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The NASCAR world suffered two tragedies just before the calendar change with the shocking deaths of Greg Biffle and Dennis Hamlin, father of current driver Denny Hamlin.
Biffle, along with his wife and two children, were among seven people killed when his plane crashed near a runway at a North Carolina airport in early December. Less than two weeks later in the state, the elder Hamlin died in a house fire that also left Hamlin’s mother injured.
The Daytona 500 will be run next month to kick off the 2026 NASCAR season, but it will certainly be with heavy hearts.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. waits during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
“Yes, NASCAR and motorsports in general is, you could say, big, but it’s a small family,” 2023 Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said. in a recent interview with Pakinomist Digital. “It’s a huge footprint, but everyone is really integrated, really close, and everyone feels it, no matter what’s going on.
“You know, Greg and his family, super sad, super tragic, and then you have Denny who, it’s very public that he was trying to win that championship for his dad, didn’t think his dad was going to make it that much longer. But who knows, he might have won the championship this year and his dad might have made it. But his dad took the tragic and it took his dad, the hospital like that. It’s just, it’s been a crazy, devastating offseason.
“And I think we’re all just ready to get back on track, to get those kinds of things, so let’s see if it calms down a little bit. Just a tough offseason, for sure. But I think everyone has rallied around each other, rallied around the affected with the families, and we’re picking each other up.”
Dennis Hamlin and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside their two-story home near Stanley suffering from what officials called catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin later died of his injuries at a hospital, while his wife was transferred to a specialty hospital in Winston-Salem for treatment of her burns.
Denny Hamlin prior to a NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
EX-NASCAR STAR GREG BIFFLE, FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA FLYERS
Last month, Denny Hamlin talked about his father and the financial sacrifices he made to help him achieve his dream of becoming one of NASCAR’s marquee drivers. In an interview with The Associated Press, Hamlin revealed that his father was dying of a serious illness.
“I know for sure this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him to go and never get to see the moment,” Hamlin said of his father watching him win a championship, a goal he later came close to shortly after this season’s final race in Arizona.
According to the AP, Dennis Hamlin took out multiple mortgages on his Virginia home, maxed out every credit card and nearly left himself in financial ruin to give his son a chance to become a NASCAR driver. His sacrifice paid off as Hamlin built a legendary career with 60 wins, including three Daytona 500s.
Biffle had 19 NASCAR Cup Series wins, six of them coming in 2005 when he finished second in the Cup standings. He won three straight Ford 400s from 2004 to 2006 at Homestead. He also had 20 wins in the Xfinity Series, capturing the 2002 title, and 17 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series, winning the championship in 2000.
Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on October 3, 2010. (Orlin Wagner, File/AP Photo)
After his racing days, Biffle put his flying skills to good use. In 2024, he helped the victims of Hurricane Helene by providing supplies and internet service to those in need. He even found a stranded family while flying after they used one mirror to the sun.
