Ashlea Albertson, a dirt race driver with Tony Stewart Racing, was killed in a highway car crash in Indiana last week. She was 24 years old.
Albertson's father, Todd, posted an emotional video on Ashlea's Facebook page announcing her death to the racing community.
"She was a good kid, a better person and she just loved racing," he said on Friday. "She loved the community and you all have done so much for her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"For those of you guys who go to the track this weekend and enjoy racing, please know that that's all she ever wanted to do -- put on a show, be entertaining, and be loved and respected by each and every one of you that followed her."
Albertson was a passenger in one of the cars involved in the two-vehicle crash took place in Jackson County, Indiana, at around 11:30 a.m. on Friday, according to a release on Facebook from the Indiana State Police.
Police said video taken from a different vehicle showed a GMC Terrain, in which Albertson was a passenger, and a Chevy Malibu refusing to allow one another to pass as both cars accelerated.
When the driver of the Malibu started to change lines, the driver of the Terrain lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities. The Terrain spun out, crashed into the Malibu and rolled over, ejecting Albertson from the vehicle, police said. The Malibu exited the highway before coming to rest in a field.
Albertson and the driver of the Terrain, a 31-year-old Indianapolis man, were flown to the University of Louisville Hospital, police said. Albertson was pronounced dead at the hospital. Both drivers and a juvenile passenger in the Malibu were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
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Police said the driver of the Malibu, a 22-year-old Austin, Indiana, man, and the driver of the Terrain submitted to blood tests, with toxicology results pending. Following the police investigation into the crash, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office will determine if charges are to be filed.
NASCAR legend Tony Stewart mourned the death of Albertson in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday, saying his late teammate died in a "road rage accident."
"Today, I lost a teammate. @AshDogRacing had an infectious personality and could light up any room. She was a great race car driver that was involved in a road rage accident and lost her life," Stewart wrote on Friday. "In the past, I’ve also gotten caught up in road rage. I hope that we can honor Ashlea by controlling what we can control on the highway. Losing her is a sobering reminder of how precious life is. Please join me in keeping her family and friends in your prayers."
Albertson, a Greenfield, Indiana, native, was slated to compete in an All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets race in Shelbyville, Indiana, on Saturday. Her No. 4 racecar was displayed at the event in her honor, with people laying flowers and writing messages on it.
