The 2026 Daytona 500 was filled with the usual thunder of engines and the blur of speed, but before the green flag fully defined the day, NASCAR made space for something quieter - remembrance.
Two months after Greg Biffle's tragic death in a plane crash in North Carolina, the NASCAR community honored the former Cup Series standout in a tribute that was both simple and deeply personal. Biffle, 55, was among seven people killed on Dec. 18 when a Cessna C550 crashed near Statesville while attempting to return to the airport. Authorities confirmed he was not piloting the aircraft at the time. The crash also claimed the lives of his wife Cristina, their children Emma and Ryder, and three others.
At Daytona International Speedway, the tribute was woven into the race itself.
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing - the organization Biffle called home from 2002 to 2016 - stylized its car numbers in the jagged font long associated with his iconic No. 16. Kaulig Racing followed suit, adjusting AJ Allmendinger's No. 16 to mirror the look Biffle made famous. Decals reading "The Biff" appeared throughout the garage, subtle but unmistakable.
"Greg Biffle was more than a championship driver - he was family," RFK co-owner Brad Keselowski said. "His legacy is woven into this team's history."
Biffle's career remains one of NASCAR's most respected. He won 19 Cup Series races, captured a Truck Series championship in 2000 and a Busch Series title in 2002, and was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. Yet throughout the weekend, fellow drivers and broadcasters emphasized something beyond statistics.
On FOX's pre-race coverage, veteran announcer Mike Joy reflected on how Biffle's passing sent "a shock wave of grief throughout our sport," noting the impact he made both on and off the track - including flying relief missions to assist communities after Hurricane Helene.
Those tributes painted a fuller picture: a fierce competitor who pushed cars to the limit, and a man remembered just as strongly for generosity and heart.
In a sport built on risk, speed, and split-second decisions, Sunday's pause felt meaningful. For a moment, the focus shifted from lap times to legacy - from horsepower to humanity.
The Daytona 500 moved forward, as it always does. But the memory of Greg Biffle moved with it.
And in a race where every second counts, the willingness to stop and honor a life well lived may have been one of the day's most powerful gestures.
