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IndyCar driver and Noblesville resident Bryan Clauson dies from injuries sustained in crash

Full press conference with Doug Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Kevin Miller, president & CEO of the United States Auto Club regarding the death of Bryan Clauson
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BELLEVILLE, Kan. -- Bryan Clauson, a Noblesville resident who drove in the IndyCar series, has died.

His family issued a statement through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was read Monday morning at 8 a.m. in a press conference by IMS President Doug Boles.

They said goodbye late Sunday night, but said Bryan fought until the end. 

Clauson was 27. He is survived by his fiancé, Lauren, his parents, Tim and Diana, and his sister Taylor.

Here is the Clauson's family statement in its entirety:

"Last night, the 7th of August, we said goodbye to our son, my fiancé, our friend, Bryan Clauson. He was surrounded by family and friends and we were grateful that we could experience his final moments with him. 

Our Bryan fought to the end with the same desire that he demonstrated behind the wheel of all the various race cars he would park in victory lane. However, we were more proud of our Bryan that took a moment to make a young fan's day, or demonstrated his uncommon kindness and appreciation toward his friends, family and fans. 

We would like to thank everybody who has shown their concern toward us and kept us in their prayers. We will never be able to truly thank you. We would also like to thank the staff at Bryan Medical Center who stood and fought with our Bryan since he arrived here early yesterday morning. 

We know that our Bryan is also your Bryan and that you would like to participate in honoring him. A service will be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a date and time to be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, or to make a donation, people may direct their contributions to the USAC Benevolent Fund website at http://usacbf.org/cash-donation/ or checks should be made out to the USAC Benevolent Foundation in the name of Bryan Clauson. The address is 124 E Northfield Drive, Suite F #129, Brownsburg, IN 46112. 

Thank you for being a part of our Bryan's life. 

Lauren, Tim, Di, and Taylor."

"This is truly one of the darkest days in the history of the US Auto Club," said USAC President Kevin Miller.

"Bryan's passion for our sport was unparalleled. Bryan was on a quest to be the winningest driver in USAC history," Miller said.

Clauson sustained fatal injuries in a violent crash Saturday night while leading the 39th annual Belleville Nationals. He was passing lapped traffic when his car hit the guard rail and flipped several times. His car then spun back into the flow of traffic and he was violently struck by another driver.

It took about 30 minutes to get Clauson out of the car, and he was airlifted to Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln, Neb.

You can see video of the crash in the player below (NOTE: The video is graphic).

Clauson lived in Noblesville. He has 3 starts in the Indy 500 and is well known on the Midget car scene. He won USAC titles in 2010, 2011, and 2015.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Bryan Clauson. The world knew him as a talented driver, but off the track he was an even better person. Bryan lived and was raised in Noblesville and represented our city well whenever he was away. He brought so much joy to our community as we watched him grow through the driving ranks and participate in some of the sport's biggest races. His presence and humble smile will be missed," said John Ditslear, Mayor of Noblesville.

"Noblesville High School is proud to call Bryan Clauson one of our own. He will always be remembered as our friend, classmate, teammate and of course, our favorite racer. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and all the people inside and outside of NHS that he has touched over the years," said Jeff Bryant, Principal of Noblesville High School.

The picture below is of Clauson visiting a classroom at NHS last year.

Clauson was considered the nation's top short-track dirt-car driver. He won four USAC national championships and was participating in his 116th race of the season on Saturday night.

READ MORE | A snapshot of a prodigy's career cut too short: Clauson aimed to be the best

His schedule this year was on pace for 200 starts, and that included a 23rd-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.

A service for Clauson will be held at IMS "soon," Boles said, but a date has not yet been released.

Clauson had been in a crash at the same track the night before, his last tweets thanking the safety crews for keeping him safe.

An outpouring of support has come from IndyCar drivers, friends and fans, all asking for prayers for Clauson's family.

READ MORE | Racing community mourns the loss of Bryan Clauson

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