By Dominic Aragon and Jonathan Fjeld

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Former NASCAR competitor Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, two children, Craig Wadsworth, and Dennis and Jack Dutton were killed in a plane crash Thursday morning (Dec. 18) in Statesville, N.C., an official with the N.C. State Highway Patrol confirmed.

The National Transportation and Safety Board is investigating a deadly crash at the airport. The airport confirmed there was a crash at around 11 a.m. ET.

The tail number, N257BW, belonged to GB Aviation Leasing, LLC – managed by Biffle, according to records.

FlightAware data showed the plane took off from the airport at around 10 a.m. ET and then was reported to be on the ground near the airport, 32 minutes later.

“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,” the sanctioning body said in part in a statement Thursday.

“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.”

Additionally, Jack Roush, Biffle’s former car owner across his decorated NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career, issued the following statement:

Statement from Jack Roush on today’s tragedy. pic.twitter.com/DpuCgGr70N

— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) December 18, 2025

Pictures circulated on social media, showing the fiery crash. Officials briefed the media at around 12:30 p.m. ET, confirming the jet crashed at the end of the east runway. They confirmed the airport was closed to allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate the incident.

Officials did not have a cause of the crash. They also could not identify anyone who was onboard the plane – and did not take any questions.

Garrett Mitchell, the social media content creator-turned-racer known as Cleetus McFarland, who has been mentored by Biffle, posted the following on social media:

“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. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.“

Further details are limited. We will provide updates when they become available.

Background on “The Biff”: Greg Biffle

Biffle stepped away from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2016 after 14 seasons in Roush-Fenway Racing’s No. 16 Ford. He earned 19 wins, 92 top-five finishes, 175 top-10s and 13 poles in 510 career Cup Series starts – with a best points finish of second in 2005 when he led 1,322 laps and won six times.

Biffle shot to stardom in July of 2003 when 20 million viewers saw him earn his first Cup win in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. His “wild-style” No. 16 embodied a new era of NASCAR, dominated by high banked turns and high speeds:

• Four wins at Michigan
• Three wins at Homestead-Miami
• Two wins at Texas, Kansas, Darlington, Dover each
• One win at California, Pocono, New Hampshire, Daytona each

Biffle is the closest anyone has ever come to winning a championship in NASCAR’s top three national series – as the 2002 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion and the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. He earned 20 NOAPS wins and 17 NCTS wins, totaling 56 wins in his NASCAR career.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame nominated Biffle for possible induction in 2024. He told TRE he was “overwhelmed, excited” about the nomination, adding he wouldn’t rule out running another Daytona 500.

After stepping away from full-time racing, Biffle has come back to race five times in the NASCAR Cup Series, twice in the NCTS, and three times in the ARCA Menards Series West. In his first race back, a June 7, 2019 NCTS race at Texas Motor Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports, he led 18 of 167 laps and won.

The win was a big deal but has been a footnote in the life Biffle has lived after retiring from full-time NASCAR racing. In the wake of Hurricane Helene in 2024, he offered his helicopter to help with relief efforts and went on to help with relief efforts in Jamaica.

Biffle spoke to WFMY News 2 about his work in a sit-down interview:

All of us at RFK Racing are devastated by the heartbreaking news involving the Biffle family. Greg Biffle has long been a cherished member of our racing family. As a person, family man and driver, his accomplishments helped form a cornerstone of our organization.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Biffle family and to all of their loved ones and friends during this incredibly difficult time.

RFK Racing PR

A small business jet owned by NASCAR legend Greg Biffle erupted into a massive fireball after suffering a crash landing in Statesville, North Carolina on Thursday.

According to an official statement from Statesville Regional Airport, a Cessna 550 Citation II crashed at around 10:15 a.m. ET. Public records indicate that the aircraft is owned by GB Aviation Leasing, with the tail number (N257BW) matching up to Biffle’s address, per WSOC-TV.

As of writing, it remains unclear who was on Biffle’s aircraft when it crashed. The local sheriff’s office has reported that there were multiple fatalities. “We can confirm there has been an aircraft incident at the Statesville Regional Airport,” the message from Statesville Regional Airport read. “At approximately 10:15am, an aircraft crashed while landing.”

It comes as horrifying images of the aircraft bursting into flames during the landing attempt emerged.

Harrowing footage circulating on social media shows scattered wreckage of the jet engulfed in flames on the airport runway as a large plume of black smoke wafts overhead. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are activley investigating the incident.

Speaking to reporters during an impromptu press conference, airport director John Ferguson confirmed that the FAA was on hand to look into what might’ve caused the crash. “At … approximately 10:15 AM, we got a report of a corporate jet that crashed off the end of the runway on the east end,” Ferguson said.

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“When I came out, it was already fully engulfed. We’ve had multiple agencies … come. The FAA arrived about 12 o’clock today. They’re taking over the scene, they’re taking over the investigation. We have no information on any cause. The airport now is closed until further notice. It will take some time to get the debris off the runway to get it safe again.”

The Statesville Regional Airport — which is owned by the city — accomadates a handful of NASCAR teams while serving as a major hub for corporate aviation in the area, with FAA records indicating that 89 aircrafts are based there.

Over 14 full-time campaigns in the NASCAR Cup Series, Biffle — who recently teased a potential comeback — amassed 19 wins across 515 starts but never managed to secure an elusive Cup championship, settling for a runner-up finish in the 2005 season. The semi-retired driver additionally etched his name in the history boks by becoming the first driver to win titles in both the Truck Series (2000) and Xfinity Series (2002) en route to being named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

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Since transitioning from full-time NASCAR competition, Biffle has become regularly involved with disaster-relief efforts. Last September, the 55-year-old ferried supplies using his own helicopter to stranded residents impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, with his humanitarian efforts earning him the 2024 Myers Brothers Award from the National Motorsports Press Association.

Back in October, Biffle additionally announced his plans to assist those impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. “As Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, hoping that as many people were able to head to higher ground as possible,” he wrote on X. “We are trying to coordinate and explore all opportunities via by sea and air for relief efforts as quickly as we can to the Caribbean. We have the large boat and landing craft on standby for deployment to possibly take supplies once we can get an update and monitoring the situation like everyone and praying for all who are affected.”

A business jet with six people aboard crashed Thursday at a regional airport in North Carolina used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people, authorities said.

Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle.

There were six people on the Cessna C550 that crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.

Biffle grew up in Clark County and graduated from Camas High School in 1988. Years later, Biffle began dominating the Northwest stock car short track circuit, including races at Portland Speedway. Biffle currently has co-ownership in several Northwest race car tracks.

Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.

“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating. AccuWeather says there was some drizzle and clouds at the time of the crash.

The plane took off from the airport shortly after 10 a.m. but then returned and was attempting to land there, according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.

The plane had planned to fly later from Sarasota, Florida, to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening, data showed.

Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames burned near scattered wreckage from the plane.

The airport’s website states that it offers corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams.

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FOX Sports and IndyCar have announced the race broadcast start times for the upcoming 2026 season.

For the second consecutive year, IndyCar will have a record 19 network windows, with all 17 races featured on broadcast television. It is also the second time in as many years that IndyCar will be the only premier motorsports series in North America with all races broadcast on network television.

Unique to this upcoming season is the summer stretch that also features FOX Sports’ coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The opening match on Sunday, June 21, will lead into the IndyCar Series round at Road America set for 2 pm (all times Eastern). That theme continues as one game in the World Cup’s round of 16 follows the 12:30 pm start time for the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 5.

The only broadcast time unconfirmed is the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, July 19, with the 400-mile race immediately following the FIFA World Cup Final. A start time will be confirmed at a later date.

Patricio O’ward, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images

The 2025 season was the first year of IndyCar’s multi-year partnership with FOX Sports, with viewership increasing 27% from the previous season. It was the “fastest growth curve of any major sport,” according to the press release. 

“Once again FOX Sports is providing an unparalleled platform to showcase the most competitive and dynamic racing series on the planet,” Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO Mark Miles said. “On the heels of significant milestones and momentum last year, this new season will provide meaningful opportunities to reach new audiences and build upon the best growth trajectory in all of sports.”

Other notables of the broadcast schedule include the second round of the season at Phoenix Raceway, which will be a unique shared weekend with NASCAR. IndyCar’s return to the 1-mile oval for the first time since 2018 will see race coverage for North America’s premier open-wheel championship begin at 3 pm Sunday, March 7.

The inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington is set for Sunday, March 15, with a 30-minute prerace beginning at 12:30 pm.

Coverage for qualifying for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 4 pm on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. Additionally, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24 will feature an extensive six-hour broadcast for the second consecutive year, beginning at 10 am.

IndyCar’s debut round on the Streets of Markham at 12 pm on Sunday, August 16.

Lastly, the 2026 season finale is set for Labor Day weekend in a return to Laguna Seca, with coverage beginning with a prerace show at 2:30 pm on Sunday, Sept. 6.

“There is so much to look forward to on the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, including our first race at Arlington,” said Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. “As we have already seen in this new partnership, it is one of the most exciting, new additions to our calendar in recent years, and FOX Sports will provide the perfect showcase for our fans watching on TV. The new season can’t get here soon enough.”

Coverage of all IndyCar practice and qualifying sessions will be featured on either FS1 or FS2, FOX One and the FOX Sports app. The coverage schedule for Indy NXT, the development category for IndyCar, will be announced at a later date.

“I’m a big sports fan, so having the 2026 IndyCar schedule share the stage with FOX’s coverage of the World Cup next summer is going to be exciting,” said Kyle Kirkwood, driver of the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda. “2025 was a breakout year for me, and it was especially rewarding to see it all play out on FOX in their first IndyCar season. We’re looking forward to another strong season for the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda, and I’m eager to see what FOX has in store for the upcoming season.”

FOX SPORTS’ 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES RACE COVERAGE SCHEDULE: 

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– The Motorsport.com Team