Tony Stewart, your thoughts?

[NY87GN]

I couldn’t bear to watch the entire video. I did read about it, fellow drivers say Stewart didn’t even slow down when Ward walked in front of him. I’m wondering if this is going to be handled as a criminal case...
What was this guy Ward thinking? Young kid, what a shame!!

 

[TurboDave]

Drivers are always told to stay in the car! Unless of course, it's on fire!

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[TurboBrian]

uh oh.... this thread could really get out of hand.... i think tony is such an experienced driver you would think he could slow down or at least turn away a little bit.. i think he possibility could have tried to get close just to scare him to teach him a lesson and ended up hitting him but theres no reason the guy should have been running into oncoming traffic over a dirt race.

 

[turbobitt]

I've seen the complete video and it looks to me the kid jumped out in front of him, wearing black, at night, on a dirt track. In my opinion, Tony Stewart probably didn't see him until the last second. There was a car directly in front of him blocking his view and with a car up against the wall, I'm sure his focus was somewhere else. If it were me, I wouldn't expect a driver to jump out into race traffic and therefore would not anticipate that.
AG.

 

[coach]

I've seen the complete video and it looks to me the kid jumped out in front of him, wearing black, at night, on a dirt track. In my opinion, Tony Stewart probably didn't see him until the last second. There was a car directly in front of him blocking his view and with a car up against the wall, I'm sure his focus was somewhere else. If it were me, I wouldn't expect a driver to jump out into race traffic and therefore would not anticipate that.
AG.

I agree...the last thing a driver expects to see on the track during a race is a person. This kid was wearing black and LOOKING for the car he thinks wrecked him. He ran toward the car pointing....the end result was not good. Wearing all black and running into the traffic....come on.
I was 15 years old when Spanky Lewis got hit and killed at Sharon Speedway in 1985. His car broke during a heat race and he got out and started walking towards the infield. Another car was just throttling up on the backstretch...not really under full power, and never dreamed there would be a driver crossing the track. He was just checking an adjustment made to his chassis...and hit Spanky. Spanky was 32 years old and his older brother Johnny spoke out that he could not imagine what he was thinking. He was way to experienced a driver to do what he did. This poor young man was clearly not thinking and his temper got the best of him.

RIP young man.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I've seen the complete video and it looks to me the kid jumped out in front of him, wearing black, at night, on a dirt track. In my opinion, Tony Stewart probably didn't see him until the last second. There was a car directly in front of him blocking his view and with a car up against the wall, I'm sure his focus was somewhere else. If it were me, I wouldn't expect a driver to jump out into race traffic and therefore would not anticipate that.
AG.

Agreed! It's a bad deal all around. I'm sure more video will surface but what people need to understand is a sprint car doesn't turn like a normal dirt track car so steering around something like that ain't easy. Sprint cars turn on the rear tires under power which is why Tony may have hit the throttle so attempt a quick turn. Who knows but it is tragic!

 

[TexasT]

Very sad tragedy that could have been prevented.
I taught my children from a very early age that drivers can not see you. If you are in a parking lot and those white lights on the back are on that car could back up at any time. You can not win in a car and your body collision. That young fellow Ward did not know any of those lessons and paid the ultimate price. Very sad. I hope all of you teach your children to respect traffic on the street, parking lot, in the pits and even on the race track.
I hope everyone who seems to think it is ok to walk out infront of vehicles learns something from it. Always assume that driver doesn't see you.

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[whitehot1]

I really don't care for Tony Stewart but he was not at fault in this. I have no clue to why this guy would get out of his car that had just been wrecked and walk out into the race track with race cars racing and coming toward him. Surely he did not think the guy that hit him was going to stop and have a conversation right then and there,but maybe he did think that. He made a stupid mistake and it cost him his life.He wasn't going to accomplish anything he was out of the race,if he stayed in the car or got off the track he most likely would be alive today,it was totally his fault that he made the decision to do that. I just hope they don't sue Stewart and collect a bunch of money for their son's stupid mistake.

 

[pdzz]

Hell of a way for my home town to get noticed. Track is a mile from my house. Last year he caused a wreck that broke a driver's back. She will be fine. The track in that turn is not well lit. I'm sure he never saw him. God only knows what that kid was thinking. What a shame. Phil.

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[87GNSteve]

Hell of a way for my home town to get noticed. Track is a mile from my house. Last year he caused a wreck that broke a driver's back. She will be fine. The track in that turn is not well lit. I'm sure he never saw him. God only knows what that kid was thinking. What a shame. Phil.

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When you say "he caused a wreck" do you mean the 20 yr old Ward, or Tony Stewart?

 

[Raymond Bunch]

It's depressing anytime someone gets killed during a race event like this. The family of the young man, and Tony Stewart alike, will be haunted forever by this tragic accident. RIP Ward.

 

[pdzz]

Tony caused it. Even said it was his fault.
The wreck last year that ended up causing a broken back to a young female driver.
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[Venus]

While I don't think Tony had intentions to kill the guy, I do think tony had intentions to scare the guy or something. It's pretty evident that tony was up on the track near where the guy and car were sitting even after the yellow was out and obviously he knew where the car was since he spun him out. I counted 5 other cars that missed the guy in the video so seems kind of odd that tony 'couldn't see him' especially since he's a professional driver and the other drivers had no problem dodging him. Almost every race I've ever watched, when the yellow comes out, all the cars slow down and if there's debris or cars sitting on the track, all the cars go to the inside to dodge the debris/wrecked cars.

 

[chopped39]

Who was the driver that was behind Stewart that was interviewed? He said you never use your car as a weapon. Everyone else missed him and were going down to the bottom of the track like they should on a yellow. Stewart should have gone low like he is supposed to ,but no his temper strikes again and then gas on it just to probably scare the kid. On the dirt site they said tony went to the pits and had them swap out the right rear tire. wonder what that was about.
I would like to see the go pro footage off Tony's camera

 

[psycho6cyl]

i think fines and or penalities have to start being given to drivers that leave their cars.. 2 parties at fault here unfortunately a life has been lost. from the video i saw the kid almost froze and couldnt move out fast enough. i think tony goosed it to scare him but happened when the kid was comming at him. no matter i hope it was an unfortunate accident but i doubt it.

 

[RobsIron]

These guys get railed into the wall often and almost always get out to confront the driver that did it. Its very common. Tony knows this. With that said the guy is dead because he got out of his car with his temper in check. I watched the video and Tony blipped the throttle hard. Yeah, you steer these cars with the rear, but you also have a steering wheel and brakes. Tony is well known for his temper too..

 

[coach]

These guys get railed into the wall often and almost always get out to confront the driver that did it. Its very common. Tony knows this. With that said the guy is dead because he got out of his car with his temper in check. I watched the video and Tony blipped the throttle hard. Yeah, you steer these cars with the rear, but you also have a steering wheel and brakes. Tony is well known for his temper too..

I just watched the video a few more times and that kid doesnt walk...he runs into the lane. Right after the car in front of Stewart goes by...he steps towards Tony's car and Tony throttles up to swing the rear AWAY from the kid...not towards him. Stewart never sees the kid and the kid was def in the wrong...big time. Stewart was directly behind the other car and the car in front never reacted because the kid was not in his path...then stepped into Stewarts path. Stewart did steer around him...his car goes right ( the rear swings in), and to anyone who has ever driven or tried to push a sprint car...they do NOT turn right...only left. It took a bit of skilled driving to react and get that car to kick AWAY from that kid...not towards him. The only way on GODS green earth that Tony was going to miss that kid was to throttle up and spin the tires to go right. Simply turning the wheel would have done little or nothing.

 

[RobsIron]

You make my point. The car can turn LEFT. He gooses the throttle and swings the rear away which in turn points the front towards him. I think he was trying to scare the kid. No ill intent. It just went bad. We can all have our opinions, but the bottom line is Tony put him in the wall which started the whole thing in the first place.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

I've driven one of these cars, not in a race but nun the less they don't do anything like a normal race car. You can't see for sh&t and can't hear either.

The debate will go on forever but as far as the physics of the car and how it handles Tony had no chance avoiding the accident. Ward ran at him, no doubt about it.

If Tony was supposed to be on the low side of the track then so be it but from what I saw Ward was determined to let Tony know he wasn't happy so does it really matter where Tony was? Ward obviously was determined to get his attention even if it meant running down the track.

I don't follow the roundy rounds but many other drivers than Stewart are controversial. That's racing.

The way I look at it the catylist to the sad event was Ward got out of his car, The end result is it cost him his life. It's very sad.

The catylist can not be linked to anyones temper simply because if you're going to go in circles in a 700hp race car on a small track you're going to get wrecked. That's racing and you need to understand that if you're going to participate.

 

[S10xGN]

i think fines and or penalities have to start being given to drivers that leave their cars.. 2 parties at fault here unfortunately a life has been lost. from the video i saw the kid almost froze and couldnt move out fast enough. i think tony goosed it to scare him but happened when the kid was comming at him. no matter i hope it was an unfortunate accident but i doubt it.

On a track like that, someone who bails for any reason other than fire should be banned for the remainder of the year. Hell, a few months back Bob Vandergriff got a $20k fine for exiting his car on the track after almost rolling it while the track was obviously shut down for cleanup. But that's the difference between NHRA and lesser forms of racing...