Whereas some could scoff, delayed grief is an actual factor. Some would possibly even name it a illness, the place psychological, emotional, or bodily limitations of some sort forestall an individual from accepting or experiencing grief, notably after the tragic lack of a member of the family, shut good friend, or admired public determine like an athlete, actor, and so forth.
I’ll get again to extra about delayed grief momentarily, as a result of it positively is related to what occurred Sunday.
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This weekend at was NASCAR’s annual Throwback Weekend reunion of a number of the greats which have ever tried to realize the problematic quirks of the Observe Too Powerful to Tame, aka “The Girl In Black.”
The second-oldest energetic monitor in NASCAR, with one of many oddest configurations of any racetrack on the planet – a 1.366-mile, egg-shaped elongated oval – the place seemingly every of its 4 corners differs from its different three turns, Darlington has been a merciless mistress to many, whereas additionally enjoying favorites with a choose few.
DARLINGTON, SC – MARCH 22: The sector races down the entrance stretch in the course of the operating of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Collection Goodyear 400 on March 22, 2026, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC. Photograph by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 22 NASCAR Cup Collection Goodyear 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2603221607
Greg Biffle was one in every of The Girl in Black’s favorites, seemingly at all times blushing and performing like a giddy schoolgirl each time Biffle was round. In 16 profession NASCAR Cup begins there, he earned two wins, had three top-five and 6 top-10 finishes. He additionally had a win, 5 top-five and 6 top-10 finishes within the Xfinity Collection (now the O’Reilly Auto Components Collection, the undercard to NASCAR’s .
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Even with the troublesome problem it at all times presents, Biffle lengthy referred to as Darlington one in every of his favourite tracks on the NASCAR circuit. He cherished the environment, the problem, and the hardest and hardest influence of any partitions within the sport.
“You don’t simply race the opposite automobiles, you race the monitor at Darlington,” Biffle as soon as stated to me. “That place is so robust, in all probability the hardest monitor in NASCAR. And plenty of instances, you’d moderately lose to a different automobile or driver there than lose to the monitor. She could be a actual b—h of a spot.”
Lastly coming to phrases with the lack of Biffle
You’ve all heard of Traditional Rock in music, proper? Effectively, Darlington has develop into the Traditional Rock of race tracks and inventory automobile racing. Not solely is it the second-oldest monitor within the sport (opened 76 years in the past in 1950, slightly below three years youthful than the bullring at Martinsville Speedway, which opened in 1947), Darlington is a monitor that has introduced many drivers to their knees, spending numerous methods to beat the home, so to talk, but most of the time you wind up going dwelling with a wrecked or blown up automobile.
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Now, right here’s the place the delayed grief side of Sunday’s Goodyear 400 comes into play.
Sunday was the sixth race of the Cup season. That’s proper, we’re nonetheless in March, and we’re already one-sixth of the way in which by the 36-race 2026 racing marketing campaign.
Due partially to its standing because the Traditional Rock of race tracks, together with its extraordinarily standard Throwback Weekend yearly, the place most groups debut retro-looking automobiles and firesuits that attempt to seize and re-create a number of the hottest schemes of races and years previous, it’s no surprise that Darlington was as soon as once more near being offered out on Sunday. It’s one of many hottest tickets of any race on the schedule, the place followers come to relive previous historical past or keep in mind greats from the previous, whereas watching current-day drivers who sooner or later will sometime themselves be remembered as greats from this period of racing.
That’s when it hit me.
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Even after races had already been run at Daytona, Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas, Phoenix and Las Vegas, one way or the other it was nonetheless exhausting to rationalize that Biffle is not with us. Possibly it was denial or delayed response, however I simply haven’t come to imagine The Biff, his spouse, two youngsters and three associates have been all not with us, being killed in a aircraft crash in Statesville, N.C., on December 18.
However now, after Sunday’s race and simply over three months since that tragic crash, I’ve lastly come to just accept the inevitable that I’ll not see the smiling man from Vancouver, Washington, ever once more. I received’t hear a few of his dry wit or smart-aleck jokes. I received’t ever get one other probability to speak about off-track issues, the whole lot from March Insanity (which Biffle cherished) to politics, his beloved canine, and numerous animal causes he supported, and why he was such a charitable and philanthropic particular person.
I keep in mind one time Biffle and I have been taking pictures the chit at Texas Motor Speedway on a vibrant and sunny Saturday pre-practice morning. I used to be engaged on a narrative about his then crew chief, Doug Richert, who in 1979 was atop the pit field as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt’s first of what would develop into an eventual seven NASCAR Cup championships. After speaking about Richert, Biffle, and I began speaking about a number of the recollections he had already achieved by that time in his profession, together with championships in each the Xfinity/Busch and Truck sequence.
Biffle got here so near doing what no different NASCAR driver STILL hasn’t executed
Dialogue and momentum had began to develop that Biffle had the uncommon probability of changing into the primary driver ever in NASCAR historical past to win not the game’s elusive Triple Crown, having received championships in Vehicles (2000) and Busch/Xfinity (2002), and aspiring to be the one driver to ever win the Cup crown as effectively.
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Sadly, Biffle by no means earned that third distinctive title, coming near capturing the Cup championship in 2005 (second) and 2008 (third). To this point, no different driver has received the Triple Crown, both.
Then Biff stated one of the humbling and empathetic self-analysis issues that I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Success in NASCAR or racing or no matter is nice, however when your life is over, you aren’t going to be judged on how profitable you have been as a driver, however moderately how profitable you have been as a human being, the way you helped others, or the way you lived your life in a great way and as a very good particular person,” Biffle stated. “I’ll take that over wins and championships any day.”
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA MAY 07 Dash Cup Collection – Showtime Southern 500 Darlington, SC – MAY 07, 2011: Greg Biffle 16 will get prepared for the Showtime Southern 500 race on the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC.Credit score Picture: & 169 ASP/Cal Media Darlington SC U.S. EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20110507_zaf_a55_027.jpg StephenxA.xArce/Calsportx csmphoto444602
I don’t know why these phrases got here again abruptly to me Sunday, given Biffle has been gone for 11 weeks already. However I feel it has one thing to do with Throwback Weekend. Biffle at all times cherished returning to Darlington and participating in every memorable retro occasion, both throughout his years as a driver or, extra lately, simply as a fan, or extra exactly, a NASCAR alumnus.
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I don’t imply this in a disparaging style, however I admit I’ve tried to neglect about Biffle’s demise as a result of I nonetheless didn’t wish to imagine he was gone. I needed to imagine it was a nasty dream, that it by no means occurred, that he’d come bounding round Darlington Sunday throughout introductions. Actually, simply the opposite day, I thought of selecting up the telephone to name him and shoot the chit.
Then my reminiscence snapped again to actuality, and I lastly knew and realized The Biff was and by no means shall be with us anymore.
It was nice to see different NASCAR alums who’re nonetheless with us and have been at Darlington on Sunday, together with a variety of Corridor of Famers, together with Richard Petty and Mr. Boogity Boogity Boogity, Darrell Waltrip. Though I’ve been to a number of throwback occasions at Darlington in-person, even watching Sunday’s race on TV, it was nice to see so many former greats in attendance. It was like a highschool reunion, the place everyone shook palms, laughed, informed jokes and tall tails, whereas additionally having fun with nice racing of in the present day.
However I take solace in figuring out that whereas Biffle wasn’t there in particular person any longer, he’ll at all times be there in spirit, giving the Girl In Black one other embrace.
