NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR teams come together to attend young fan's funeral

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:17 p.m. ET

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Chase Wilhelm

The NASCAR community always has a way of coming together in someone’s time of need.

That continued on Wednesday when many members from various NASCAR teams attended Jake Leatherman’s funeral in Hickory, North Carolina, per a request from his mother, Crystal.

Jake lost his battle with juvenile myelomoncytic leukemia last Tuesday after a long battle with the disease.

5-year-old Jake became a huge NASCAR fan during his difficult fight, falling in love with the cars, drivers and the sport in general.

“The King” Richard Petty was one of his favorites.

Crystal submitted a request to Molly Grantham at WBTV Channel 3, a local news affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, asking if anyone in the NASCAR community could attend Jake’s funeral in uniform.

And that’s exactly what many Sprint Cup Series teams did.

In a huge turnout for a young child gone way too soon, members from various teams, including Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and even the team owned by Jake’s favorite driver, Richard Petty Motorsports, attended to pay their respects.

Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano, Matt DiBenedetto (a Hickory native) and Ryan Ellis were all on-hand to remember Jake.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a driver, team member, or a fan, those involved in NASCAR are just one big, loving family.

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