rip jason leffler

[BUCCS469]

killed in a dirt track race

NASCAR driver Jason Leffler dies after accident in dirt car event at Bridgeport Speedway - ESPN

terrible news

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Buccs, looks like another Dan Wheldon type crash that involved a head injury with a wall.

 

[wildturkey]

Just terrible news. I feel so bad for his young son. He was a single dad too. That just tears me up

 

[bksballer89]

Just awful.

He just ran in the race on sunday I believe.

 

[Psych-Ward]

 

[jeffro151]

NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died after an accident Wednesday night in a heat race at a dirt car event at Bridgeport Speedway. The 37-year-old Leffler, a two-time winner on the NASCAR Nationwide Series who had the nickname "LefTurn" above the driver's side window on his race cars, was pronounced dead shortly after 9:00pm/et, New Jersey State Police said. After losing his NASCAR ride, Leffler had been racing dirt car events most of this year, including the 410 Sprint Car race Wednesday that promised a $7,000 prize to the winner at the 0.625-mile, high-banked dirt oval. On Sunday, Leffler finished last at Pocono in his lone NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the year.(see much more at the Associated Press)
Statement from NASCAR on the passing of Jason Leffler: "NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening. For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."(NASCAR)

MORE: Jason Leffler died in a crash Wednesday night during a 410 sprint car event at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway. He was 37. Sgt. Adam Grossman, public information officer for the New Jersey State Police, confirmed to Motor Racing Network that a 37-year-old driver was pronounced dead at Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Sgt. Grossman would not confirm the name until next of kin had been notified. NBC10 in Philadelphia first reported that Leffler had been killed in the accident. Bridgeport Speedway confirmed in a tweet that the evening's racing program had been canceled after a crash involving Leffler. Sgt. Grossman said the accident happened about 8:30 pm. He stated that the driver was extricated from the car and transported by ambulance to Crozer-Chester Medical Center. The accident remains under investigation.

Leffler competed in 73 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since 2001. He finished 43rd at Pocono last weekend in his only start this season. He also ran 294 Nationwide races, winning two. He won at Nashville in 2004 and what is now O'Reilly Raceway Park in 2007. He competed in 56 Camping World Truck Series races from 2000-12, winning at Dover in 2003. Leffler was a member of the National Midget Hall of Fame in 2003. He won four USAC championships, winning three consecutive USAC midget titles (1997-99). He also won the USAC Silver Crown championship in 1998. After running four Nationwide races in 1999, he ran the full season in 2000 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Leffler moved to the Sprint Cup Series in 2001, driving for car owner Chip Ganassi with a best finish of 10th at Homestead. It would be the only top-10 in his Cup career. He did not drive a full season in Cup again. He ran 19 in 2005 for JGR before being replaced in the ride that would go to Denny Hamlin. Leffler had better success in the Nationwide Series with 107 top-10 finishes. He finished a career-best third in the points in 2007 for Braun Racing. Leffler finished behind champion Carl Edwards and runner-up David Reutimann that season. Leffler leaves behind a son Charlie Dean Leffler.(Motor Racing Network), see some articles/posts on the Article Links page.(6-12-2013)

 

[BigBlueNation111]

Just awful.

He just ran in the race on sunday I believe.

Sad indeed! Rip bud.

 

[IndyAndy]

I remember once reading a comment by Mario Andretti to the effect that, back in his early days of racing, it was common for him to walk into a driver's meeting at the start of a season, look around the room & wonder which of the drivers wouldn't be alive come it's end, knowing that the odds were that a fatality or two per year were pretty much inevitable.

We have come so far since then in terms of safety that it becomes perhaps too easy to believe that horrible injuries or death are no longer possible - until the next one happens.

R.I.P., good Sir: You will be missed.

 

[NickVT10]

So sad. It makes it even worse he was raising his son.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Nick. In an era where good and great fathers are so much needed, his passing and the effect it will have on his son does indeed sting.

 

[powerchord86]

Bummer. Great name for a race car driver though. Did they call him Left Turn Leffler?

 

[Kid Vicarious]

RIP, sad news.

 

[jeffro151]

Thought I would share this here. This is Jason and my friend Brian Franklin in the background. Brian and I went from Kindergarten all the way to 12th grade as friends. He is an engineer for Hendrick Motorsports, and works on the Turner Motorsports pit crew on the weekends. He had become really close with Jason when he was driving for Turner Motorsports.

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Leilani Munter shared a link on her twitter, for anyone who hasn't seen it.