Racing World Prepares for Final Farewell: Greg Biffle Memorial Set for Jan. 16
The silence that has hung over the NASCAR community since mid-December is about to be broken by a collective celebration of a life lived fast and full. It’s a date no one wanted to put on their calendar, but it’s necessary for the healing of a sport still reeling from shock.
Details have been finalized for the public memorial service honoring former NASCAR standout Greg Biffle and his family. The service is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on January 16, 2026, at the historic Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For those of us who have spent decades covering the garage, this hits different. We aren’t just saying goodbye to a competitor. We are saying goodbye to a fixture of the sport, a man who helped define an era of Roush Fenway dominance, and a family that was taken far too soon.
A Gathering at the Heart of Racing Country
Choosing Bojangles Coliseum feels right. It sits in the heart of the racing world, a venue that has seen its share of history. Opening the doors to the public is a testament to Biffle’s relationship with the fans. He wasn’t just a driver who showed up on Sundays.
He was a racer’s racer, a guy who grinded his way up from the short tracks of the Pacific Northwest to the pinnacle of the Cup Series. For fans who cannot make the trip to Charlotte, the sanctioning body has ensured the service will be accessible globally.
NASCAR will livestream the entire memorial on NASCAR.com and on its official Facebook and YouTube channels. It’s a move that acknowledges the massive reach of Biffle’s fanbase people who cheered for the No. 16 from living rooms across America for nearly two decades.
The Tragedy in Statesville
The remembrance comes in the wake of a devastating aviation accident that occurred just weeks ago. On December 18, 2025, a private jet carrying Biffle, his family, and three others crashed shortly after departing from Statesville Airport.
The details are still painful to read. The aircraft went down a mere 10 minutes after wheels up. It was a catastrophic event that claimed the lives of everyone on board, including Biffle, his family, and fellow passengers Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack Dutton.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently in the thick of its investigation. As of their latest update, they have not determined who was at the controls at the moment of impact.
The flight manifest listed three licensed pilots on board: Greg Biffle himself, along with Dennis and Jack Dutton. While the “why” and “how” remain questions for the investigators to solve in the coming months, the “who” is what the racing community is grappling with right now.
Celebrating the Legacy of ‘The Biff’
When we gather on January 16, the focus won’t be on the wreckage in Statesville. It will be in the trophy case and the man. Greg Biffle was a rare breed. He was one of the few drivers who could wheel anything with an engine.
He was the first driver to win a championship in both the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. He came agonizingly close to being the first to win titles in all three national series, a “Triple Threat” distinction that highlighted his incredible versatility.
Those of us in the media center remember him for his candid nature. He didn’t mince words. If the car was loose, he told you. If he was frustrated with a teammate, you knew it. But behind that intense competitive fire was a man deeply committed to his community.
The release of recent 911 calls from witnesses to the crash has been a grim reminder of the accident, but local stories surfacing about Biffle’s quiet charity work paint a truer picture of his character. He helped people without needing a press release to prove it.
A Community United
NASCAR is often described as a traveling circus, but at its core, it is a family. When one hauler parks for the last time, the entire grid feels the loss. Next week at Bojangles Coliseum, you will see team owners, pit crews, rival drivers, and thousands of fans standing shoulder to shoulder. The investigation into the crash will continue.
The NTSB will eventually release its preliminary findings, and we will learn more about the final moments of that flight. But for now, the priority is honoring the man who gave us so many thrilling Saturday afternoons and Sunday heartbreaks. Mark the date. January 16. We will see you in Charlotte to give “The Biff” the send-off he deserves.
