Idaho Falls man reflects on friendship with NASCAR great Greg Biffle
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IDAHO FALLS — As news of the tragic plane crash that killed NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his wife, and their two children spread across the country, the loss hit especially close to home for Idaho Falls resident Trevor Blackburn.
Blackburn said he received a phone call from a member of his off-road riding group just minutes after the plane went down. He prayed the worst hadn’t happened; however, it was later confirmed that Biffle, a man Blackburn knew professionally as a motorsport legend and as a friend, had died in the crash.
According to NASCAR’s official site, Biffle, 55, was killed Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, when his private business jet crashed while attempting to return to an airport in Statesville, North Carolina, shortly after takeoff. All seven people on board were killed, including his wife, Cristina, their two children, Emma and Ryder, and three family friends.
RELATED: Federal regulators investigate wreckage of plane crash that killed 7, including Greg Biffle
Blackburn met Biffle through the Sand Outlaw Series, a professional off-road drag-racing circuit that Biffle founded, which helped bring high-horsepower UTV racing to locations across the West, including eastern Idaho. The series has held major events at the St. Anthony Sand Dunes in recent years, drawing elite builders, racers, and fans from across the country, and placing eastern Idaho on the off-road racing map.
“Greg was a humble, chill guy, one of the greats,” Blackburn said. “There aren’t very many people at that level who are genuinely good people, but he was one of them.”
Blackburn, the owner of UTV Invasion, a Rigby-based UTV and side-by-side event series, said he also worked with and spent time with Biffle at his compound in Glamis, California, where annual Sand Outlaw Series races were held. Glamis is a renowned sand dune riding area and a gathering place for racers and builders who push the limits of off-road riding.
“He wasn’t a stuck-up celebrity,” Blackburn said. “Greg was very down to earth. He loved high horsepower, and he loved going fast. He was right in the middle of everything at every event, racing, hanging out and having fun.”
Over a racing career that spanned more than two decades, Biffle built an impressive legacy. He won 19 NASCAR Cup Series races and became the first driver to capture championships in both the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 2023, he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
After stepping away from full-time NASCAR competition, Biffle shifted much of his focus to off-road racing. As founder and owner of the Sand Outlaw Series, he helped elevate UTV drag racing into a professional-level sport, showcasing extreme, high-horsepower machines. The St. Anthony Sand Dunes became a cornerstone of the series, hosting sand drag and hill-shoot races that tested both engineering and driver skill.
Beyond motorsports, Biffle was also known for his humanitarian work. Following Hurricane Helene in 2024, he used his personal helicopter to deliver food, water and medical supplies to isolated communities in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee after roads were washed out. He also assisted with evacuations and provided hands-on disaster relief.
Blackburn said he also met Biffle’s wife, Cristina, and described the couple as warm and genuine, though he did not have the opportunity to meet their children.
He believes Biffle’s time and influence in St. Anthony were impactful.
“A lot of people around here are building side-by-sides inspired by what Greg created,” Blackburn said. “He absolutely left his mark on east Idaho.”
Federal investigators are examining the plane wreckage, with a preliminary report expected in the coming weeks.