R.I.P. Sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. hit by Tony Stewart
 

[ame]http://youtu.be/WyOhGE4HXDA[/ame]

Un fucking real. I've forever wanted that shit head Stewart out of any type of racing. Never once have I or my family had a half decent interaction with that shithead. What a bastard.

I hope that murderer gets what he deserves.

on a side note that video of comparing mj and kobe on the same plays was epic!!!

I'm a bit confused. Why did Ward walk into traffic? Why was the race not halted when he got out of his car ON THE TRACK? Did Stewart hit Ward on purpose?

It looks like Stewart (the #14 car) ran Ward (#13) off the track and into a wall. Then Ward got out and tried to flag Stewart down--I assume to fight him. But Stewart either did not see him or did see him and hit him.

Am I correct in my analysis. I am unfamiliar with this type of racing.

He saw him and ran him over.

It think it was more like he was stupid enough to try and confront a moving vehicle and wasn't seen. I don't know why NASCAR drivers think they can hop out of a car and chase down a driver, ON TRACK, and think nothing will happen. You don't never see that happen in real motorsports. Only in NASCAR.

It definitely appears Tony saw him and instead of avoiding the driver he hit the throttle and kicked the rear end out trying to throw dirt at him but ran him over instead. Shame on the dead driver for trying to confront Stewart on track but it was an intentional asshat maneuver that resulted in the death. I don't follow this type of racing but I understand that Tony is a real hot head and this is just his typical behavior.

That's the most likely truth. They were BOTH being asshats.

I just saw a dude walking out in the middle of a race in the middle of the track, on dirt where cars are going really fast and got hit.

Thoughts and prayers to families affected by this tragedy.

Racing is dangerous, and any time we lose someone, it affects us all.

Tony Stewart has been a douchebag since day one, but that wouldn't have happened if the other guy had stayed in his car. It's not a reality tv show, it's an auto race.

From the video it looks like the wing hit him.

Can't tell if the driver was trying to get close to him and scare him and didn't account for the wing height hitting him.

Or the guy running got to close and didn't think it would hit him.

I hope there are more camera angles because if that is the only shot, there is no way the driver is going to be convicted of anything or banned from racing anywhere IMO

When he goosed the accelerator, his tires were turned toward the outside of the track. It looks like he tried to avoid him. But the size of the wing basically means that is impossible, and you can't hope to avoid someone on a dirt track if you only see them at the last second.

Other factors to consider, their visors are probably 50% occluded by mud, when drifting, you look at where you want to go, not where you are going, likely Tony wasn't even looking in the direction of Kevin Ward, and didn't see him until the last second when Mr. Ward was basically standing in front of the car. Mr. Ward was wearing black, at night, on a dirt track... It's pretty hard for the camera to see him!

ESPN said the tire of Tonys car hit the driver.

I don't know about Tony at all, since I don't follow Nascar, but it seems to me like the other driver could've avoided this whole thing by staying in his car.

I know Tony's reputation but jumping out of the car to play frogger was absolutely insane. This is just tragic. Nothing more, nothing less.

Interesting. I saw a dumb ass walk onto a race track during a race and from what I can tell the other driver tried swing the ass end of the car around to avoid him, but failed miserably.

Both failed, but the idiot walking on the track got the Darwin award.

It really does suck, but I think both parties are at fault here. Tony for being an asshat, and the other driver for jumping out into traffic and trying to confront a moving vehicle.

Wow, that is sad. Kevin Ward was just 20 years old.

http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/stor...ccident-081014

There's alot of stupid to go around in this tragic story. Idk how guys can just get out the car like that. Shoot, I look both ways like 5 times when I'm hanging out in Chicago.

It also sounds like the wing hit him.

...and it sounds like Tony goosed it on purpose.

More likely the throttle sound is another car on the front stretch, closer to the camera.

Disagree. The whole circuit could be heard at idle. There was one car that goosed it after a long silence. The sound of the wing smack can be used as a reference.

Yeah, but you're not looking for cars, you're just trying not to get shot.

Let's summarize:
Tony Stewart is an ass. it's possible he did this on purpose. It's all possible he didn't see the guy, was trying to avoid him and failed because dirt = shitty traction, or that he gunned it trying to get traction and change course.
Kevin Ward Jr. was an idiot no matter how you look at it. Darwin Award, but also a sad loss.

Did I cover everything?

No. It's most likely he meant to roost him and fucked up.

I think that's everything now.

Never a good situation when a whole bunch of bad decisions lead up to a death at the track.

Agree to disagree then.

I don't put much faith in the audio of a cellphone, shooting from the stands, across the front stretch, the infield, to the back stretch. Common practice for sprint cars to gun the engine under yellow, and use the throttle to turn. That footage, in my opinion, isn't enough to decide anything, beyond reasonable doubt. The authorities have more video, and hopefully better angles, to determine what happened.

I will say, every sprint car driver I know, says right side visibility is almost nil with the big wing endplate. Add in the black firesuit, helmet, a car in front of Tony, and the darkness, it is not out of the question the Tony didn't see him, and if he did, it was too late.

Also, the shunt wasn't that bad, at least what we can see from that cellphone footage, the right rear was down, but it's very conceivable that the push truck would have gotten him to the pit, and a new tire would have gotten him back on track, had he stayed in the car. Emotion put him in a place he shouldn't have been.

Regardless, it's a tragedy, and all of us involved in racing feel terrible about it.

Before I say anything keep in mind that I'm not a big NASCAR fan and even less of a fan of Tony Stewart. Now that being said, if there is any dumbass on here that is stupid enough to think he ran over that guy on purpose needs to have their head checked. It was a plan out accident. Everyone is too happy to just go on a roasting beige in this country, it doesn't matter if it's Tony Steward, Paula Dean, OJ, Obama, whoever. Get a life and quit letting the media do your thinking for you.

Wow why would you run out into the track with a bunch of cars flying by. Did he seriously expect Stewart to stop his car? This is a tragedy no doubt about that but c'mon man have a little more common sense than to run into the track.

Gonna sound cold...but as many of you know...I don't care if I sound cold.

How long until his family sues Tony Stewart because he is rich?

How much will they sue for?

I think less than a month...

5 Million+

Are you high? Go back. Read again.

I also do not follow any NASCAR or dirt track racing. So I could care less who the driver that hit him was. That being said Ward almost gets clipped by the blue and white #45 moments before getting hit. Is it possible Tony did not even see him on the track and throttled out to try and avoid him? But if Tony already has a negative image do people always just assume the worst? Guilty because a view from across the track looks like it? What about from the drivers perspective?

Just curious. Seems like everyone just likes to see people burn

^^^^^ this. I don't follow NASCAR but from what I've seen here and other places, people don't like him so they want him to burn.

I'm not too familiar with this type of driving, but aren't these cars mostly steered with the throttle? The fact that he hit the gas may very well have been him trying to avoid the driver who got out of his car on a hot track.

I think Ward, being pissed, just smacked the #45 wing with his hand on purpose.

There were floods everywhere. Yeah, Tony was probably not paying attention in the exact same spot where one lap earlier he and Ward tangled.

I'm sure that POS camera phone had a way better angle. Yeah, Tony didn't see him.

Not uncommon. Emotion makes people act, before thinking. I've seen drivers do that in pretty much every series I watch, Sprint Cup, Nationwide, USCR, the former ALMS and Grand Am, Indy Car. Helmets, and gloves get thrown, fingers waved, etc. I hope the officials and safety workers make more of an effort to restrain the angry driver in the future, to prevent tragedy's like this.

I don't think Tony was at fault in any way.

The car just in front of Tony just barely missed Ward, and I'm betting Tony didn't see him until it was too late.

The drivers can't see much to the right at all in these cars.

With the straight axle, turning the wheel without throttle, these cars just basically go straight. In the vid, where it sounds like Tony hit the gas right before hitting Ward, he may actually Have hit the gas, but if so, it was to try and avoid hitting Ward.

There's no way Tony tried in any way to hit ward.

This is just a terrible accident that never would have happened if Ward hadn't gotten out of his car. Very unfortunate.