Jeff Burton felt that he had it all; he had finally achieved destiny after he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But his joy was short-lived as he realized that his selection eliminated Greg Biffle's candidature to make the Class of 2027 despite being a staunch fan favorite.

Biffle, who tragically passed away in a plane crash near Statesville last December, finished fifth in the final voting despite winning NASCAR’s fan vote. Despite the exclusion, Burton was clear on one fact: that his teammate would make it into the chambers one day.

“Look, Greg Biffle was also a Roush driver and a teammate. And we had a lot of good times together,” Burton said emotionally. “He won a lot of races, rallies, and truck championships. And he definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame at some point.”

This alone showed that despite time passing and their Roush days ending, Burton still held a lot of respect for Biffle.

Then Burton’s tone got heavier.

“But it’s horrible — horrible — we lost Greg and everybody that was on that aeroplane. What a devastating moment,” Burton admitted. “And for those that are left behind, seeing him in the Hall will mean a lot.”

Biffle’s absence can still be felt around the garage, as Burton said, “We had a lot of good times together,” showing that even though Biffle was no more, he still carried on heavily in the memories of those who were close to him. His absence, however, for Burton, was a reality that still hurt.

Greg Biffle’s tragic plane crash still haunts NASCAR

Greg Biffle tragically passed away on December 18, 2025, after a private Cessna Citation II jet crashed near Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.

It was reported that the aircraft experienced electrical and instrument issues while en route to Florida. The pilots had tried to return for an emergency landing, but the jet struck nearby trees before bursting into flames.

Biffle, however, was not the only tragedy in the crash, as he was traveling alongside his wife Cristina, their two children Emma and Ryder, family friend Craig Wadsworth, and pilots Dennis and Jack Dutton, none of whom survived the crash.

This tragedy sent shockwaves throughout NASCAR, especially given how influential Biffle’s humanitarian efforts had been throughout his life, especially during Hurricane Helene.

Since his passing, many have failed to recover, while even more still look for answers as the NTSB’s final investigation remains ongoing.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason