A mourner reads a message honoring race car driver Greg Moore at a memorial set up outside a car dealership owned by his father, Ric, in their hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.

Watching, tears streaming down her face, was their mother, Debbie. She recalled how thrilled Krista was two years ago when Moore autographed a picture for her during the Vancouver Indy race.

"For a year her dad would ask 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' and she'd say, 'A race car driver,' " Morley said, smiling at the memory.

"She said (today) she wasn't so sure now."

Krista wasn't the only person feeling a loss Monday. Debbie wasn't the only one battling tears as this community came to grips with the death of one of its most famous sons.

Moore, who was born and raised in this city of 63,000, about 30 miles east of Vancouver, died Sunday during the final CART race of the season in Fontana, Calif. His Reynard-Mercedes slammed into a wall at about 230 mph. He was pronounced dead even as the race continued.

Moore's easy-going, affable manner made many think of him as a friend, whether it was someone he grew up with or a fan who only saw him on television.

Ric Moore, Greg's father, said the family has been "overwhelmed by the genuine kindness and compassion."

"I want everyone to know just how much their thoughts and prayers mean to us during this very difficult time," he said in a statement. "To know that your son was respected and admired by so many means a great deal to us."

Maple Ridge isn't much different than the other communities that fan out like fingers from Vancouver through the Fraser Valley. Strip malls battle for space with neatly kept, older homes. Trees, splashed with fall's bright colors, dot the streets while snowcapped mountains offer a breathtaking backdrop.

From city hall to the neighborhood Moore grew up in, flags flew at half staff.

A sign outside a downtown fitness club read: "Greg, you will always be with us."

Lian Karlstedt, a student at the school, never met Moore but knows his sister.

"It's pretty weird," Karlstedt said. "Even though I didn't know him I still feel a lot."

Moore's parents and girlfriend were in California, and witnessed his death. They returned to Vancouver on Sunday night. A security guard sat in a car parked outside the family's home Monday.

When Moore was a child, his father would block off the car dealership he owned, and on Sundays Greg would roar around the parking lot in a 2.5-horsepower miniature van.

Joyce Purvey came with her young son, Taylor. She had been at work Sunday when she heard the news and wanted to leave some flowers.

"It was something I hoped eased their pain, or eased mine," she said quietly.