CORNELIUS, N.C. (AP) - The funeral service for NASCAR driver Jason Leffler drew Sprint Cup stars Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski among the more than 800 people who filled Grace Covenant Church on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Leffler, known by the nickname "LEFturn," died a week ago when his sprint car crashed into a wall at a New Jersey dirt track.
The hour-long service detailed Leffler's passion for racing and his achievements on open-wheel and NASCAR tracks. Friends and colleagues, however, spent much of the funeral focusing on Leffler's evolution as a father to his 5-year-old son, Charlie Dean.
"Jason was, by far, the best dad in our small world down here," said Jeff Dickerson, of Spires Sports and Entertainment, which represented Leffler. "He started to display a more sensitive side that inspired me to be a better father.
"We will have a responsibility in helping his son know who he was and how much he cared for his son. We have to let him know about his dad as a racer and a man."
No coffin was present during the service, which also was attended by NASCAR president Mike Helton, team owner Chip Ganassi, and Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs. Other Sprint Cup drivers at the service included Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and David Stremme.
Stenhouse Jr. and Kahne were close to Leffler from their days in sprint car racing, and Kahne had Dale Earnhardt Jr. fill in for him at today's testing in Atlanta so he could attend the funeral.