seasons skew your perspective of his season. Byron ended his campaign with a series-best 1,330 laps led — bettering his previous high mark (1,016 led in 2023) by over 300 laps. The No. 24 Chevrolet was out front more than any other driver this season, leading 224 more circuits than 2025 champion Kyle Larson, Byron’s teammate, who led the second-most laps this year with 1,106 laps out front.

MORE: Byron: ‘We started to see the light’

Quotable: “Winning the Regular Season Championship and winning the (Daytona) 500 (and) three races a year is something to really be proud of. So yeah, I feel like it was our best year yet, honestly, but it was a lot of adversity and a lot of things that happened all the way to the end. I mean, it seems like a lot changed for us in the results column with about three laps to go this year. We’ve just got to learn from that — and a lot of it was kind of out of our control. But yeah, just gotta move past it. But I think overall, yeah, it was our best year.” — William Byron reflecting on his 2025 season.

Looking ahead: Few drivers have maintained a consistent year-over-year level of performance, as Byron has in recent seasons. That level of production — and sustained championship contention — should remain prominent for him and the No. 24 team entering the 2026 campaign. There is some history on the line in February as he attempts to become the first driver to win three straight Daytona 500s. But the biggest question remains if 2026 will be the year Byron breaks through for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship — and there are very few reasons to think he won’t.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hettinger Racing will field a full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entry in 2026 for the first time in program history, the team announced Tuesday.

Owned by longtime late model competitor Chris Hettinger, the team will enter the No. 5 Ford Mustang beginning with the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 14 (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The team will receive technical support from Ford Racing, while Roush Yates will supply the team’s engines.

The announcement comes after Haas Factory Team and RSS Racing, previously two of Ford’s flagship teams in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, switched to Chevrolet for 2026.

RELATED: 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule

“This is about putting our race team in the right place at the right time,” Hettinger said in a team release. “The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has incredible momentum. It features great racing and the series gets significant exposure thanks to coverage from The CW. Combining that platform with the support of Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines gives us the opportunity to grow our program into one that competes at a national level.”

Hailing from Dryden, Michigan, Hettinger grew up racing late models and open-wheel midgets before transitioning into an ownership role in recent years. Previously, Hettinger also fielded entries in the CARS Tour, ARCA Menards Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. His daughter, Katie, also competed in the late model ranks.

While the team has not yet announced a driver, Hettinger inked veteran Joe Williams Jr. to serve as competition director for the No. 5 entry. Williams led Alpha Prime Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet with Parker Retzlaff in 2025, recording three top 10s. He earned his lone series victory with Cole Custer in 2022.

“[Williams] brings a ton of experience, a ton of knowledge and we’re looking forward to how he can grow this program going forward,” Hettinger said. “Our goal for this year is to continue to build our program as the year goes on, finish races, run all the laps and be prepared for every race that we go to and put ourselves in position to win.

“I actually feel really, really good about our program right now. Joe Williams and our guys have worked really, really hard. We basically have cars ready for the first four events … We feel like we’re way ahead of the game right now.”

Ford car bodies are displayed at the Hettinger Racing shop
Photo courtesy of Hettinger Racing

Before acquiring chassis for the team’s fleet, according to the release, Hettinger purchased owner’s points from the No. 70 Cope Family Racing team to guarantee an entry at Daytona.

“I’ve been impressed by what Chris Hettinger has already built, and Roush Yates Engines is proud to be a part of Hettinger Racing’s future growth,” said Doug Yates, president and CEO, Roush Yates Engines. “Chris is a racer and a very good businessman who is taking a smart and methodical approach to 2026. All of us at Roush Yates Engines are committed to him and his vision for Hettinger Racing.”

In addition to a driver, partnerships will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Nathan Solomon

Editor’s note: This is the 26th in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.

Driver: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Crew chief: Adam Stevens
Final 2025 ranking: 5th
Key stats: 4 wins, 13 top fives, 22 top 10s, 282 laps led

How 2025 ended: For the second consecutive season, Bell was the first driver on the outside looking in of the Championship 4. His elimination wasn’t quite as dramatic as in 2024, but he needed to essentially outpoint Kyle Larson in the Round of 8 cutoff at Martinsville Speedway to advance. That didn’t happen as Larson ran inside the top five all day, knocking Bell out of the playoffs by seven markers. The No. 20 driver’s 11th-place result in the finale at Phoenix Raceway helped solidify his fourth consecutive season inside the top five of the driver standings.

Best race: Bell dominated the spring event at Phoenix, leading 105 laps and seeming destined for an easy victory. But a late caution set up a two-lap shootout for the win, and Bell held off JGR teammate Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson for his third consecutive triumph, putting an exclamation mark on the first month of the 2025 season. Bell had a Driver Rating of 139.1 over 312 miles, significantly pacing the 37-car field. He earned 57 points on the afternoon, which cut into William Byron’s early Regular Season Championship lead.

RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Christopher Bell driver page

Other season highlights: Following Bell’s three-race winning streak, the 31-year-old had inconsistencies through the next several months, but earned runner-up finishes at Martinsville, Kansas Speedway, Mexico City and Watkins Glen International leading into the playoffs. After a difficult Southern 500 in which he came home 29th, the Oklahoman went on his best stretch of the season. Beginning at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in September, Bell finished no worse than 11th over the final nine races, also picking up his fourth points-paying victory of the season during the Bristol Night Race. He also became $1 million richer in May, banking his first All-Star Race triumph at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Stat to know: Despite finishing the season in a tie for third most wins, Bell placed just 12th in laps led. Three one-win drivers — Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric, along with winless teammate Ty Gibbs — all turned more laps out front.

Quotable: “I think it was definitely a buildup of frustration and not performing up to our standards, and not getting the results that I think that we should get … Well — not even think; should. We should get better results, and we haven’t been doing that. It was frustration … I want to win. Adam wants to win. All of my team, we all have the same common goal. So I don’t think anybody takes it personal because we all want the same thing. And if I win, it’s good for Adam. If Adam wins, it’s good for me. So I don’t know; it’s professional sports.” — Bell said in September, reflecting on the No. 20 team’s recent stretch a day before winning at Bristol.

Looking ahead: Bell’s back in the No. 20 Toyota next year for another go-around with JGR, hungry to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Making the Championship 4 in both 2022 and 2023, missing out by one spot each of the last two seasons certainly has to leave a sour taste in the team’s mouth. Bell’s average finish has improved exponentially in each of his six Cup seasons, and that could finally play into his favor in 2026. But as the JGR stable proved during the 2025 playoffs, the organization has at least three championship-contending cars, and for Bell to finally earn a title, the path could run through Huntersville, North Carolina, in one way, shape or form.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Editor’s note: This is the 25th in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.

Driver: Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Crew Chief: Jonathan Hassler
Final 2025 Ranking: 6th
Key Stats: 4 wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10s, 852 laps led

How 2025 ended: It’s hard to end a season any better than Ryan Blaney did, using a mash of momentum through the final two turns at Phoenix Raceway to power past Brad Keselowski to win the season finale. A runner-up effort in the Martinsville Speedway semifinal left Blaney out of Championship 4 contention in 2025, but Blaney’s campaign was in many ways his best yet. The 10th-year driver collected career highs in wins and top fives, banking three victories in the final 11 races of the season, but a four-race stretch of finishes of 13th or worse during the playoffs ultimately hindered Blaney’s chances of advancing to the title race for the third time in a row.

Best race: Blaney’s June performance at Nashville Superspeedway ultimately rang loudest from 2025, leading a race-high 139 of 300 laps despite qualifying 15th to score his first win of the season and lock him into the playoffs. But a close second to Nashville has to be Blaney’s September triumph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Round of 12 opener in the NASCAR Playoffs. On a day dominated by Team Penske’s Fords, Blaney led 116 of 301 laps after qualifying second and propelled his way into the Round of 8 for the seventh time in his career.

Other season highlights: In addition to those two impressive wins, Blaney also played spoiler in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, fending off multiple last-minute charges from desperate drivers like Daniel Suárez, Justin Haley, Cole Custer and Erik Jones, who were fighting for a playoff berth. Blaney started from the pole for that summer race and led 27 laps en route to the win. The No. 12 Ford also had an outstanding performance going at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March, leading 124 of 267 laps before his engine failed with 60 laps to go.

Stat to know: There was a unique yin-and-yang effect to Blaney’s statistics from the 2025 season. His 852 laps led were by far a career high, bettering his previous best of 668 from 2020. However, Blaney also collected a career-worst eight DNFs. Three of those came consecutively during a rough spell in March with engine failures in Phoenix and Miami sandwiching a crash-out in Las Vegas. But five other crashes throughout the season ousted the No. 12 Ford from competition before the race concluded.

Quotable: “I know that we didn’t make the Champ 4 this year, but I feel like this team was even better than last year — just our integrity of how we clawed back from some early miscues, a lot of DNFs early. Just the mental strength of this whole group, I was really proud. I was proud of my guys for getting better and better every week and every year.” – Ryan Blaney on the strength and improvements of the No. 12 team in 2025.

Looking ahead: Year after year — and with no disrespect toward teammates Joey Logano or Austin Cindric — Blaney emerges as Team Penske’s most consistent threat to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. That should continue into the new year as Blaney maintains his ascent toward new peaks and inches toward a second Bill France Cup with no imminent signs of slowing down.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Greg Biffle, one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers who became known in his later years for his humanitarian work, died along with three family members in a plane crash Thursday. He was 55.

Officials said seven people died in the crash, and the families of those involved confirmed Biffle was a passenger on a Cessna Citation business jet that crashed while attempting to land at Statesville (N.C.) Regional Airport at around 10:15 a.m. ET.

Biffle’s wife Cristina, son Ryder and daughter Emma also died in the crash. Others on board were Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

The families of those involved released a 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).

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.”

NASCAR released the following statement Thursday afternoon:

“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.

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.”

biffle celebrates in victory lane
John Harrelson | Getty Images

The NTSB provided updates Friday afternoon, with board member Michael Graham saying that a preliminary report into the crash was expected within 30 days with a full investigation expected to last 12-18 months before a full report is produced. Graham indicated that officials had recovered the plan’s cockpit voice recorder, which he said was on its way to Washington, D.C., for analysis.

Graham said that the plane, which was manufactured in 1981, was in flight for approximately 10 minutes before it crashed short of the runway, and that investigators were still looking into why the plane turned around nearly five minutes after takeoff. Graham also said that at this time, the NTSB was unable to verify who was flying the aircraft, and that three occupants possessed pilot’s licenses.

In an NTSB update Saturday, investigators confirmed a passenger aboard the Cessna Citation sent a single text message reading “emergency landing” to a family member, with no other communications or mayday calls reported from the aircraft.

Investigators noted “strong indications” but cannot yet confirm who occupied the left seat (pilot position). Full details are expected in the preliminary report.

Additionally, witnesses and video footage indicate the jet was stable and configured for landing with lights on, but flew unusually low, striking a runway lighting stanchion 1,800 feet from the runway. Weather at the time included 5 miles of visibility under visual flight rules and heavy drizzle, though its role remains under review.

Biffle won 19 races in a 15-year Cup Series career that spanned 515 starts, nearly all for car owner Jack Roush. In his climb up the NASCAR ladder, he became champion in both the Xfinity Series (2002) and the Craftsman Truck Series (2000).

Biffle was added to the list of nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2024. That same year, he was recognized with the NMPA Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing for providing aid to Western North Carolina mountain communities in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Biffle hailed from Vancouver, Washington. He first drew Roush’s attention after his success in the annual offseason “Winter Heat” series of late model races in Tucson, Arizona, with Hall of Famer Benny Parsons urging him to take note. “Six months ago, I didn’t know who Greg Biffle was. Benny Parsons kept telling me I should look at him,” Roush told The Oregonian in January 1998. “We have been friends a long time, and I have learned to respect what Benny has to say.”

Impressed with his work ethic after a test, Roush tapped Biffle for his first Craftsman Truck Series season in 1998, and he was a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors. “That would be nice, but I’m not focused on that,” Biffle told The Oregonian, nodding toward the award that would eventually come to fruition. “I have my eyes on something bigger.”

He won nine races in his second season, placing second in the series standings, then converted a consistent five-win season into the Truck Series title in 2000. He won 17 races in the Truck Series, including a final victory in a Kyle Busch Motorsports entry in 2019 at age 49.

His winning ways continued with a 2001 move to the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, and he was crowned champion the following year. Biffle won 20 times on that circuit, setting his course to the Cup Series in 2003 with a newly expanded Roush Racing organization. “Greg Biffle is a young man in a hurry,” Roush said before his rookie campaign in NASCAR’s big leagues, setting a goal of a win and a pole for his incoming driver.

Biffle broke through with a triumph at Daytona International Speedway as a rookie, holding off teammate Jeff Burton in the summertime 400-miler. He won at least one race in each of his first six Cup Series seasons, finishing a career-best second in the standings after a five-win year in 2005.

Biffle and Roush parted ways after the No. 16 Ford team’s 2016 campaign, with the veteran driver expressing his appreciation for “an incredible run” together. “For a kid that grew up in Washington, I’m extremely proud of everything we have been able to accomplish over the last 19 years — both on and off the track,” Biffle said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute.”

The veteran driver competed on a part-time basis in recent years, making five Cup Series starts for the NY Racing organization in 2022. Just this past season, Biffle returned to the ARCA Menards Series West for a pair of races in the Pacific Northwest, scoring top-five finishes in each.

Biffle was named to NASCAR’s list of 75 Greatest Drivers during the sport’s diamond anniversary season in 2023. The honor came at Darlington Raceway, where Biffle notched two of his biggest Cup Series victories in back-to-back years (2005, ’06) in the Southern 500.

Biffle’s name, however, became more prominent after Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding and damage across the Southeastern U.S. in late September 2024

Biffle took a leadership role in the efforts to bring relief to Western North Carolina, running helicopter rescue routes into ravaged and remote mountain communities. His social-media posts from his bird’s-eye vantage point shed light on the destruction, and he used his platform as a NASCAR star to amplify the need for help.

“There’s communities over there that we discovered that are just devastated,” Biffle told NASCAR.com, nearly a week after the storm. “The reason why I’m still going is people are still in need, and I don’t want to leave a soldier behind. That’s why I’m still at it.”