Jason Leffler

In Honor of Jason Leffler

Nine Racing lost a family member on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, in Jason Leffler. Jason is seen here in 1999, at 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis before he went on to win that night's midget main event for Nine Racing.

Nine Racing Driver 1997–2000

Racing ace Jason Leffler compiled 11 wins with Nine Racing, beginning with his 1998 win at Louisville Motor Speedway. He went on to win races at Pikes Peak International Raceway, I-70 Speedway, and Manzanita Speedway, and in 1999 started the season by winning the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway. He went on to win four more times that year: at Anderson Speedway, Mount Lawn Speedway, O’Reilly Raceway Park, and at Irwindale Speedway for the legendary Turkey Night Grand Prix. In 2000, he scored two wins at Indianapolis Raceway Park. What’s more, Jason earned the USAC National Midget Series Championship in both 1998 and 1999 with Nine Racing. He also scored three USAC Western States feature wins.

Jason started racing quarter midgets at age 13 at tracks near his home of Long Beach, California. Realizing both his passion and talent, he quickly advanced to three-quarter midgets and eventually began racing midgets on a full-time basis.

In 1997, in his first full season of competition, Jason won the USAC National Midget Series title. Over the next few years, Jason’s career skyrocketed as his success in the open wheel ranks continued. In 1998, in addition to achieving his second USAC National Midget Series title, he won the USAC Silver Crown Championship in his first full season of competition in the series.

The 1999 racing season was a big year for Jason, who went into the record books by becoming the first driver in 37 years to capture three consecutive USAC National Midget Series titles. Having accomplished such tremendous success in open wheel racing, Jason made his debut in stock cars by competing in his first NASCAR Busch Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park as well as the Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA) race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In 2000, Jason competed in three NASCAR Busch Series races and the following year entered into his first full season of competition in the series.

During the next few years, Jason spent time in all three of NASCAR’s top series. He scored his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Dover International Speedway in 2003 and his first Busch Series victory in 2004 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Midway through the 2005 season, Jason teamed up with Braun Racing to pilot its entry in the NASCAR Busch Series for the remainder of the season. In 2007, Jason and his team had their best season to date finishing third in the championship point standings with seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes and two poles at Daytona and Bristol. Additionally, Jason went down in the record books by giving Toyota its first Busch Series win in July at O’Reilly Raceway Park.

The three-time USAC National Midget Series Champion and 2003 National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee is making a run for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series title in 2008 piloting the #38 Great Clips Toyota Camry for Braun Racing.