Hundreds gather for public memorial to remember Greg Biffle and six others who died in plane crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hundreds of people packed Bojangles Coliseum on Friday, to remember a NASCAR legend. The public memorial honored Greg Biffle and the other six people who died in a plane crash last month. They included Biffle’s wife Cristina, children Emma and Ryder, friend Dennis Dutton and his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth. Biffle’s niece told stories about Ryder’s hero being his father, Emma’s laughter and Cristina’s loving nature. They also remembered the couple’s commitment to the community. Biffle’s friend, Garrett Mitchell, talked about what it means to “be like Biff.”

Mitchell says, “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. ‘Be like Biff.'”

Outside the coliseum, fans paused to look inside three race cars Biffle drove during his career.

Federal investigators are still working to determine what caused the plane crash that killed Biffle and his family. The plane took off from the Statesville Regional Airport on December 18th. It turned back minutes later, and then hit a piece of the runway lighting system, several trees and an airport fence and burst into flames. Biffle was one of three people on board with a pilot’s license. Investigators have not said who may have been the lead pilot on the flight.