NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Greg Biffle’s tragic death in a plane crash sent the NASCAR world reeling last week, and former racing star Mark Martin appeared to be still in shock.
Martin made his feelings about Biffle’s death clear in a post on X on Monday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 Scotch-Brite Ford, talks to Mark Martin, driver of the #55 Aaron’s 2000th Store/Bronx, NY Toyota, on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2012 in Dover, Delaware. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“Each day I am more and more sickened by this tragedy,” he wrote.
Biffle and Martin shared the track together from 2002 to 2009. Martin retired from full-time professional racing after the 2009 season, while Biffle continued to race through the 2016 season and again in 2022. Martin and Biffle were also with Roush Racing in the early 2000s.
Martin wrote that as a pilot himself, it becomes more “disturbing” Biffle crash.
EX-NASCAR STAR GREG BIFFLE’S FATAL PLANE ACCIDENT REMEMBERS SEVERAL AVIATION TRAGEDIES HAVING THE WORLD OF SPORTS
Mark Martin, driver of the #5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, talks with Greg Biffle (R), driver of the #16 Ford40MPG.com Ford, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2011 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
“As a Citation pilot for 20 years and a product of approximately 75 days of @FlightSafetyInt training and over 3000 hours of flight time in the aircraft, I have a deep knowledge of these aircraft and performance,” he added. “The more I learn about Biffle’s crash, the more disturbing it is to me.”
Biffle, 55, was killed along with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, when their plane crashed at Statesville Regional Airport. Three others killed on board were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack and Craig Wadsworth.
The plane was returning to Statesville Regional Airport about 10 minutes after takeoff for an “emergency landing.”
NASCAR driver Greg Biffle (16) watches during the NASCAR Sylvania 300 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter, File)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was still investigating the cause of the accident.
