Tony Stewart

[Big Dave2]

Tony forced him high? Looked like a racing move to me big Dave. I've seen far worse in my driveway watching my 3 boys.

I'm not saying Tony wrecked him on purpose but there was obviously something that lead up to Ward going nuts like that. There's probably more to it than just the wreck we see on this short video.

[harvey lee]

A tragedy. But one that could've been avoided. All the haters are gonna hate on Stewart all the way no matter what. The fact is, Ward was a knucklehead (and hot head) for getting out of his car. Why not wait until later and settle it in the pits? Sometimes it takes a tragedy to open eyes. Unless it's on fire why get out of the car? It happens a lot. Maybe racing needs to adopt a rule along the lines to the coming off the bench rule in basketball. Unless it's on fire or your life's in danger don't get out of the car, if you come out of the car onto the track to confront another driver you get suspended the next event.

You hit the nail on the head, racers are told to stay in your car period. I know people do not like Tony for things he has done in the past and for some, this is a great time to say Tony killed Ward. Well, to that I would say, if Ward would have stayed in his car and not done what he did, he would be alive today. Sure Tony can and has been a hot head in the past but to say he did it on purpose to scare him maybe a stretch, we do not know that and can only guess that, really not fair.

If Ward got upset about the pass Tony made, I am sure he has been upset a lot more as that move was nothing special at all in regards to unsafe. Just what I believe I saw in that one corner of a long race.

many people believe what they hear, last night on the channel 11 news at 10pm, news caster states Tony crashed a fellow racers car and killed him. Now how that news caster could say Tony crashed Wards car as far from anything I saw in that video, now others who know nothing of that accident will tell others Tony crashed a guy and killed him. Guess it is easy to see how some inaccurate stories get started. They would say, I heard it on the news so it had to be correct.

Everyone will come to their own conclusion of what happened but do any of us really know a small part of the truth without going by what others have said, then we are ready to hang Tony.

We will all have to let6 the law sort through all of this and hopefully they will come to find the truth which I do not believe will ever happen. Ward cannot speak and many think Tony is lying.

No matter how this turns out, I see nothing but a bad ending for Tony even if he is found totally innocent of any and all charges. I do not see any issues with other drivers but I do see problem's with some fans or people who do not watch racing but have a good idea how this all went down.

[harvey lee]

Big Dave, you asked me

"Then what do you suppose Ward was so upset about?"

I cannot answer that as I do not know Ward and I also do not know how he reacts to conflict or a racing incident. Who knows what has happened in the past.

I have to even say this but, maybe Ward was upset he got passed by Tony from that move Tony made on him. From what I could see in that dark video, it looked to me like Tony never even touched Ward's car. Anyone who has watched sprint cars when they do a slide job on the one in front of them have been far worse that the move Tony made.

As I said in another post, Ward may have hopped the burm on the top of the track if one was present or he could have got loose in the marbles if present, many things could have caused Ward to be as high as he was. I hate to even speculate what happened as I do not know and cannot tell from that short video as one cannot see what happened earlier in the race per lap.

Sad part is, a life was lost in a racing accident anyway one looks at it and my guess maybe, that Tony could loose sponsors over this incident. Then, he could also be charged with a crime, who knows how much pressure will be put on the D.A. office to charge Tony for something during a race.

[CaptainMusky]

I have often wondered what "the regulars" think when "big shots" come to their races. You know, like what the Nationwide guys think when Kyle Busch wins everything.

I dont think they take too kindly to someone stealing their paycheck. Tony has done so much for the grassroots racing with promoting, etc, but I think these guys who are trying to make a name for themselves probably get a little PO'd when some moonlighter comes in and takes a check from them. Just speculating.

Tony didnt hit the kid's car. He was forced wide, went over the cushion and his right rear tire struck the walk flipping him around. Racing move. There may have been more to what he was [PoorWordUsage] about than that incident, but anyting beyond what was on that video is speculation.

[harvey lee]

Totally agree captain, that is how I saw what I did.

I would agree that some new hot shoe could come to a track and not like having to race against a seasoned vet like Tony or others.

Same in Nationwide series when Harvick, Kyle, Kenseth or at times Jr show up to race against less talented or experienced drivers and race teams. Nature of the beast but some hard feelings for sure by some racers who believe the Cup guys should not be there. Great way for some to see how they stack up against the best out there.

[harvey lee]

Saw this statement by Kenny Wallace.

I have been asked by My job at FOX Sports TV and 3 radio stations to give my view of the tragic accident involving the death of Kevin Ward Jr in CANANDAIGUA, N.Y while racing against Tony Stewart ... I hesitated to give my view but after a day of thinking about it we need to learn why this happened ... I am INCREDIBLEY Sorry and SAD to the Kevin Ward Jr Family ... I am a equal part owner with Tony Stewart and Kenny Schrader and Bob Sargent of our DIRT track in Macon Illinois at MACON SPEEDWAY ... I have been racing on DIRT tracks for 10 years all over the United States and Canada and this year I have raced more than 60 DIRT races ... About once a month I see drivers do the EXACT same thing Kevin Ward Jr did ... They get out of the race car after a wreck and walk "ON" the race track surface while cars are still going in circles to confront the CAR and driver they had the wreck with ... I have ALWAYS thought it was dangerous ... After I watched the video of the accident "Over and Over" it was clear to me that the RACING INDUSTRY needs to come together and STOP the driver from walking on the race track while cars are still going around at a good rate of speed ... I BLAME NO ONE AND THE BLAME GAME IS NOT A GOOD ROAD TO TRAVEL ... This accident was a "Cautionary Tale" that happens every week at all race tracks around the world and now needs to be banned.

[Sandmannd]

I know nothing about racing. But after this I read up a little on sprint cars. Their left rear tires are much larger than their right rear. To steer them left you give it gas and it will turn you left. If you watch them down a straight away they are turning hard right to keep going straight. Given this information I believe he did hit the gas but it was to turn left to avoid Ward. The kid never should have got out of his car. It was like running across 35w during rush hour.

[PurpleFloyd]

Please, do tell where I am so misguided about this.

Start with your first post in the thread and take it from there.

[harvey lee]

In sprint car racing as well as modified racing on dirt, one controls his car with the throttle and at times the brakes. The brakes are more for setting the car in the corner and not all as important in regards to stopping the car.

People say they heard Tony's engine rev, well that could have been from Tony trying to avoid Ward by getting his car to turn and miss Ward.

Just because Tony hit the throttle does not mean as some appear to believe that he was trying to run down ward.

No one will ever know the reason Tony hit the throttle if he did as he is the only one who was in control of that car. The rest of us can guess but that does not prove one thing.

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

Why Tony Stewart isn't likely to face charges in racetrack death

By Paul Callan, CNN Legal Analyst

updated 11:57 AM EDT, Mon August 11, 2014

Editor's note: Paul Callan, a CNN legal analyst, is a former New York homicide prosecutor and a senior partner at Callan, Koster, Brady and Brennan, LLP. Follow him on Twitter @PaulCallan. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- Even hardened race fans, accustomed to witnessing spectacular crashes, were stunned to see the shattered body of 20-year-old race car driver Kevin Ward Jr. sprawled on a New York dirt track Saturday night.

He had been run over and killed by a car driven by Tony Stewart, one of the most famous, charismatic and controversial drivers on the $3 billion-per-year NASCAR race circuit. Much of the public's interest in Stewart undoubtedly derives, not only from his winning record but also from his tough guy, bad boy image reminiscent of the sport's early rough-and-tumble days.

Paul Callan

Paul Callan

That image will certainly be one of the things authorities in New York will be looking at when trying to decide whether to close this case as a tragic accident or to press forward with criminal charges.

The preliminary signals from the Ontario County Sheriff's Office would indicate a favorable outcome for Stewart. Sheriff Philip Povero has announced that the Ward tragedy is viewed as an "on track crash," and that to date there was no evidence of "criminal intent." The sheriff did hedge a bit by saying that the "investigation was continuing."

The sheriff has undoubtedly been carefully reviewing the amateur video of the crash. It depicts Stewart's car in close proximity to Ward's car coming out of Turn 2 in the race. Ward's car then appears to be pushed into the outside wall, forcing his car out of the race.

Ward then appears to exit his vehicle angrily and charges on to the racetrack, pointing in the direction of Stewart's and other drivers' swiftly approaching cars. In graphic and stunning video footage, young Ward is hit, apparently by the right rear tire of Stewart's vehicle, causing him to be dragged down the track to his death.

We can expect that Povero will continue his investigation by interviewing witnesses and undoubtedly obtaining copies of other videos taken from different angles. He will likely consult with experts in racing.

NASCAR's Tony Stewart hits, kills driver Sheriff: 'There's much work to be done' Will Stewart face criminal charges?

His key questions: 1. Was Ward's decision to stand in the track, so close to moving vehicles unusual? 2. Should Stewart, knowing he may have struck Ward's car, have anticipated a problem when approaching the turn as a "yellow flag" had been thrown warning drivers to proceed cautiously as an accident or debris ahead was likely?

Povero will be working in close conjunction with the Ontario County District Attorney, R. Michael Tantillo, a seven-term veteran of criminal investigations and trials. Tantillo supervises a staff of about 10 attorneys that serves a county with a population of about 107,000 residents.

New York, on average, prosecutes 5% of vehicular accident death cases as criminal matters. Most cases are viewed as tragic accidents caused by either driver or pedestrian negligence. Cases prosecuted criminally usually involve charges of drunken or drugged driving. So far no allegations of intoxicated driving have emerged in the Stewart/Ward investigation.

In this case it will be impossible to know what was going through Stewart's mind as he approached the Ward vehicle under the warning of a yellow flag. To prosecute this case as an intentional murder or even as a more serious form of manslaughter, there would have to be proof that Stewart "intentionally" aimed his car at Ward seeking to kill or injure him seriously.

Stewart's intent here is impossible to prove regardless of his bad boy reputation unless he were to confess to an intentional murder. I think it's safe to say that is not going to happen.

Prosecutors will next examine whether Stewart operated his vehicle with "depraved indifference," "recklessness" or "criminal negligence" at the track that night. Evidence of such conduct would be necessary to support any nonintentional murder, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide charge.

The evidence supporting criminal charges is conspicuously absent given what we now know about the case. Ward recklessly choose to walk into an active and highly dangerous racetrack exposing himself to injury or death. An experienced professional driver such as Stewart had a right to expect that his fellow drivers would conduct themselves in a safe and professional manner during the race.

Collisions are a common part of the race scene, and one would expect a driver in Ward's vulnerable position to get off the track and out of harm's way immediately. Stewart was, no doubt, shocked to see Ward in the roadway pointing in his direction as he approached the turn again. In fact, Stewart's car appears to fishtail slightly, indicating an attempt to avoid contact with Ward.

In determining whether Stewart's conduct was reckless or criminally negligent, the conduct of the other drivers in the race will be examined. They appear to be proceeding at a similar speed as Stewart under the yellow flag warning. They too were probably surprised to see Ward positioned in such a dangerous place.

The evidence supporting criminal charges is just not here. In the end, all signs point to a red flag for any criminal charges against Stewart in this tragic accident arising from America's most popular summer sport.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

To a point Harvey made a bit ago..."Did Tony even see him"? This is a very distict possibility as well. I used to run a Sprint car and worked on them for many years and I can say first hand that on a dimly lit track, with the circumstances what they were, it's definitly not a given that you can see everything that is going on especially out the right side of the car. There are alot of variables. The way the wing is set on the car, the full containment seat with the long part of the head rest on the right side, dirty shield up or down,etc etc. Would have been really difficult to see someone especially wearing all black coming down track out the right side of the car and definitly hard to judge how close they were. Im not trying to defend or deny what happened. As a former racer I can promise you noone wants to see anyone else get hurt much less killed but ego's and tempers fly and most of the time this is when this stuff happens.IMO, more rules and penalties are not going to fix this sort of thing. My solution: You get out of your car before your told (unless it's an emergency) your banned for life. It's the only way. Rich guys will still get out and make a scene etc. The consequences have to be dire in order to achieve results.

[LMITOUT]

Just because Tony hit the throttle does not mean as some appear to believe that he was trying to run down ward.

I've yet to see anyone imply or outright say that he was "trying to run down ward".

[harvey lee]

Buck stated--Looks like murder to me. He hit the accelerator and then ran him over with a swerve. I believe that was on page 1. I did not look for anymore statements like that as one is enough. Need more? Maybe you should read the post a bit closer before you say I said this or that.

That's one statement that I would say had a lot to do with what I said. Much of my post was in regards to what many have stated online in other websites and posts within Facebook.

I have read from some that Tony should have to pay for this with his life and he should get a life sentence for his actions.

Social media has all kinds of people saying things I simply cannot believe and that is why I posted what I did. There is more on this subject than just HSO, worldwide Lmit, not just right here.

If you choose to look for those replies and cannot find them, I would be more than happy to find them for you and post the links right here but I am sure if you want facts, you will be bale to locate them, was not that hard at all.

[harvey lee]

To a point Harvey made a bit ago..."Did Tony even see him"? This is a very distict possibility as well. I used to run a Sprint car and worked on them for many years and I can say first hand that on a dimly lit track, with the circumstances what they were, it's definitly not a given that you can see everything that is going on especially out the right side of the car. There are alot of variables. The way the wing is set on the car, the full containment seat with the long part of the head rest on the right side, dirty shield up or down,etc etc. Would have been really difficult to see someone especially wearing all black coming down track out the right side of the car and definitly hard to judge how close they were. Im not trying to defend or deny what happened. As a former racer I can promise you noone wants to see anyone else get hurt much less killed but ego's and tempers fly and most of the time this is when this stuff happens.IMO, more rules and penalties are not going to fix this sort of thing. My solution: You get out of your car before your told (unless it's an emergency) your banned for life. It's the only way. Rich guys will still get out and make a scene etc. The consequences have to be dire in order to achieve results.

I would agree wholeheartedly, it sure seems from what I have seen, the higher one goes in racing up the competition levels, the ego's follow also.

I sometimes wonder with the Joy of Seating seat my son uses made by Randy LaJoie, the right side would be very hard to see out the right side of the car as it is a very safe seat, one of the safest but vision to the side is surely obstructed. Then ad the helmet, shield and maybe a hands device and your vision is far less than in a passenger car where it is very easy to see. Add in a dark corner, dark clothes on the driver and driving at a slow speed but still going rather quick, things can happen very fast. I have looked at the seat in the car and wonder how he see's anything with every safety part of the seat in place.

[luckydog25]

I would be curious to hear if he had a spotter. Everyone is talking about how difficult it is to see out of these cars, you would think they would have a spotter up in the stands above talking to them in the car like other races. Maybe not, Harvey do you know if that is common for these types of races? Not trying to stir the pot, it was just the first question that popped in my head when I heard about this.

[harvey lee]

Great question, I would guess at the race in question, probably not. I am not sure if you can have spotters at a WOO race or for that matter, any dirt race. I did a search online and found it said that no spotters or mirrors but was not sure on the sanctioning body for that rule.

Here is a great article on how a sprint car works in the corner by a driver for thos who are not sure how one gets through a corner.

WICHITA, Kan. -

Following the deadly crash in New York where Tony Stewart hit Kevin Ward, Eyewitness News spoke with some local racers who explain the workings and sometimes dangers of racing sprint cars.

Sprint Car Racer Jeremy Campbell has been in hundreds of spring races over the past 14 years, including several at 81 Speedway in Park City. He said when a driver is inside the car, strapped in, a driver’s vision is reduced.

“You can see out in front of you, you can see the cars and everything but you have a rock screen too in front of your face,” Campbell said. “But on the right side of the car, the wing kind of hangs low and it's hard to see right in the front corner.”

Campbell said sprint cars are different than normal cars because they don’t turn with just the steering wheel. He said a driver has to give the car gas.

“Once you give it gas, the car kind of does pull to the left a little bit,” Campbell said.

Former racer Rodney White said, “Those cars turn on the throttle. You'll hear that a lot and basically what that means is to get the car to turn, you have to hit the gas. They don't necessarily turn with the steering wheel.”

Video captured by eyewitnesses in New York showed Ward get out of his car to confront Stewart on the track. That’s when the crash happened.

White and Campbell both said it’s not uncommon for drivers to get angry with each other, especially after a wreck.

Campbell said, “I've gotten mad at somebody before too that ran me over. I got out of the car and pointed at him, but these cars, they don't stop. You can't stop them. They idle at about 30 to 45 miles an hour.”

White said, “At that time, emotions are high and adrenaline is rushing and you kind of just put your arms out and point at somebody and say, ‘what are you doing?’”

Getting out of the car after a wreck isn’t uncommon either. Campbell said it’s actually smart.

“You want to try to get out of your car as soon as possible,” Campbell said. “Because in case the fuel line does break or in case there's some kind of fire. I always try to get out.”

In the case of Ward, the decision to get out of his car and walk onto the track proved fatal when Stewart’s car hit and killed him.

[harvey lee]

Again for those who have little idea how these cars work, another good read.

http://mrconservative.com/2014/08/47306-...-fellow-driver/

[LMITOUT]

Buck stated-

[harvey lee]

You asked Lmit and I should you where, sorry you do not like what I showed you and choose not to count that post.

Just read one poll, 80% say Tony was not at fault. Always going to be a percentage that believe he was as he hit the gas in the corner, exactly what one does to turn a car, but sad to say, those people do not have a clue for saying such a statement.

Tony will NEVER see a life sentence, no proof to sentence him to that type of penalty.

This is now like beating a dead horse but I am sure it will go on and on. Harvey out.

[LMITOUT]

All the haters are gonna hate on Stewart all the way no matter what.

And all those on the other side of the fence will defend Stewart no matter what.

I'm a fan of Stewart and was just as disappointed as the next guy who likes to watch him race to hear of this happening, but the pains that some are going through to provide cover for him is almost laughable at this point. Couldn't see, dark track, dark firesuit, HANS device doesn't allow him to turn his head. At first there was denial that it was Tony's revving engine that we heard on the video, but now that sound is being used to defend Stewart as a way to explain that he was trying to turn the car away from the other driver. Good grief. You can't make it up.

He is arguably one of the greatest drivers of our generation/lifetime, but maybe, just maybe, Tony f'd up and his massive ego got the best of him this time and people need to accept that.

That being said, he wasn't the only variable in this incident and the other driver could have acted better which wouldn't have instigated the reaction from Stewart.

Put both together and it was an accident, I believe, but accidents which result in death can have consequences, and if the State declares it was negligence well, who knows at that point if we'll ever see Tony race again.

[CaptainMusky]

LMIT the fatal flaw in your argument is that you are implying Stewart did in fact react to something. You don't know that nor does anyone else here.

You have been provided plenty of information about the inner workings of these cars yet you continue to believe that Stewart "reacted". Go back to your fuzzy still image and tell me when you see JM in the background with bloodshot eyes.

[pushbutton]

I think you got the fatal flaw opposite ...... personally can't imagine .....Tony not reacting, and a bigger stretch would be to say he would not. Thats what Tony does. Thats what people like about him, myself included. Of course no one knows for sure, and no one is saying he tried to run over the dude. ....

[LMITOUT]

Exactly.

And you would have to believe that a jury would be given his similar past history, of which is long and documented, if it came down to a trial.

[LMITOUT]

I read a little bit ago that another video surfaced but don't know if it was made public.

[smnduck]

Going by Tony's past history this is how I see it.....

Tony sees the guy gestuering at him and his ego goes into overdrive....

guns the gas to try and intimidate the guy, car slides out and clips him and kills him.

Did Tony try to kill or hit him? More than likely not. Was his stupid act and ego the reason the guy died? More than likely.

By the way those cars turn just fine with out getting on the gas, the guy in front of Tony had no problem maneuvering his car and without getting in the gas .