The late NASCAR champion and his family were eulogized Friday morning in front of a North Carolina arena full of family, friends and fans

Greg Biffle and wife Cristina with their 2 kids in July 2022.Credit : Cristina Grossu Biffle/Instagram

Late NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his wife Cristina Biffle were remembered as “big dreamers, tireless workers and deeply committed” to helping others at a memorial service, nearly a month after the couple, their two young children, and three others died in a plane crash while visiting friends.

On Friday, Jan. 16, the late NASCAR champion and his family were honored at a large-scale memorial service held at the BoJangle’s Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., which was open to Biffle’s family, friends and fans, and broadcast online through the racing organization’s website.

Speakers at the stadium-sized memorial service included former NASCAR drivers Phil Parsons and Jeff Burton, close friend and social media personality Garret Mitchell, and Biffle’s niece, Jordyn Biffle, who shared an emotional eulogy for Biffle, 55, Cristina, 35, and their children Ryder and Emma.

“He lived life fast and fully, and he loved to make people smile,” Jordyn said about her uncle, sharing stories about how the future NASCAR champion grew up working on cars and motorcycles alongside his father in the family garage — a tradition Biffle carried on with his own son years later.

Greg Biffle and wife Cristina with their 2 kids in February 2022.Cristina Grossu Biffle/Instagram

“He was humble, kind, fun and incredibly smart,” Jordyn said about Biffle, adding, “Christina and Greg were destined to find each other. They complimented one another in a way that I’ve rarely seen. They were both big dreamers, tireless workers and deeply committed to supporting their friends, their family and even complete strangers.”

Biffle’s niece continued: “Giving back was part of who they were.”

While Biffle was known wide across the sports world for his accolades on the track, it was the retired race car driver’s post-retirement philanthropy that carved out the character that many across North Carolina and the motorsports world have remembered in recent weeks as selfless and giving.

In particular, Biffle’s efforts to reach and deliver aid to North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024 drew renewed praise in the immediate aftermath of his death, as he was hailed an “unsung hero” that helped many neighbors escape and recover from the deadly natural disaster.

“Hurricane Helene wasn’t the beginning of their giving, and it certainly wasn’t the end,” Jordyn said of her aunt and uncle Friday morning, telling a story about the couple refusing to relax on vacation and instead walking along a beach picking up trash together. The couple’s generosity went beyond humanity, Jordyn said, explaining how even the couple’s two dogs were rescues they took in from a local shelter that had been evacuated during Hurricane Helene.

In between pauses to collect her emotions, Jordyn also shared memories about Biffle’s children — Emma, his 14-year-old daughter with first wife Nicole Lunders, and 5-year-old son Ryder, who he shared with Cristina.

“​​Ryder had had really big dreams of being just like his dad, not because he was ever pushed to talk about it, but because he genuinely thought Greg was the coolest person that he had ever known,” she said. “And I really don’t disagree with him at all.”

Greg Biffle.James Gilbert/Getty

She added about their daughter Emma, who she said dreamt of becoming a veterinarian: “At her core, Emma was the gentlest soul. She cared deeply about the people around her and wanted everyone to feel happy and safe. She was thoughtful, careful with others’ feelings, and that kindness showed up in everything she did.”

Jordyn paused while reflecting on her late family members one last time before encapsulating what they meant to her, her family and the greater NASCAR community as thousands of fans watched and listened on at the North Carolina arena Friday morning.

“Greg, Cristina, Ryder and Emma lived fully, loved deeply and gave freely,” Jordyn said, bringing the eulogy to a close. “Their lives remind us that what matters isn’t how long we’re here, but how we use the time we’re given, and how fiercely we love while we’re here.”