NASCAR driver Greg Biffle honored posthumously by NC Gov. Josh Stein

Joe Marusak, The Charlotte Observer on May 2, 2026

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR driver Greg Biffle was recognized posthumously this week with one of North Carolina’s highest honors by Gov. Josh Stein.

Biffle was among nine athletes and coaches Stein inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine “for their contributions and leadership in sports and beyond,” the governor said on social media site X.

Others from the Charlotte area inducted by Stein were former Davidson College basketball coach Bob McKillop and Mystique Ro, an Olympic Team USA skeleton athlete and former Queens University heptathlete.

Stein honored Biffle as a 19-time NASCAR Cup series winner and for flying “numerous lifesaving missions” during Hurricane Helene, according to a governor’s office news release.

Biffle died in a Dec. 18 plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport with his wife, Cristina, son Ryder, daughter Emma, Dennis Dutton, the pilot of the plane, Dutton’s son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth, who worked for Biffle.

Biffle’s niece, Jordyn, who is in charge of her uncle’s estate, accepted the award on his behalf. “I feel it’s important that those who loved Greg the most continue to celebrate him and feel connected to his legacy,” she said on social media. “Gov. Josh Stein continues the tradition of presenting this distinguished honor, and it’s incredibly meaningful to see Greg recognized in this way.”

Thursday’s honor came the same week news broke that friends of Biffle conspired to steal his wealth after the crash, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

News also broke that the Duttons’ estates sued Biffle’s estate for a combined $30 million. The Duttons’ estates claim Biffle failed “to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition,” according to their lawsuits. Biffle failed to have “sufficient and/or adequate crew” aboard and to “conduct adequate safety checks,” repairs and inspections of the plane, the lawsuits claim.

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