OFFICIAL REPORT: NASCAR CHAMPION GREG BIFFLE IDENTIFIED IN FATAL THURSDAY MORNING PLANE ACCIDENT
NASCAR champion Greg Biffle and his family tragically passed away in a North Carolina plane crash. Read about his incredible legacy.
Before Greg Biffle became famous in NASCAR, he was making a name for himself at Tri-City Raceway.
Biffle had come back to the track to race in the ARCA Menards Series West event over the last several years.
Biffle, 55, passed away Thursday when his plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina, which is about 45 minutes from Charlotte. He, his wife, and their two kids were among the seven who died.
His last race in the Tri-Cities was in August. He got third place for the Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet team. He said he liked the West Richland track so much that he thought about buying it once.
Tri-City Raceway posted something on social media Thursday to honor Biffle’s family.
“Legacy isn’t about wins or championships,” the post said. “It’s about love, changing lives, and how someone treats other people. That’s how Greg—and his family—will always be remembered.”
Tri-Cities ties
Tri-City Raceway Project Manager Laci Tolar said her family is shocked. Tolar is Wayne Walden’s granddaughter. Wayne ran the track in the 90s.
Back then, Tri-City Raceway was like a second home to Biffle. He would come from Vancouver to race.
Tolar’s father, Greg, also raced with Biffle in the 90s.
In 1995, Biffle was praised by Jeff Morrow.
Morrow wrote, “Greg Biffle is getting better than the United States Postal Service.”
“It doesn’t matter what the weather is like. The Vancouver, Wash., driver seems to win every time,” the story said about Biffle’s eighth straight NASCAR Late Model main event victory in the Tri-Cities.
Morrow said that Biffle worked hard back then.
“He would race at Portland Speedway on Friday nights. He was really good there,” he said. “Then he’d pack up everything and go to TC Raceway and be awesome there on Saturday nights.”
After being the best in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-90s, Biffle raced in his first Winston West Series in 1996 and NASCAR Northwest Series in 1997. People voted him “Most Popular Driver” that year.
Moving to the Craftsman Truck Series helped Biffle get to the big time. He won the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year Award in 2001.
Biffle, who fans called “The Biff,” was also up for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
After being in the sport’s top division for almost 20 years, he went back to truck racing and NASCAR’s Northwest circuit.
Tolar said her family became close with Biffle’s family. Their children played while he was racing this year.
“He was a humble, amazing person,” Tolar said. “He was just like everyone else, but he really cared about racing, and it was part of who he was.”
Tolar said that Biffle didn’t let fame change him. He helped people, like the time he used his helicopter to get resources and supplies to families after Hurricane Helene.
“It’s a big loss for the Tri-Cities and the nation. He loved motorsports,” she said. “It’s everyone’s loss. It’s hard to even say how much this hurts.”
She said that Biffle was a nice man who really cared about racing.
“He never let fame change him. He was down to earth and always wanted to help racing grow,” she said. ”We’re lucky to have known him.”
Tri-Cities Raceway facilities director Jesse Brown said he raced with Biffle.
“He was so good,” Brown said. “He made everyone else better in the Northwest. He was ahead of everyone else back then.”
Brown said Biffle was a good guy, but when he came back to the track, he was a family man who cared about the community and loved racing.
Brown said he saw a side of Biffle that many people didn’t. When he wasn’t racing, Biffle was funny and loved to make people laugh.
He said that Greg Biffle was important to the whole racing community in the area.
“If you look at racing in the Northwest today, Greg started it all,” he said. “You don’t win a bunch of races if you’re not good. He made people better, and they remember that.”
He remembers Biffle’s first time back at the track in years. There were tons of fans who wanted to see the local hero.
“The racetrack will miss Greg and his family,” Brown said. “He was a great family man. He was a great dad and husband.”
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”