Jason Leffler
A versatile and fearless American driver whose career spanned IndyCars to NASCAR before his tragic death in a sprint car race.
1975–2013 (age 38)·American racing driver·Birthday: September 16·Generation X
Biography
Jason Leffler’s life was a testament to the pure, unadulterated drive to race anything with wheels. Hailing from Long Beach, California, he cut his teeth in the rough-and-tumble world of USAC midget and sprint cars, earning the nickname "LefTurn" and a reputation for raw talent. That skill propelled him to the 2000 Indianapolis 500, where he was named Rookie of the Year, a moment of open-wheel promise. His path, however, curved toward the packed grandstands of NASCAR, where he became a fixture in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, notching two wins and earning respect as a gritty competitor who could wheel a stock car. Leffler never lost his love for the grassroots, often returning to sprint car events, the very arena where he first shone. His death in a 2013 crash at Bridgeport Speedway sent shockwaves through the racing world, a stark reminder of the peril that shadowed his passion. He is remembered as a racer's racer, whose story intertwined the pinnacles of American motorsport with its fundamental, local roots.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jason was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2013Died at 38
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Named the 2000 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after qualifying 17th and finishing 17th in his only IndyCar start.
- Won two NASCAR Busch Series races, at Nashville in 2004 and Indianapolis in 2007.
- Competed in 73 NASCAR Cup Series races over parts of eight seasons for teams like Chip Ganassi Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.
- Was a three-time USAC Midget Car Series champion before moving to national-level racing.
Did You Know?
He was the first driver to win a USAC national series championship (1997 Midget) and a NASCAR national series race.
Leffler drove the #11 FedEx car for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series, a ride later made famous by Denny Hamlin.
He was a talented baseball player in his youth and was offered a minor league contract by the Atlanta Braves.
“If it's got four wheels and a motor, I'm gonna find a way to race it.”
