turin, n.y. -- mourners filed into south lewis high school for the funeral of sprint car driver kevin ward jr. On thursday, many of them wearing the orange, white and black colors of his no. 13 race car.
Kayla herring, one of ward jr.'s older sisters, proudly displayed her ribbon -- with ward jr.'s car number surrounded by a halo and wings -- in the morning sun of this upstate adirondack community.
"it's rough. ... We will get through," herring said.
During the service, she said, ''if there wasn't a dirt track in heaven before, there is now."
the 20-year-old native of nearby port leyden was killed after he got out of his car following a racing incident with tony stewart on august 9. When ward approached stewart's car to confront the nascar star during a caution period, he was struck by the right rear tire, run over and killed.
Ward jr.'s parents -- kevin ward sr. And pamela -- arrived together before the service. Ward sr. Was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt from his son's racing team with a large orange no. 13 on the right sleeve.
The auditorium seats about 550 people and wasn't large enough to embrace the family and friends for the service, which started at 11 a.m. The family opted to have the service here to allow the maximum number of people who wanted to attend do so.
The service opened with the dixie chicks' godspeed (sweet dreams), at the request of ward jr.'s mother, pamela.
Dean reynolds, vice president of the empire super sprint series in which ward jr. Was participating, says their asphalt race will now be known as the kevin ward jr. Memorial.
