Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Greg wasn't a sprint car guy.... But he was a great person.  Here's my story...

I was working for National Speed Sport News when Greg won a grand national race at Las Vegas. I didn't care about the race and all I wanted to do was load up everything and haul ass home.

Las Vegas is 34 hours from Hemby Bridge, NC. I think I made it home in 32.

That Monday or Tuesday afterwards, I was standing in line for Chinese food at the Concord Mills food court when I realized Greg was standing in front of me.

I congratulated him on the win and told him I witnessed it in person.

Next thing I know, we are eating orange chicken together in the middle of the court with no one paying attention. I joked with him to enjoy the moment because he'll be famous soon.

We didn't exchange numbers or become close friends after that moment. BUT he did remember my name whenever we saw each other in the garage.

Its pretty cool when walking through the pits, Greg fist bumps you after winning a NASCAR race saying, "What chu think about that McLain?"

Extremely cool moments.

None of those moments compare to the humanity he provided toward humanity after a great racing career.

For thirteen months, I lived in one of the greatest towns in the history of the world.

Hickory, NC... A town so gorgeous, laid back, and perfect. And affordable!

Minutes after the hurricane that destroyed western Carolina, I would stand on top of my apartment complex and just watch helicopter after helicopter land at Frye Medical transporting patients from Asheville or Boone.

I downloaded an App to track flights just so I could follow the emergency activity going on around me.

It absolutely blew my mind how many flights Greg made from disaster zones to safety. There's no telling how many lives he saved in one of the worst moments in American history.

He was literally non-stop for weeks after tragedy.

He won a lot of races.

He was a great man that remembered where he came from.

He was extremely appreciative toward people that never gave up on him.

And... aside from being a racer, a family man, a great friend, etc etc, he'll always be considered a hero in my eyes.

RIP Biff...

Thank you for being a great man.

Brandon McLain
United Sprint Car Series Driver
2014 Season
National Rookie of the Year!
National Points - 8th
Southern Points - 3rd
Asphalt Points - 3rd
18 Races, 3 Top 5's, 14 Top 10's

Thank you for sharing this story Brandon. in the aftermath of this tragedy, I've been reading a lot of similar accounts. I had no idea what kind of man Biffle was. I just knew I was a fan of him when he was driving race cars. I have a whole new appreciation for what he did After hearing so many people come out and talk about their positive experiences with him. I've had a few encounters with NASCAR drivers and none of them can't even close to the stories. I'm hearing about Greg .

Thanks for sharing, great stories. He won when NASCAR, all three series, was huge and the fields were stacked and sponsors were plentiful. Great driver. Terrible, awful situation.