Tony Stewart killed Driver Kevin Ward in an on track incident (1 Viewer)

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Period. Utterly insane thinking he would intentionally run over this kid. Just sick. Tony Stewart may have a bad rep as being a DB on the track. But it does not make him a murderer.

Highly doubt anyone here thinks he intentionally ran him over. That's not the argument at all.

Some of us think it is possible that Tony may have made an error in judgement, in trying to scare him or get close so he could jaw with him and it went awry. Completely different than intentionally running him over but he would still be culpable.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

I don't know why I'm getting sucked in.

There are very, very few people, if any, suggesting that he "would intentionally run over this kid", as you put it. You really need to discover that there is this color gray, that's not quite black and not quite white.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

 

[Rohn Jambo]

some times you wake up and you are just on your game you get a lot of work done and the day flies by and it is a good day but some times you wake up and everything is crap you get in road rage thing on the way in work takes forever you get yelled at by boss man you know what i mean well this thread is sort of the like the bad day for football guys you have people telling other people to stop posting people makeing murder accusations like it is not big deal and people going on and on about media conspiracy theories honest amigo this is just not a good one for the old ffa take that to the bank brohans

I am sorry. I won't do it again.

 

[Koya]

When the best case scenario is that a kid is dead, but Tony Stewart is only one of the biggest douchbag, belligerent #######s in all of sports, that's not so good.

When that's the best case, it's hard to give Stewart any benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I don't know how anyone can tell from the vid what exactly happened for sure. I mean sound travels for one. The vid is from across the track, not by the cars and no matter how you slow it down, the angle is not good at all to know what happened when much less what was in Stewart's mind. He will probably get unintentional manslaughter or maybe nothing if they can't prove for sure he was trying to scare him instead of trying to get away from him.

If they prove he intentionally got close to try and scare him, that intent should be enough for some criminal culpability to attach, even if he didn't intend to kill or hit him.

That's what it looks like, however, you can forget about that ever happening. His money & lawyers will win this one. Any criminal case brought against him is simply a waste of time and money.

Civil case is another story.

Why?

Are they going to automatically convict TS because of his past reputation? They won't take into effect that Ward was running around on a track with cars speeding by, and now only that, he was all herky jerky like a squirrel? TS had a second or 2 to react, and that's IF he saw him.

I don't see a civil case convicting TS at all. If it does, it's a travesty.

Because it's easier to get a convict in a civil case. I didn't say it would be a conviction. I said it's another story. Any criminal case will easily be defeated by Stewart's $.

I thought one got a judgment in a civil case, not a conviction.

 

[mr roboto]

I don't know how anyone can tell from the vid what exactly happened for sure. I mean sound travels for one. The vid is from across the track, not by the cars and no matter how you slow it down, the angle is not good at all to know what happened when much less what was in Stewart's mind. He will probably get unintentional manslaughter or maybe nothing if they can't prove for sure he was trying to scare him instead of trying to get away from him.

If they prove he intentionally got close to try and scare him, that intent should be enough for some criminal culpability to attach, even if he didn't intend to kill or hit him.

That's what it looks like, however, you can forget about that ever happening. His money & lawyers will win this one. Any criminal case brought against him is simply a waste of time and money. Civil case is another story.

Why?Are they going to automatically convict TS because of his past reputation? They won't take into effect that Ward was running around on a track with cars speeding by, and now only that, he was all herky jerky like a squirrel? TS had a second or 2 to react, and that's IF he saw him.

I don't see a civil case convicting TS at all. If it does, it's a travesty.

Because it's easier to get a convict in a civil case. I didn't say it would be a conviction. I said it's another story. Any criminal case will easily be defeated by Stewart's $.

I thought one got a judgment in a civil case, not a conviction.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

This is a pretty divisive thread already, but imagine how bad it would be if Tony Steward had plowed his car into a group of zombie-walkers who were blocking an intersection. 100 pages minimum.

Now imagine Tiger Woods was escorting illegal alien kids on an outing to an ice cream parlor and he and the kids were mixed in among the zombie walkers, along with Donald Sterling who needs no zombie makeup.

 

[Guest]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

Can't believe they cancelled Whacko Wednesday - but I'm impressed that investigators are going through the lengths to properly reconstruct. Gives me confidence that whatever decision they reach will have been well considered.

 

[Henry Ford]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

The district attorney asked that any toxicology results from the autopsy not be released, Povero said.

Um... what?

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Wtf?

 

[KingPrawn]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

Can't believe they cancelled Whacko Wednesday - but I'm impressed that investigators are going through the lengths to properly reconstruct. Gives me confidence that whatever decision they reach will have been well considered.

You sound surprised? What did you expect them to be doing, checking out internet message boards as their investigation?

 

[Henry Ford]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

Can't believe they cancelled Whacko Wednesday - but I'm impressed that investigators are going through the lengths to properly reconstruct. Gives me confidence that whatever decision they reach will have been well considered.

You sound surprised? What did you expect them to be doing, checking out internet message boards as their investigation?

Mr. Ham's onto us - better make this investigation look good.

 

[Tau837]

some times you wake up and you are just on your game you get a lot of work done and the day flies by and it is a good day but some times you wake up and everything is crap you get in road rage thing on the way in work takes forever you get yelled at by boss man you know what i mean well this thread is sort of the like the bad day for football guys you have people telling other people to stop posting people makeing murder accusations like it is not big deal and people going on and on about media conspiracy theories honest amigo this is just not a good one for the old ffa take that to the bank brohans

A freaking damn /thread

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

My racing experience is confined to multiple viewings of Days of Thunder and Talladega Nights, so I don't pose as having any expertise. I have been curious since my first post, many pages ago, about the rescue crew. They get there, lights flashing, just moments after the kid is hit. To do so I presume they were already moving towards the wreck in their truck with the flashing lights. This would have been additional visual distraction for Stewart who in addition to having a night course, on dirt, with a kid primarily in black, and the car in front of him, might have been watching that approach, which was going to be close to him, and he could (note I did not say was, but could)have been partially reacting to their movement and been attempting to clear out of their way so they could rescue the kid, when suddenly the kid then appeared in his field of view.

 

[renesauz]

some times you wake up and you are just on your game you get a lot of work done and the day flies by and it is a good day but some times you wake up and everything is crap you get in road rage thing on the way in work takes forever you get yelled at by boss man you know what i mean well this thread is sort of the like the bad day for football guys you have people telling other people to stop posting people makeing murder accusations like it is not big deal and people going on and on about media conspiracy theories honest amigo this is just not a good one for the old ffa take that to the bank brohans

A freaking damn

/thread

HUH? His posts are compltely unreadable- I can't make a darn bit of sense of any of them.

 

[Rohn Jambo]

Any cause of death yet? Was it from shock? Broken rib into his heart? Head trauma? Just wondering cause, from the video, he didn't move after landing from what I saw. Has there been any statement?

I think the cause of death was getting hit by a speeding race car.

Wrong. That's what they want you to think.

It was a candlestick, in the Parlor by Professor Plum.

Massive blunt trauma to the head even though he was wearing a helmet.

 

[skol asylum]

I opened the forum and for a split second I saw this thread and thought ANOTHER driver? Again?

 

[DaVinci]

Tony Stewart has a history of hitting people with his car.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721917/Tony-Stewarts-history-rage-charges-not-ruled-out.html

@ pit road accidents being "history"

 

[jon_mx]

I don't want to read through this, but have the collective wisdom of FFA's finest reached a definitive conclusion on the wildass speculation yet?

And on a more serious note, has Christo kept us up to date on what the driver's blogs are saying?

 

[Rayderr]

The police obtained a second video from another angle

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/11/4065736/tony-stewart-investigation-authorities.html

Not only that, but it was shot by Zapruder.

 

[jon_mx]

We are looking also for persons outside that are familiar with racing, that are familiar with dirt racing that can help us review and analyze these tapes to hopefully clearly understand the crash, he said.

I wonder if they have contacted Mr. ham yet?

 

[Tom Servo]

When the best case scenario is that a kid is dead, but Tony Stewart is only one of the biggest douchbag, belligerent #######s in all of sports, that's not so good.

When that's the best case, it's hard to give Stewart any benefit of the doubt.

Good thing you're not on a jury.

 

[culdeus]

Any cause of death yet? Was it from shock? Broken rib into his heart? Head trauma? Just wondering cause, from the video, he didn't move after landing from what I saw. Has there been any statement?

I think the cause of death was getting hit by a speeding race car.

Wrong. That's what they want you to think.

It was a candlestick, in the Parlor by Professor Plum.

Massive blunt trauma to the head even though he was wearing a helmet.

yIsn't that dr speak for "he snapped his neck"

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

When the best case scenario is that a kid is dead, but Tony Stewart is only one of the biggest douchbag, belligerent #######s in all of sports, that's not so good.

When that's the best case, it's hard to give Stewart any benefit of the doubt.

Why is it hard to not lower yourself to Tony Stewart's level? Isn't that what you and everyone else that just assumes his "personality" is the cause of this accident are doing?

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

I don't get the "he was trying to give him a scare" thing. Putting a guy into a wall or bumping him is one thing. But trying to perform a near miss with a car versus a person is crazy. I just don't see that.

Really? I think it's tough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt but it, frankly, seems to me to be the most plausible explanation here. Hot head but incredibly talented driver with young hotshot coming at him.

That's the most plausible explanation you come up with from that video? Seriosuly?

It's the one I instantly come up with when I see the video. There's plenty of track below Stewart that he could have used to go around the guy. Instead he clips him.

So none of the facts or lack thereof matter. Because they were both in the same place and because you assume Tony should have been lower, then Tony is guilty of manslaughter (meaning he actually had the criminal intent)?

Strawman much?

Huh?

No one that you are arguing with is using legal standards. Almost no one in this thread is arguing that there is any conclusion to be drawn meeting a legal requirement. But you are responding as though Zow or lod01 are arguing legal standards. It's a strawman. Make a moral or ethical argument with them, not a legal one, regardless of whether you and Zow are lawyers.

In the split second that Stewart realized that Ward was in front of him he clearly had plenty of time to run through his mind how he would teach this kid a lesson in respect. That is the most plausible scenario? Under any standard?

If he only knew that Ward was coming down the track for the last split second, then I agree with you. I'm not sure that's true, although I don't know that the truth is possible to find minus a confession.

Why would he have known sooner? Did someone tell him? Is he rubbernecking as he drives away from or towards the original incident watching that accident instead of the cars that he is near? Seems to me that even if he knows that Ward is on the track waiting for him that there is more than enough stuff happening all around in that moment between the 45 cars evasive driving, the approaching safety equipment, etc. that I just don't see the opportunity for devious thoughts to pop in the mind, yet alone be put into action. Maybe I'm ultimately wrong, but how can this "barely imaginable scenario" be the "most plausible scenario"? Even if he knows he is on the track somewhere, I still think he doesn't find him for much more than the second he appears from behind the 45. (Yes I know Stewart has a different sight line, but I'm not sure that even looking straight at him that the 45 doesn't obscure where he is.)

And if I am wrong, I'm still glad I don't/can't think like that.

 

[jag_player]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

The only reason you get out of your car during a race on the racing surface is if you’re on fire. Otherwise wait for the safety crew to get there. Huge no-no and extremely dangerous to do. Unless there was a previous incident between the two not shown on the video that reaction was way over the top. Mind you he is wearing a black fire suit with a black helmet on a black dirt track on a dimly lit track. He was walking down the track as cars were driving by.

The 45 car passed Ward and twitched the car as he passed Ward. Meaning he didn’t see him. If he did, he would have driven lower. Only a winged sprint car driver would know that your vision out of the right front is obstructed. Between the side board of the wing, the stagger of the car, and banking of the track your view is limited. Couple that with the other conditions stated above and it creates a very dangerous situation.

As the 45 car passed Ward you can hear (presumably) Stewart’s engine rev. He could have done that for three reasons: 1) when you hit the throttle the car turns left because of the set up and stagger. He may have actually done that to miss Ward. 2) He may have been clearing his engine of fuel, cleaning off his tires, etc. I do that all of the time. He would have not expected a person there. 3) As he came around and saw Ward’s car there and him standing out there, he got defensive and didn’t want to be pushed around by Ward. He could have done that to intimidate Ward. Maybe he hit a slick spot and the car jumped out. Mind you Ward was half way across the track and was walking towards a moving car. Tony’s depth perception of where Ward was would have been very limited.

Some say Tony did it on purpose. That is ridiculous, absurd, and non-sense. The only outstanding question is why Tony accelerated. Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

Unfortunately, I lay most of the blame on Ward. He made some critical, grave decisions that cost him his life. Stewart is responsible to some degree but I think the pain he is suffering will be punishment enough.

Lessons to be learned:

1. NEVER exit your vehicle on the racing surface unless you’re on fire or once the safety crew arrives.
2. NEVER walk down a race track while cars are moving to confront someone.
3. Probably should think about having color other than just black on your firesuit. Even in the pits it’s dangerous.
4. If someone is walking towards you, don’t speed up to intimidate them.
5. Keep your emotions in check. Racing is very expensive and dangerous. There’s no reason to get that upset and to deal with the problem like that.

When you sign up to race, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Things happen so quickly and you can’t take them back. As a driver you know serious injury or death is a real possibility and need to accept the ramifications of that.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Still at the idea that a guy who's routinely willing to send other race cars into the wall going 150+ mph and hope that nothing flukey happens wouldn't be willing to scare a driver and hope that nothing flukey happens.

Did he? We'll never know. Is he above it? Hell no.

 

[mr roboto]

Still at the idea that a guy who's routinely willing to send other race cars into the wall going 150+ mph and hope that nothing flukey happens wouldn't be willing to scare a driver and hope that nothing flukey happens.

Did he? We'll never know. Is he above it? Hell no.

Is TS known as a guy who wrecks others more often?

 

[Rayderr]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

The only reason you get out of your car during a race on the racing surface is if you’re on fire. Otherwise wait for the safety crew to get there. Huge no-no and extremely dangerous to do. Unless there was a previous incident between the two not shown on the video that reaction was way over the top. Mind you he is wearing a black fire suit with a black helmet on a black dirt track on a dimly lit track. He was walking down the track as cars were driving by.

The 45 car passed Ward and twitched the car as he passed Ward. Meaning he didn’t see him. If he did, he would have driven lower. Only a winged sprint car driver would know that your vision out of the right front is obstructed. Between the side board of the wing, the stagger of the car, and banking of the track your view is limited. Couple that with the other conditions stated above and it creates a very dangerous situation.

As the 45 car passed Ward you can hear (presumably) Stewart’s engine rev. He could have done that for three reasons: 1) when you hit the throttle the car turns left because of the set up and stagger. He may have actually done that to miss Ward. 2) He may have been clearing his engine of fuel, cleaning off his tires, etc. I do that all of the time. He would have not expected a person there. 3) As he came around and saw Ward’s car there and him standing out there, he got defensive and didn’t want to be pushed around by Ward. He could have done that to intimidate Ward. Maybe he hit a slick spot and the car jumped out. Mind you Ward was half way across the track and was walking towards a moving car. Tony’s depth perception of where Ward was would have been very limited.

Some say Tony did it on purpose. That is ridiculous, absurd, and non-sense. The only outstanding question is why Tony accelerated. Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

Unfortunately, I lay most of the blame on Ward. He made some critical, grave decisions that cost him his life. Stewart is responsible to some degree but I think the pain he is suffering will be punishment enough.

Lessons to be learned:

1. NEVER exit your vehicle on the racing surface unless you’re on fire or once the safety crew arrives.
2. NEVER walk down a race track while cars are moving to confront someone.
3. Probably should think about having color other than just black on your firesuit. Even in the pits it’s dangerous.
4. If someone is walking towards you, don’t speed up to intimidate them.
5. Keep your emotions in check. Racing is very expensive and dangerous. There’s no reason to get that upset and to deal with the problem like that.

When you sign up to race, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Things happen so quickly and you can’t take them back. As a driver you know serious injury or death is a real possibility and need to accept the ramifications of that.

Pfft... This guy is no where near the expert Ham is.

 

[pollardsvision]

Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

I don't understand how it's a witch hunt to wonder if Stewart might've been doing something that you just said "most" other sprint drivers would do.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Still at the idea that a guy who's routinely willing to send other race cars into the wall going 150+ mph and hope that nothing flukey happens wouldn't be willing to scare a driver and hope that nothing flukey happens.

Did he? We'll never know. Is he above it? Hell no.

Is TS known as a guy who wrecks others more often?

100% yes.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Tony Stewart has a history of hitting people with his car.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721917/Tony-Stewarts-history-rage-charges-not-ruled-out.html

@ pit road accidents being "history"

Agreed. This was obviously written by some English dude who has no idea what goes on in racing. Surprised they didn't list how many times he's caused accidents in races, too, to show how evil he can be.

 

[Fat Nick]

Tony Stewart has a history of hitting people with his car.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721917/Tony-Stewarts-history-rage-charges-not-ruled-out.html

@ pit road accidents being "history"

Seriously. This is just irresponsible journalism. One of the guys was his own tire changer! I guess he didn't like the way he was changing the left front! Hitting a guy on pit road by accident has nothing to do with any of this. Every NASCAR driver worth their salt has probably hit someone on pit road. Not to mention taking the quote "run him over" out of context. I really don't think he meant that if Kenseth or Logano were just standing there in a fire suit that he'd run over them. He meant that he'd hit their CAR.

I'm NOT taking Stewart's side in this, or persecuting him. I'm honestly on the fence in this case...but this article is a steaming pile of crap.

 

[The Duff Man]

Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly. You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

I don't understand how it's a witch hunt to wonder if Stewart might've been doing something that you just said "most" other sprint drivers would do.

But...but...people are saying he purposely tried to KILL the kid. No way that is true, I saw him hold up four lane traffic so a baby duck could cross the interstate! He is a professional and never loses his cool!



OR

Being a professional driver who MAKES CONTACT with other cars at much higher speeds than he was driving here, he thought he would brush by the kid close. It would never cross his mind that he couldnt control his car. And then tragedy. But he wont be found guilty.

 

[pollardsvision]

Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly. You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

I don't understand how it's a witch hunt to wonder if Stewart might've been doing something that you just said "most" other sprint drivers would do.

But...but...people are saying he purposely tried to KILL the kid. No way that is true, I saw him hold up four lane traffic so a baby duck could cross the interstate! He is a professional and never loses his cool!



OR

Being a professional driver who MAKES CONTACT with other cars at much higher speeds than he was driving here, he thought he would brush by the kid close. It would never cross his mind that he couldnt control his car. And then tragedy. But he wont be found guilty.

Yeah, my gut says the latter or something like it was probably the truth, but I wouldn't want him found guilty of any charge that landed him in jail. I don't see how it would be possible to be certain enough of his intentions.

When you run out into the middle of a racetrack, you open up the opportunity for someone to play a part in your own demise and "get away with it".

 

[tom22406]

Tony Stewart has a history of hitting people with his car.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2721917/Tony-Stewarts-history-rage-charges-not-ruled-out.html

@ pit road accidents being "history"

Seriously. This is just irresponsible journalism. One of the guys was his own tire changer! I guess he didn't like the way he was changing the left front! Hitting a guy on pit road by accident has nothing to do with any of this. Every NASCAR driver worth their salt has probably hit someone on pit road. Not to mention taking the quote "run him over" out of context. I really don't think he meant that if Kenseth or Logano were just standing there in a fire suit that he'd run over them. He meant that he'd hit their CAR.

I'm NOT taking Stewart's side in this, or persecuting him. I'm honestly on the fence in this case...but this article is a steaming pile of crap.

That article was just flat out terrible so you hit the nail on the head here with this reply.The tire changer was quite possibly the lowest moment in trying to read through this garbage.

It's almost like in today's age of instant justice(or known as the internet police)they reach for anything to make their side seem reasonable.I have no side because I have only seen one video and heard a few people speak on it that were at the track so I will wait for the investigation to bring out the facts before I jump to any conclusion.I know it's fun to speculate and I have done it quite a bit myself over the years but sometimes it just gets way out of hand and this is one of those times.

 

[Da Guru]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

The only reason you get out of your car during a race on the racing surface is if you’re on fire. Otherwise wait for the safety crew to get there. Huge no-no and extremely dangerous to do. Unless there was a previous incident between the two not shown on the video that reaction was way over the top. Mind you he is wearing a black fire suit with a black helmet on a black dirt track on a dimly lit track. He was walking down the track as cars were driving by.

The 45 car passed Ward and twitched the car as he passed Ward. Meaning he didn’t see him. If he did, he would have driven lower. Only a winged sprint car driver would know that your vision out of the right front is obstructed. Between the side board of the wing, the stagger of the car, and banking of the track your view is limited. Couple that with the other conditions stated above and it creates a very dangerous situation.

As the 45 car passed Ward you can hear (presumably) Stewart’s engine rev. He could have done that for three reasons: 1) when you hit the throttle the car turns left because of the set up and stagger. He may have actually done that to miss Ward. 2) He may have been clearing his engine of fuel, cleaning off his tires, etc. I do that all of the time. He would have not expected a person there. 3) As he came around and saw Ward’s car there and him standing out there, he got defensive and didn’t want to be pushed around by Ward. He could have done that to intimidate Ward. Maybe he hit a slick spot and the car jumped out. Mind you Ward was half way across the track and was walking towards a moving car. Tony’s depth perception of where Ward was would have been very limited.

Some say Tony did it on purpose. That is ridiculous, absurd, and non-sense. The only outstanding question is why Tony accelerated. Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

Unfortunately, I lay most of the blame on Ward. He made some critical, grave decisions that cost him his life. Stewart is responsible to some degree but I think the pain he is suffering will be punishment enough.

Lessons to be learned:

1. NEVER exit your vehicle on the racing surface unless you’re on fire or once the safety crew arrives.
2. NEVER walk down a race track while cars are moving to confront someone.
3. Probably should think about having color other than just black on your firesuit. Even in the pits it’s dangerous.
4. If someone is walking towards you, don’t speed up to intimidate them.
5. Keep your emotions in check. Racing is very expensive and dangerous. There’s no reason to get that upset and to deal with the problem like that.

When you sign up to race, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Things happen so quickly and you can’t take them back. As a driver you know serious injury or death is a real possibility and need to accept the ramifications of that.

Spinouts like this happen in every Sprint Car Race...some drivers were talking last night and said there was no reason for Ward to even get out because it happens all the time. And I do agree that Stewart may not even have known Ward spun out and Ward was high and behind him. So 15 seconds later Stewart is not going to be in a "Rage" Plus if I am not mistaken it was the first lap. Why would Stewart be mad? And teach the kid a lesson? That does not make sense at all. I highly doubt Stewart even knew who or what driver it was standing in the middle of the track.

I saw in interview with Stewart last year after he broke his leg Sprint Car racing and he was asked why he risked it all for such little return. said to him Sprint Car racing is like going to a ball game,,something he does do relax and have fun before the real races.

 

[pollardsvision]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

The only reason you get out of your car during a race on the racing surface is if you’re on fire. Otherwise wait for the safety crew to get there. Huge no-no and extremely dangerous to do. Unless there was a previous incident between the two not shown on the video that reaction was way over the top. Mind you he is wearing a black fire suit with a black helmet on a black dirt track on a dimly lit track. He was walking down the track as cars were driving by.

The 45 car passed Ward and twitched the car as he passed Ward. Meaning he didn’t see him. If he did, he would have driven lower. Only a winged sprint car driver would know that your vision out of the right front is obstructed. Between the side board of the wing, the stagger of the car, and banking of the track your view is limited. Couple that with the other conditions stated above and it creates a very dangerous situation.

As the 45 car passed Ward you can hear (presumably) Stewart’s engine rev. He could have done that for three reasons: 1) when you hit the throttle the car turns left because of the set up and stagger. He may have actually done that to miss Ward. 2) He may have been clearing his engine of fuel, cleaning off his tires, etc. I do that all of the time. He would have not expected a person there. 3) As he came around and saw Ward’s car there and him standing out there, he got defensive and didn’t want to be pushed around by Ward. He could have done that to intimidate Ward. Maybe he hit a slick spot and the car jumped out. Mind you Ward was half way across the track and was walking towards a moving car. Tony’s depth perception of where Ward was would have been very limited.

Some say Tony did it on purpose. That is ridiculous, absurd, and non-sense. The only outstanding question is why Tony accelerated. Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

Unfortunately, I lay most of the blame on Ward. He made some critical, grave decisions that cost him his life. Stewart is responsible to some degree but I think the pain he is suffering will be punishment enough.

Lessons to be learned:

• NEVER exit your vehicle on the racing surface unless you’re on fire or once the safety crew arrives.
• NEVER walk down a race track while cars are moving to confront someone.
• Probably should think about having color other than just black on your firesuit. Even in the pits it’s dangerous.
• If someone is walking towards you, don’t speed up to intimidate them.
• Keep your emotions in check. Racing is very expensive and dangerous. There’s no reason to get that upset and to deal with the problem like that.

When you sign up to race, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Things happen so quickly and you can’t take them back. As a driver you know serious injury or death is a real possibility and need to accept the ramifications of that.

Spinouts like this happen in every Sprint Car Race...some drivers were talking last night and said there was no reason for Ward to even get out because it happens all the time. And I do agree that Stewart may not even have known Ward spun out and Ward was high and behind him. So 15 seconds later Stewart is not going to be in a "Rage" Plus if I am not mistaken it was the first lap. Why would Stewart be mad? And teach the kid a lesson? That does not make sense at all. I highly doubt Stewart even knew who or what driver it was standing in the middle of the track.

I saw in interview with Stewart last year after he broke his leg Sprint Car racing and he was asked why he risked it all for such little return. said to him Sprint Car racing is like going to a ball game,,something he does do relax and have fun before the real races.

Oh, come on.

 

[Fennis]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

The only reason you get out of your car during a race on the racing surface is if you’re on fire. Otherwise wait for the safety crew to get there. Huge no-no and extremely dangerous to do. Unless there was a previous incident between the two not shown on the video that reaction was way over the top. Mind you he is wearing a black fire suit with a black helmet on a black dirt track on a dimly lit track. He was walking down the track as cars were driving by.

The 45 car passed Ward and twitched the car as he passed Ward. Meaning he didn’t see him. If he did, he would have driven lower. Only a winged sprint car driver would know that your vision out of the right front is obstructed. Between the side board of the wing, the stagger of the car, and banking of the track your view is limited. Couple that with the other conditions stated above and it creates a very dangerous situation.

As the 45 car passed Ward you can hear (presumably) Stewart’s engine rev. He could have done that for three reasons: 1) when you hit the throttle the car turns left because of the set up and stagger. He may have actually done that to miss Ward. 2) He may have been clearing his engine of fuel, cleaning off his tires, etc. I do that all of the time. He would have not expected a person there. 3) As he came around and saw Ward’s car there and him standing out there, he got defensive and didn’t want to be pushed around by Ward. He could have done that to intimidate Ward. Maybe he hit a slick spot and the car jumped out. Mind you Ward was half way across the track and was walking towards a moving car. Tony’s depth perception of where Ward was would have been very limited.

Some say Tony did it on purpose. That is ridiculous, absurd, and non-sense. The only outstanding question is why Tony accelerated. Mind you it wasn’t that fast of an acceleration. If indeed it was to intimidate that was a bad decision. But truthfully most sprint car drivers would have done a similar thing. Drivers make spilt second decisions out there. This deal was innocent that spun out of control very quickly.

You have to understand the facts of the situation and understand what it is like to drive a winged sprint car. There are a lot of ignorant things being said about this and it is almost like a witch hunt against Stewart.

Unfortunately, I lay most of the blame on Ward. He made some critical, grave decisions that cost him his life. Stewart is responsible to some degree but I think the pain he is suffering will be punishment enough.

Lessons to be learned:

1. NEVER exit your vehicle on the racing surface unless you’re on fire or once the safety crew arrives.
2. NEVER walk down a race track while cars are moving to confront someone.
3. Probably should think about having color other than just black on your firesuit. Even in the pits it’s dangerous.
4. If someone is walking towards you, don’t speed up to intimidate them.
5. Keep your emotions in check. Racing is very expensive and dangerous. There’s no reason to get that upset and to deal with the problem like that.

When you sign up to race, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Things happen so quickly and you can’t take them back. As a driver you know serious injury or death is a real possibility and need to accept the ramifications of that.

Spinouts like this happen in every Sprint Car Race...some drivers were talking last night and said there was no reason for Ward to even get out because it happens all the time. And I do agree that Stewart may not even have known Ward spun out and Ward was high and behind him. So 15 seconds later Stewart is not going to be in a "Rage" Plus if I am not mistaken it was the first lap. Why would Stewart be mad? And teach the kid a lesson? That does not make sense at all. I highly doubt Stewart even knew who or what driver it was standing in the middle of the track.

I saw in interview with Stewart last year after he broke his leg Sprint Car racing and he was asked why he risked it all for such little return. said to him Sprint Car racing is like going to a ball game,,something he does do relax and have fun before the real races.

Dirt shower

 

[KCitons]

All of the emergency crew personnel in the video are wearing brightly colored fire suits. I wonder why?

 

[TenTimes]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

Was hoping someone more knowledgable would comment on this. I was wondering on replay if TS actually caused Ward's spinout, to me it never looked like their cars touched, but I didn't know if TS was in the wrong for not giving Ward room or exactly what happened.

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

 

[Rayderr]

I haven't read much of this thread, but figured I'd add an opinion from a dirt track racing message board I monitor daily. This is from an actual sprint car driver:

I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter. First off, a guy is dead and that can’t be changed. A lot of people are impacted by this and their lives will never be the same. My heart goes out to them.

I watched the video a number of times now. Tony got a run on him down the straight and went low in 1 & 2. Ward was running high. Tony drifted up to take the preferred high groove. Ward should have lifted the throttle and got underneath Stewart. Staying in the throttle was the wrong choice. I saw nothing wrong or any aggression on Tony’s part with that pass. They actually didn’t even make contact. Ward hit the wall and spun around. I doubt Stewart even knew he wrecked at that moment. Therefore, I don’t think Tony was even mad. He had no reason to be.

Was hoping someone more knowledgable would comment on this. I was wondering on replay if TS actually caused Ward's spinout, to me it never looked like their cars touched, but I didn't know if TS was in the wrong for not giving Ward room or exactly what happened.

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Oh no, it's already been suggested by Jambo that Stewart went there with the specific intention of killing someone.

 

[Sinn Fein]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

 

[Wildcat]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

Link? Very long history, I expect to see tons of links. I think it's already been mentioned, but Stewart had no reason to be pissed off. So that doesn't hold water either. A split second glimpse of Ward pointing at him, he's that pissed off?

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

Not even a little bit.

You guys are giving the benefit of the doubt to someone who absolutely does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. He's a loose cannon.

 

[Sammy3469]

I do wonder if the people on the witchhunt have ever been to a county track while racing was going on and/or ever been in any race car. To say the sightlines are limited doesn't do it justice and there's a reason that video is dark and grainy (ie these tracks are dark at night). I don't know what Stewart was thinking, but this isn't like someone mowing down a pedestrian on the interstate in the middle of the day.

 

[Rayderr]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

Not even a little bit.

You guys are giving the benefit of the doubt to someone who absolutely does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. He's a loose cannon.

I see. He's killed other people with his racecar?

 

[TenTimes]

If it is true that TS didn't even realize he'd wrecked Ward, where can the anti-TS mob go from there? No motive, right?

Because he saw Ward calling him out.

And there's a very long history of Stewart wrecking/fighting/threatening guys who piss him off.

Not even a little bit.

You guys are giving the benefit of the doubt to someone who absolutely does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. He's a loose cannon.

It's more my faith in humanity (which may be misplaced) that makes me give TS the benefit of the doubt.

Honest question (not trolling)- from your perspective, when did TS first realize Ward was calling him out?