Feller family offers statement on racing death

CEDAR RAPIDS - As the racing weekend approaches once again, the racing community and those closest to INEX Legends racer Joan Feller continue the grieving process and are preparing to honor her.

Feller, 53, died Wednesday afternoon from injuries sustained in a last-lap crash of the Legends main event last Friday at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids. Feller was unable to avoid the stalled car of Sammy Smith in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, and collided with him head on.

The racing community and those in Feller's church community showed an 'overwhelming” level of support for Feller and her family in the days following the accident, as evidenced by a GoFundMe account established by her niece, Ashley Petefish. As of noon Thursday, the memorial fund had raised $5,600.

'We would like to thank the entire community of Marion, Cedar Rapids, the racing community, the Benton Community High School classmates of Joan, the Legends Racing Community, family and friends in Iowa and across the country for the overwhelming support and love they have shown the England-Feller family during this difficult time,” Feller's family said in a prepared statement. 'It is touching to our hearts that Joan was loved by so many people and impacted so many lives and we thank each and every one of you for sharing with us how much she meant to you. We appreciate continued prayers and support during this time.”

A celebration of life will be held for Feller at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Marion. Family and friends will be at the church to greet friends from 9:30 a.m. until the service starts.

Feller was in her first season behind the wheel of a racecar after having been a part of the sport in some form since 2000. She was a 1980 graduate of Benton Community School and worked as a special-education teacher at Wilkins Elementary School in Marion. She began teaching at the Linn-Mar school district in August 2002, first at Bowman Woods Elementary for five years, then spending the last eight at Wilkins.

She taught second and fourth grade at Center Point-Urbana from 1988-1998.

Feller was an avid Joey Gase fan, and was a charter member of his fan club. She became an organ donor - something her family, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the organ donor registry worked together on to make sure her wishes were fulfilled - and the two discussed the topic at length. She attended races at Iowa Speedway and Kansas Speedway, in addition to whenever he returned to Hawkeye Downs, to support him. In return, Gase said he will carry a decal on his No. 52 NASCAR Xfinity Series car to honor her.

Hawkeye Downs offered a statement on Thursday as well.

'Hawkeye Downs extends its deepest sympathies to the Feller family, friends, fellow racers, and fans,” the statement said. 'The loss of Joan has hit the entire Hawkeye Downs Racing community including fellow racers, fans, and Hawkeye Downs Staff very hard and her memory certainly will be carried through the remainder of the 2015 season and beyond.”

Feller's family said her siblings Julie, Joel and Jeff England will be in attendance at Hawkeye Downs Speedway Friday night for the scheduled races.

The track has plans to recognize Feller during the event, and Joan Feller Memorial decals will be sold for $5 to raise money for her funeral and other expenses, with 100 percent of those proceeds going to that effort.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com