Veteran NASCAR Pit Crew Member Zachary Yager Dies at 35

Zachary Yager, a veteran NASCAR pit crew member since 2014, has died unexpectedly at the age of 35, shocking the NASCAR community and his employers. Yager, originally from New York, worked for several prominent teams including Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing, with whom he won the 2023 Daytona 500. In 2025, he was serving as the Jack Man for both the No. 39 RSS Racing team in the Xfinity Series and the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team in the Craftsman Truck Series, while also working with Elite Race Services, a company that supports NASCAR pit crews. His sudden passing has deeply saddened his colleagues and the organizations, with Elite Race Services and ThorSport Racing expressing their disbelief and condolences to his family. No details about the cause of death have been publicly disclosed, though his family reported him missing on social media prior to the announcement. Yager was known for his versatility and commitment, often working across multiple teams and series, making his loss felt broadly across the sport.