A 22-year-old Hooters calendar model has been identified as the second victim of a fiery McLaren crash that also killed the founder of what organizers call the world's largest weekly car show. Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, of Lakeland, Florida, died alongside James Wehr, 27, founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, when the supercar hit a tree, split apart and caught fire in Irvine, California, early Sunday.
Kramer had arrived in California just two days before the crash to meet Wehr in person for the first time after the pair connected on Instagram and spent about a month talking, according to her sister, Gracie Kramer.
Kramer's Instagram bio identified her as a 2026 Hooters calendar girl. She worked as a bartender and shared Wehr's passion for cars and motorcycles, spending the weekend on a first date with him and attending his popular auto show. "She loved the car community, so it's such a tragedy that that's what ended her," Gracie told the California Post.
Gracie said Wehr paid for Lexi's flight from Florida after telling her that he and his wife, Emma Wehr, were separated and in the process of divorcing. Gracie said she had doubts about what her sister had been told, since Orange County court records reviewed by the California Post reportedly showed no divorce case had been filed. "That man lied to my sister and said his divorce was finalizing and he was fully separated," Gracie said. "[He] talked to her every day all the time and finally got her to fly out to California to come see him."
What happened before the crash
The pair spent part of Saturday at Wehr's South OC Cars and Coffee event before heading out that evening. According to Gracie, they ate at Nobu and later had drinks at the Pendry Hotel in Newport Beach in the hours before the crash. Wehr posted an image from the Pendry on Instagram and later shared a photograph apparently showing the black 2019 McLaren 720S pulled over by police. It remains unclear why the supercar was stopped.
Shortly after midnight, the McLaren was sitting at a red light near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine, according to police. Investigators said the vehicle then accelerated at high speed when the light changed before the driver lost control. The McLaren clipped a curb and slammed into a tree at around 12.20am, breaking apart and erupting in flames. Both Wehr and Kramer were killed. Authorities have not publicly said who was driving, and the circumstances leading to the crash remain under investigation. Gracie said her family supplied dental records to the medical examiner to help formally identify her sister.
Tributes to Lexi Kramer
Kramer's death came as she appeared to be entering an exciting new chapter of her life. She had recently earned an associate's degree from Polk State College and, according to her sister, had just landed a new job in a leadership position with another company. Gracie described her as "kind and funny and charismatic" and said she had been flooded with messages from people sharing memories of her sister. "As you can imagine, this was very shocking and hard," she said.
In an emotional Instagram tribute, Gracie recalled being taught by their mother that sisters were supposed to be the one person who would always stand beside each other. "Lexi was so much more than just my best friend, she was all of my love, my heart, my attitude, and my humor wrapped into a smaller, more chaotic, less filtered, package," she wrote. "She was my other half."
South OC Cars and Coffee founder
Wehr's death sent shockwaves through the Southern California car community he helped build. He founded South OC Cars and Coffee with his father, Simon Wehr, and the pair spent years overseeing the Saturday gatherings at the Outlets at San Clemente. The event describes itself as the world's largest weekly car show and can attract anywhere from 800 to 2,500 vehicles, bringing together generations of enthusiasts. "Getting to see people come out every week and enjoy the show," Wehr had previously said of the gatherings. "We see multiple generations of people walking around with their cars, and it's a great environment. We're super lucky."
Family and friends remember Wehr
His mother, Sarah Wehr, remembered her son as a "magnificent man" whose devotion to his family and friends was "second to none." "I remember your first steps at our home in Perth, Australia. The first time you said 'Dada!', your very first word," she wrote. "I remember everything. All of it." She recalled his "insanely great belly-laugh" and "cheeky smile," adding: "Thank you for all the years we were blessed to know and love you James. This slices from all sides."
Wehr's wife, Emma, shared photographs from their life together, including from their wedding day, as she mourned the man she said had opened her eyes to everything life could offer. "James, I never thought the day would come that I'd have to say such a final goodbye," she wrote. "Getting the opportunity to love you will always be the greatest blessing in my life." She described him as "smart, kind, funny, loving" and "genuinely one of the best people I've had the pleasure of knowing," adding, "Whether its in this lifetime or the next my heart will always find its way to you. Rest easy my love."
His sister, Sophie, said she could not "imagine a world" without her brother, while his aunt, Milly, called him her "darling nephew" and said the legacy he left behind would endure. Friends from the car community also flooded social media with tributes. One, Amanda, described Wehr as a "modern day Paul Walker" and "an icon in the car community," writing, "Thank you for creating a community that became a family." Another friend, Jasper, recalled thousands of miles spent alongside Wehr on rallies, road trips and drives. "We had big dreams, big goals, promises we made each other," he wrote. "And when it's all said and done, and I see you again, you'll see that we achieved it all."
Wehr's family has asked for privacy as they mourn the loss of their "darling son and brother."
