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

[litemup]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Never get out of a car on a hot track unless it's on fire, and then run to the wall, don't cross the track surface. If you have to cross the track then don't do so when there's traffic. In this case the idiot (sorry but it's an idiotic move) did so simply to call out another driver. Just dumb and childish behavior.

^^^ This <ding ding ding> Been preaching exactly this to friends & family all day.

[strat61caster]

Everybody who's raced on a dirt oval raise your hand.

If Tony hit the accelerator, which we have zero way of knowing as the camera is on the opposite side of the track of the car in question so we're really going off a shaky cell phone video, he did it to turn the car down and avoid the guy, it's the only real way to move the car quickly around the track. I highly doubt Stewart had any malicious intent as he rounded that corner.

Bottom line is everything posted here is speculation, it was a tragic avoidable accident and the truth will come forward after all the eyewitnesses get a chance to speak.

[rice_classic]

Getting out of your car on a hot track and running in front of cars....

With a decision like that I wouldn't be surprised if Ward left behind a suicide note on the dashboard of his racecar.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Everybody who's raced on a dirt oval raise your hand.

If Tony hit the accelerator, which we have zero way of knowing as the camera is on the opposite side of the track of the car in question so we're really going off a shaky cell phone video, he did it to turn the car down and avoid the guy, it's the only real way to move the car quickly around the track. I highly doubt Stewart had any malicious intent as he rounded that corner.

Bottom line is everything posted here is speculation, it was a tragic avoidable accident and the truth will come forward after all the eyewitnesses get a chance to speak.

:raises hand:


Although not in a sprint car or any normal dirt race car, just a RX7 car we built for rally cross.

[DaDr00]

Let me start with this first: Any fatality while racing is a tough blow to the whole community. This was a tragic accident.

One of the first things that we teach 1st time drivers at track days is DO NOT under ANY circumstance get out of your vehicle while the track is hot except if your car is on FIRE.

I'm not a fan of NASCAR nor Tony Stewart personally, but I will say this to all the people calling him a murderer:

This is a typical view out of a sprint car:

Then add these variables:
- Dirt and Mud on your visor
- It's dark outside
- Your field of view is focused to the inside left
- Kevin Ward Jr. was wearing a dark race suit and helmet
- Tony Stewart was not expecting to look for a person on the track BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE ON THE TRACK!

Again, this was a tragic accident that'll haunt all those involved.

[J_kennington]

Originally Posted by DaDr00

Let me start with this first: Any fatality while racing is a tough blow to the whole community. This was a tragic accident.

One of the first things that we teach 1st time drivers at track days is DO NOT under ANY circumstance get out of your vehicle while the track is hot except if your car is on FIRE.

I'm not a fan of NASCAR nor Tony Stewart personally, but I will say this to all the people calling him a murderer:

This is a typical view out of a sprint car:

Then add these variables:
- Dirt and Mud on your visor
- It's dark outside
- Your field of view is focused to the inside left
- Kevin Ward Jr. was wearing a dark race suit and helmet
- Tony Stewart was not expecting to look for a person on the track BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE ON THE TRACK!

Again, this was a tragic accident that'll haunt all those involved.

I was going to chime in about the true visibility out of a sprint car. Since 99% of people saying "oh he had to see him", probably have no idea what the field of view is, but you beat me to it. You literally see nothing out the right side. If tony meant to do it, the car in front of him meant to hit ward as well. It was clearly an accident that could be avoided by using logic. Aka, don't walk towards the center of a track, with cars running.

[FirestormFRS]

I just wonder how many people would be defending the driver if the two people were traded. Not many. Had the roles been reversed the kid that died would be under the jail in Ontario county.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

:raises hand:


Although not in a sprint car or any normal dirt race car, just a RX7 car we built for rally cross.

So far that's 2x.

Originally Posted by FirestormFRS

I just wonder how many people would be defending the driver if the two people were traded. Not many. Had the roles been reversed the kid that died would be under the jail in Ontario county.

No way, sure public opinion would be mourning the loss of Stewart but the kid would not be in jail, anybody with half a brain knows it was an accident. Racers have this weird sort of family, they wouldn't put the kid in handcuffs because of an accident.

Of course this isn't accounting for any actions after the fact, kids are stupid and if he tried to run or said something awful there would be repercussions. Hell the guy probably worshipped Stewart at one point in his life growing up racing.

[Hanakuso]

Terrible situation. I don't understand why race car drivers in the US thinks it's ok to walk on the tracks

[Rampage]

Originally Posted by quality_sound

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.

This was not NASCAR. It was a Sprint Car race. It is where Tony Stewart came from. He also owns a Sprint Car dirt track in Ohio near the Indiana border called Eldora.

Also I have seen F1 drivers walk to the side of a track to confront a passing driver they blame for crashing them. Indy too. It is not just 'murica or US. It is human nature to get mad and lose your temper.

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Everybody who's raced on a dirt oval raise your hand.

If Tony hit the accelerator, which we have zero way of knowing as the camera is on the opposite side of the track of the car in question so we're really going off a shaky cell phone video, he did it to turn the car down and avoid the guy, it's the only real way to move the car quickly around the track. I highly doubt Stewart had any malicious intent as he rounded that corner.

Bottom line is everything posted here is speculation, it was a tragic avoidable accident and the truth will come forward after all the eyewitnesses get a chance to speak.

Also raises hand.

Six years in mini sprints and off road buggies. I will not pass judgement based on one video from one angle. During a dirt track race your vision is impeded by dirt on your visor, dust from the track, limited visibility from the cockpit and this was a night race. Dirt tracks are notorious alternately for dark spots and blinding glare from the stadium style lights. Stewart may have seen him or he may not. He may have seen him at the last moment and tried to avoid him. He may have been trying to be a smart-ass and tried to roost him. Whatever happened Tony Stewart will forever live with the consequences of his actions or in-actions. It is ironic that this has happened when Stewart himself had one of his most famous moments when he went on track to throw his helmet at another driver's car.

Still it sickens me that so many people are so quick to add to this tragedy by going on a witchhunt and being prosecutor, judge and jury in convicting someone because he is a celebrity and has a lightning rod personality. I listened to a ESPN law analyst almost guarantee that charges of manslaughter would be brought. He said that would be done not because of overwhelming evidence of guilt but rather because it was a high profile case and it would be political suicide for the local prosecutor not to bring charges.

If Stewart is guilty then I hope he will pay but I can say from a former racer's perspective that there are a lot more contributing factors involved in this tragedy than some of you are even aware of.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Rampage

I listened to a ESPN law analyst almost guarantee that charges of manslaughter would be brought. He said that would be done not because of overwhelming evidence of guilt but rather because it was a high profile case and it would be political suicide for the local prosecutor not to bring charges.

Unfortunately, that is probably true. If he doesn't, you'll have a bunch of people that don't know the facts screaming that he's going easy just because it's Tony Stewart. If he does bring charges and Stewart is found innocent, same thing. The mob wants a big flashy show, no matter what actually happened. Just like in the Zimmerman case in Florida. We're moving from rule of law to rule by popular demand, and it's disgusting.

[tahdizzle]

Idiocracy.


The world is going down, the signs are everywhere.

[Frost]

To add to strat61caster's point, unless you have mic's inside Stewart's car and telemetry on his car's angle, gas pedal, brakes, etc., there is NO WAY to prove that Stewart intentionally goosed it to scare the kid away.

For those of you who have raced and been black flagged (me), haven't there been times you KNOW you were innocent but there was no way to prove it because it LOOKED bad from the outside but the marshals had no way of seeing it from your angle? I dunno about you but I had one incident (up until then a clean record of being a competitor) where I completely lost it and spun out almost taking out someone with me. Marshal wouldn't have any of it on appeal even though I've never done anything like that before and others agreed that something was very wrong that day (others were wiping out at the same spot). There was simply nothing I could do that wouldn't make me look like a sore player so I simply did nothing after that. I lost a lot of key points given we're 3/4 down the season but whatever.

Same thing applies to Tony here. Unless we have concrete evidence, I am placing the blame at LEAST 50% on Ward Jr for being idiotic enough to walk out into the track and ALMOST be hit TWICE before finally getting the fatal blow.

I'm a competitor too but I am the cooler headed type so the hot heads will always befuddle me.

I just wish both sides would step back and recover from this disastrous event.

RIP Ward Jr. I am also glad Tony made the call not to race at Watkin's Glen.

[Freeman]

http://m.chippewa.com/dunnconnect/sp...ile_touch=true

Very interesting insight