Bradenton drag race honors NASCAR driver Greg Biffle after deadly plane crash

Racing community remembers Greg Biffle

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle died in a plane crash. FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky reports.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The 6th annual Christmas Tree Drag Race at Bradenton Park honored the late Greg Biffle, a retired NASCAR driver.

"It makes me sick. It's awful," said Donna Marie Angello, a racing fan. "God bless him and his family." Angello was a racer herself.

"It goes through your bones, like the cold weather, almost, okay?" Angello said. "It's losing family, it's going through you, especially when you have this in your blood."

Garrett Mitchell, known as Cletus McFarland online, owns the drag strip and a racetrack called the Freedom Factory.

He confirmed Biffle, his wife Christina and their children were coming to visit when the crash happened.

In a Facebook Post he said, "Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane, because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this."

"We made it into Florida and then stopped here on Thursday night and then learned about Greg Biffle and kind of put a damper on the trip," said Roger Dethridge, a racing fan.

This family drove all the way from Missouri for this event and were sad to learn Biffle died.

What they're saying:

Many say he was an important part of the racing community.

"A lot of people look forward to watching the videos and stuff like that, getting to come to events like this and watching the race again," Dethridge said. "You can tell he was always excited to get in the car and race."

"It's in your blood. Yeah. It is like who you are. Racing is in your blood," Angello said. "That's right. Go Biffle. Go, Biffle fans. God bless NASCAR. God bless all."

There were some calls to rename the annual Christmas Tree Drag Race to honor Biffle online.

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