Who is Nicole Lunders? All about Greg Biffle's ex-wife who lost her daughter Emma in tragic plane crash

Greg Biffle's tragic plane crash claimed the lives of both his children, including Emma Elizabeth Biffle, the 14-year-old daughter from his first marriage to Nicole Lunders. Biffle and Lunders share a contentious history involving privacy breaches and extramarital affairs, all of which reared its ugly head with a costly lawsuit.

Apart from his two children, Biffle was travelling with his wife, Cristina, NASCAR motorcoach driver Craig Wadsworth, and two commercial pilots, Dennis Dutton and his son, Jack Dutton. All seven passengers were found dead after their Cessna Citation 550 crash-landed at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday, December 18. Biffle was just days short of his 56th birthday, while it's been nine years since he divorced Emma's mother.

Nicole Lunders is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who served on the board of the North Shore Animal League and founded the Greg Biffle Foundation, a charity focused on animal welfare. Born on March 27, 1976, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the 49-year-old was raised in Chehalis, Washington.

She first met Biffle during his rookie NASCAR season in 1998. The pair dated for eight years before Biffle proposed on Christmas Eve, 2006. They got married a year later and moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, where Emma was born on July 6, 2011. Notably, Biffle survived his first aircraft accident in the same year, when his landing gear malfunctioned and partially collapsed upon arrival at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky.

The former couple separated in early 2015 under allegations of cheating from both sides. The divorce was finalised in 2016, but their troubles didn't end there. Lunders accused Biffle of invasion of privacy when she found secret cameras installed in her bedroom and bathroom. The veteran driver rebuked the claim and asserted that they were installed to spy on their maid, who was suspected of theft.

In August 2018, Greg Biffle was ultimately found guilty and ordered to pay damages of $250,001. With that, the two went their separate ways while Biffle retained custody of their daughter.

Mario Andretti offers 'peace and strength' to Greg Biffle's ex-wife

Indycar and F1 champion Mario Andretti, penned a heartfelt note paying tribute to Greg Biffle and his humanitarian efforts. He also made it a point to mention Biffle's ex-wife, Nicole Lunders.

Other IndyCar stars like Scott McLaughlin, Simon Pagenaud, Connor Daly and Ryan-Hunter Reay also shared their condolences. Meanwhile, IndyCar and NASCAR champion Tony Stewart struggled to come to terms with Greg Biffle's tragedy.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Vignesh Kanna