The NASCAR world was rocked on Monday with the news that Zachary Yager, who had worked throughout the National Series as a pit crew member since 2014, had died aged 35.

Yager, who was from Lima, New York, had been working for Elite Race Services, which supplies pit crews to NASCAR teams. Following the news of his untimely death, ERS’ owner, Cory DeMarco, told TobyChristie.com that they were “in total disbelief.”

“All of the guys send our thoughts and prayers out to his dad and family, right now.”

A statement was also released by ThorSport Racing, which currently competes in the Craftsman Truck Series, and with whom Yager had been working this season as a jackman.

“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our friend and teammate, Zachary Yager,” the statement reads. “He was an important part of our family, and our hearts are with his loved ones and community as we grieve this loss together.”

Along with ThorSport, Yager had also been working with Ryan Sieg and RSS Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2025.

Yager’s cause of death is currently not publicly known. According to TobyChristie, his family had reported him missing on social media as of August 18.

In early August, ahead of NASCAR’s races at Watkins Glen, Yager spoke with a local NBC affiliate, reflecting upon his journey, which all began after he graduated from high school, when his cousin asked for help.

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“My cousin called me up one day and was like, ‘Could you do this?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it,’ and he’s like, ‘Alright, I need you here in two weeks.’ So, I packed up my little two-door Honda Civic and drove down to Charlotte, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

Yager also opened up on the pressure pit crew members face in the heat of the moment, admitting, “It’s a big part of it, but I mean that’s why we do it, right? That’s what we got into it for. We wanted to be important.”

Looking ahead to Watkins Glen, Yager said the trips back home were usually “a lot of fun,” calling the road course, “Definitely one of my favorite places to go, mainly because I feel like the atmosphere there has never really changed, it sells out every year, and no matter what, the fans are great. There’s always a ton of people there, and it’s a cool showing and a cool weekend to be a part of.”

During Yager’s career, he also worked for the likes of Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, GoFas Racing, RFK Racing, and JTG Daughterty Racing. While with JTG in 2023, he was a member of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s team, which won the Daytona 500 after qualifying 35th. The team currently competes as Hyak Motorsports.