From IMS
INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, June 19, 2013 – The scoring board atop the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Pagoda will be illuminated June 19 with the numbers “50,” “1975” and “2013” as a tribute to race car driver Jason Leffler, whose funeral takes place today in Cornelius, N.C.
Leffler, who was born in 1975, died from injuries suffered in a sprint-car race June 12 at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J. He was 37.
Leffler competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 and in the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008. He drove with the number 50 on his car when raced in the Indianapolis 500.
“Jason Leffler was one of the most versatile drivers in America, and he rose to the top ranks of racing by honing and mastering his skills in various forms of the sport at tracks all over the country,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chief operating officer. “Fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were able to see him compete in both INDYCAR and NASCAR, and lighting the Pagoda with the years of his life and the car number he used in the Indianapolis 500 is our way to remember and honor his accomplishments as a race car driver. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his entire family, team and fans.”