PITTSBORO, Ind. -- A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordon's driver's education teacher was killed with his wife in a crash in Tennessee while returning from watching Gordon race.

Officials say 78-year-old Larry Sparks and 77-year-old Jacqueline Sparks of Pittsboro, Indiana, died in Monday's crash. WBIR-TV reports their recreational vehicle went off Interstate 75 near Jellico, Tennessee, and ran into a tree.

Larry Sparks was a teacher and principal at Tri-West High School near Indianapolis and his wife was a retired elementary school teacher. District superintendent Rusty King tells WTHR-TV that Sparks loved telling people about being Gordon's driving instructor.

Gordon posted Twitter and Facebook messages saying he was saddened by Sparks' death.

Larry Sparks was my driver's ed teacher but also 1 of my biggest fans. He'll be dearly missed. http://t.co/yjiEZKVbuM pic.twitter.com/P6gwpRqsri — Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) October 28, 2014

Neighbor Edward Whaley says the couple loved NASCAR events and was returning from Sunday's race in Martinsville, Virginia, where Gordon finished second to Dale Earnhardt Jr.