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NASCAR driver Jason Leffler dies in crash

Tragedy strikes again in the racing community.

NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died after an accident 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 Wednesday night shortly after 9 p.m., New Jersey State Police said.

"NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening," NASCAR said in a statement. "For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."

Bridgeport Speedway immediately suspended racing for the rest of the night after Leffler's accident at the short, high-banked dirt oval.

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.

On Sunday, Leffler finished last at Pocono in his lone NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the year.

Leffler made 423 starts in NASCAR's three national series, but won just the two Nationwide races and one Truck Series event in a career that began in 1999.

He also made three IndyCar Series starts, finishing 17th in the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

Leffler's last full NASCAR season was 2011, when he ran the entire Nationwide schedule for Turner Motorsports.

He finished sixth in the standings that season and hadn't had a steady NASCAR ride since.

Although he never made it at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level, Leffler ran almost the entire 2001 season for Chip Ganassi Racing and ran 19 races in 2005 for Joe Gibbs Racing in the car now driven by Denny Hamlin.

Leffler is survived by 5-year-old son Charlie Dean.

Fellow NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski took to Twitter saying this tragedy is  "really sad for Jason Leffler and his family."

Leffler’s death comes after three other deaths in the racing community.

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