Kyle Loftis, a YouTuber who gained millions of followers for his underground street-racing page, has died, his company said. He was 43.
“We are in a state of shock,” 1320Video said in an emotional social media post, without detailing exactly how its founder died Tuesday night.
“Kyle’s passion for motorsports inspired millions of people around the world and we will never forget what he has done to grow our beloved sport. Kyle was a beam of light at every gathering… his enthusiasm, kindness, and creativeness was contagious,” the post continued.
“Let us pray that Kyle is in a better place.”
The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, based just south of Omaha, Nebraska, confirmed to People Magazine that officers responded to a death investigation, also without saying exactly how the YouTuber died.
Loftis founded 1320Video in 2003, and it now calls itself “the largest streetcar media company in the world” with more than 3.87 million followers on its YouTube channel.
Fans flooded the comments section of his latest upload, in which Loftis vlogged from the “Street Car Bragging Rights” event at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina last week, with tributes.
“RIP Kyle…So sad to hear of this. You’ve been the GOAT of the racing scene for decades,” one user commented.
“Rest in peace Kyle thank you for the memories of street racing,” another posted.
“Rest in peace Kyle you did so much for the community literally grew up watching your videos events you really made a lot off ppl want to go racing you will be missed,” another wrote.
Loftis first launched 1320Video.com as a passion project in 2003 and it quickly revolutionized how drag racing was covered in the media, according to HotRod Magazine.
In 2006, he launched the 1320Video YouTube channel, which exploded in popularity.
Today, the 1320Video YouTube channel has more than 3.87 million followers, and the Nebraska-based company’s merchandise can be found at racing events across the country.