Tony Stewart runs over and kills Kevin Ward Jr. on a dirt track.
Nascar will allow him to race 15 hours later.
There has been speculation that Stewart actually accelerated and deliberately struck Ward.
In any case, he should be suspended pending an investigation.

 

"No, no, he didn't kill him, he didn't bump him, he didn't nudge him... he *rubbed* him. And rubbin, son, is racin'."

 

Speculation it was deliberate ?? I am embarrassed to write those words,and you should be also for adding to the rumor mill.

 

No embarrassment on my part. I didn't say he did.
I am repeating speculation that I heard on a nationally syndicated radio show.
This is a car-centric forum with some Nascar fans. I assumed they would have an opinion.
There are people who said it was Ward's fault for getting out of the car.
Earlier it was reported Stewart would race at Watkins Glen and people were in disbelief that he would be allowed to.
Stewart has since said he will not race.

 

*EDIT*
I should have included "hits and" in the title, it can be misconstrued.
It wasn't intended to be sensationalistic, just stating a fact.

 

Title edited for you.

The track was still green, yellow hadn't been thrown, and Ward, dressed all in black in a night race got out of his car to run at cars still at race speed. His death is tragic, but it's also his own fault.

 

Thank you.
I know many times drivers have left their cars and tried to confront other drivers, throw their helmets at them, etc.
Maybe now there will be a tougher penalty for drivers who do.
I wonder if it had happened to an anonymous local driver, would the attention on it and the coverage be the same?

 

I agree. Drivers getting out of their cars under yellow after a wreck is pretty common in NASCAR, but I'd bet that the NASCAR sanctioning body will implement something to help prevent this from occuring again.

Road course racing typically has an easy method for drivers to hop the fence out of harms way, most NASCAR tracks do not. That also may be changing.

 

Lesson learned: Don't walk out on a live race track.

Really bad judgement on his part. Jumps out of car, and walks down onto the racing line with cars still running. Left car before the safety crew was on scene. Was wearing dark gear on a dark track.

Cars can bite hard when they aren't respected. Unfortunately that mistake was fatal.

 

.

This wasn't a NASCAR race. The protocol in NASCAR is for the driver to stay in the car, and if OK to lower the window net to signal that. NASCAR, Indycar, etc. also have spotters, so the cars still running have more info about which way to go.

The Pennsylvania dirt tracks I frequent have flagmen in the corners, as well as the usual set of lights. We don't see too many late hits. I wish all short tracks did that.

Yes - pretty bad decision to get out before the safety team arrived, then charge down the track.

Ken

 

Understood that it wasn't a NASCAR race, however I would be shocked if NASCAR (the sanctioning body) didn't make changes because of this.

 

I believe they have spotters at the selinsgrove speedway as well


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You folks need to have seen the video before you indict Stewart. I have seen it and the other driver was at fault for his own death. He thought Stewart had spun him out the previous lap, and the idiot gets out of his car and crosses into the center of a hot track to shake his fist at Stewart as he was racing by at full speed. Other drivers were trying hard to avoid this idiot walking in the middle of the track but he kept coming closer to the speeding Stewart and miscalculated the distance between him and Stewart in an area were cars are sliding around on the dirt. This was a totally unnecessary death because of an irate and irrational driver who crossed into the middle of a hot track.

 

Spotters depend on the series. But something a lot of tracks have is a one-way to the drivers. The person on the one-way at Lincoln and Williams Grove (where I usually go) is really good, lets them know where trouble is. Also lays down the law on following the rules for starts and restarts.

Ken

 

Rules changes would not have saved this idiot driver, who in a fit if anger, chose to walk out into the middle of a hot track to try and shake his fist at Tony Stewart driving by at reduced speed but still very fast, sliding around the curve at a part of the track that is very dark. And the killed driver was wearing black at this dark part of the track. .

BTW the latest just in, Stewart will NOT face any charges. Any fool driver who chooses to walk out into the middle of a hot track is virtually committing suicide, and I guess the authorities looked at the video and realized the same. A tragic, completely avoidable accidental death.

 

The more detail that comes out, the more it seems to be his own tragic fault.

 

Have you seen the video?... My prayers go out to his family! I have to be honest though, it kind of ticks me off. Not only does he lose his life out of anger and ill judgement, he potentially put others in danger as well. Imagine a pile up/roll-over situation. I somewhat feel bad to have expressed this but truth be told... This is a very sad, sad tragedy! Bless his family

 

Fwiw, a 'legal expert' on Fox Sports 1 last night said Stewart should be charged with 2nd degree manslaughter.
Roger Cossack, ESPN's legal expert is not dismissing the possibility of criminal charges.
There are more than a few people on national outlets still saying Stewart deliberately accelerated right before he hit Ward.
Official police statement says there is "no evidence at this time for criminal charges."
The accusation is still out there, it's not going away yet.
And before anyone else accuses me of rumor mongering, I am not accusing Stewart, I just find it incredibly fascinating that it's even being discussed as more than an accident.

 

I'm sorry I guess I should elaborate on pile up/role over, since in the case someone seeing the video and thinking of the initial wreck... He walked out onto the track, and in the event that someone might have actually seen him(flying around the corner during a night course while someone in dark suit standing in the middle of the track) decides to swerve potentially causing a pile up or role over and possibly hurting/ killing someone else. Again such a sad story, but lesson to be learned here. His own fault (from what I see) don't let your anger control you and think before you act. Excuse the rant.

 

Anyone seeing that video would say that he should have never stepped out onto the track. Now no one knows what's going on in those dudes heads, but in my opinion anyone saying that it was deliberate, I would believe is saying so for a publicity stunt (IMO)

 

... So F orget Fox Sports

 

You're not rumor mongering. You're recounting what the dimbulb talking heads in some of the media are saying, versus what the local sheriff (who actually has facts) is saying.

I saw one article that said Stewart should never race again, that he should dissolve his team, etc. Why don't we have criminal charges for people who write crap like that?

Ken

 

Bottom line: If he had stayed in his car, he would still be alive. He is responsible for his own demise.

 

I used to race those exact cars with those organizations in NY.

Let me tell you first hand, in NY those races are going to be a dust bowl unlike racing on red clay down in PA so visibility gets very limited. Also, they do have 1-way radio in the ESS series which is what ran that night and I used to use myself when I ran as well.

That said, the only communication is to alert the drives to hazards on the track during caution, red flag or to direct positions. They are not used akin to a spotter in NASCAR for each team.

Lastly, the visibility on these cars is limited on the sides when you're buckled in; you can see out of them but at night time it's not exactly optimal for turning your head and trying to make sure someone won't step in front of your right rear tire which is the largest tire on the entire car before getting hit; these are open wheel cars in case anyone didn't know.

Kid got heated and made a poor decision. It's tragic but it is what it is.

 

The kid moved down the track so quickly a spotter or corner flagman or someone on the one-way wouldn't have had time to let anyone know what was happening.

Really sad. Also really a shame the way the yellow press is working at stirring things up - as if everyone didn't already feel bad enough. The Washington Post had an article that made me wonder if anyone there even saw the video, or if they just recycled Liz Clarke's old crap.

Ken