Despite all the safety measures in place for each race, NASCAR drivers put themselves in harm’s way each time they rev up their engines. On Wednesday night, it appears that for one driver, those measures unfortunately weren’t enough.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, 37-year-old driver Jason Leffler died after crashing during a sprint car race at the Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. The Associated Press reports that the race was a dirt car event, taking place at the 5/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval track.
Leffler, who drove the No. 19 Toyota for the Humphrey Smith Raving team in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, was reportedly extracted from his vehicle and then airlifted to a local hospital. It was there he died from his injuries.
