Greg Biffle, a champion on the NASCAR Xfinity and Trucks circuits, died Thursday when his private jet crashed after taking off from an airport in Statesville, N.C., according to multiple reports.

Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and six others died in a plane crash around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at Statesville Regional Airport, the families confirmed in a joint statement.

Biffle was five days short of his 56 th birthday and had been chosen as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023 during the racing organization’s 75 th anniversary.