# Kevin Ward Killed in Sprint Car Race...



## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Kevin Ward Jr,20, killed in on track incident, with Tony Stewart. An altercation occurs, after Ward leaves his wrecked Sprint car to confront Stewart, and gets hit. I couldn't help but notice the acceleration, at point of impact... GRAPHIC VIDEO...


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## Jaysand247 (Aug 19, 2012)

Wow . Stay in your car ! Sad news .


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## SwampRat (Jul 30, 2004)

Wow.


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## SafetyMan (Jan 3, 2012)

It sure looked liked the driver went out of his way not to avoid him.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

_http://www.kevinwardracing.com/photos.html_


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## elkhunter49 (Jun 7, 2004)

Did this happen recently?


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

elkhunter49 said:


> Did this happen recently?


last night


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## cubera (Mar 9, 2005)

Stewart will race today at Watkins Glen.


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## TIMBOv2 (Mar 18, 2010)

I've always wondered how long it would take to happen, if I had a black fire suit on and racing at night I think I would have stayed in the car and confronted him in the pits.


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## hippyfisher (Mar 24, 2009)

tbone2374 said:


> I couldn't help but notice the acceleration, at point of impact...


I read where people are saying that but i just dont see it. The audio is from the close side of the track so the engine rev you hear is not Tony's car. I personally dont think you really see anything until after the impact so its hard to say what happened. We have to remember its a dirt track and it looks like Kevin tried to jump in front of Tony, and if Tony swerved he likely just kicked his rear end out, which is what looks like hit Kevin.

Sad deal all around, I wish these guys would save the fights for the pit, walking out onto the track is useless and dangerous.


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## TexasVines (Jan 5, 2012)

SafetyMan said:


> It sure looked liked the driver went out of his way not to avoid him.


actually it pretty clearly looked like that guy went out of his way to get in front of a dirt track car which is probably the most out of control vehicle in track racing

it is a car race with lots of cars going fast on a dirt track and even when they slow down dirt tracks are still very slippery

also dirt track cars are direct drive there is no transmission to shift gears so when you are "idling" that is as slow as you are going to go and when you need to maneuver it will be different than a car with a transmission and a clutch ect


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

cubera said:


> Stewart will race today at Watkins Glen.


Yeah...read that. I really don't agree with that, at all!!! I think there is a different level of aggressiveness, with some of these Sprint Cup drivers. There certainly can not be the level of safety, in these dirt track cars, you see in the bigger circuit races, to say nothing of the experience level differences. Yes, I think you're right about the engine rev. Impossible on a video, to tell where that engine noise, came from! JM.02


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## TexasVines (Jan 5, 2012)

tbone2374 said:


> Yeah...read that. I really don't agree with that, at all!!! I think there is a different level of aggressiveness, with some of these Sprint Cup drivers. There certainly can not be the level of safety, in these dirt track cars, you see in the bigger circuit races, to say nothing of the experience level differences. JM.02


in reality though that was a very very very minor dirt track "wreck".....if the tire had not blown out that guy would have been right back in the race and soon as he got the car started and turned around

and more so to your post the guy was not killed because of the wreck he was killed (got himself killed) because he wanted to get out in the middle of the track and give Tony Stewart (Tony Stewarts car actually) a piece of his mind and get some "cred" and he found out unfortunately that a car is not something you tangle with on a dirt track when you are not thinking straight

that is hardly the first wreck like that on a dirt track and was probably not even the first wreck like that in that race

if it had not been Tony Stewart that guy most likely would have accepted it as a dirt track incident or at worst confronted the other driver in the pits or after the race......but he needed to prove something to everyone and put himself in great danger to do so and broke a written rule of dirt track racing dealing with being on the track


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Prayers for his Mom, Dad, Family, and friends. 20 yrs old, is way too soon for his life to be ending. He was doing what he loved. We all forget how fragile life can be...


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I admit my ignorance of racing, but it appears Kevin Ward was a total idiot in that video. Supposedly, all "accidents" are avoidable. In this case, it seems that maybe not walking around on a dirt race track at night during a race wearing a dark suit would have helped.

The power of suggestion is strong. In the video it is repeated that "Tony Stewart just hit that guy!" Why not "That guy just walked in front of Tony Stewart's car on a race track!" ??


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## DJ77360 (Jun 10, 2012)

Kevin was at fault when initial contact came before the crash. Tony was under him and had him beat coming out of the turn. There was no room on the outside, but Kevin didn't back off a hair to clear Tony, thus contact was made putting Kevin in the fence. He is a 20 year old and wants to point out to Tony that he wrecked him.....he did not. Kevin wrecked himself in my opinion. He then stepped into Tony's right rear that sticks out from the side of the car. IN MY OPINION it was purely an accident on the part of Tony for being too close to Kevin and Kevin stepping into the right rear tire. It looks to me that Tony tried to maneuver the car to keep from hitting him, but Kevin was too close. 
No, I was not there, but I have raced on dirt tracks for about 10 years in the past. I have seen this happen many, many times on the track. Others have been hit, but not killed as is the case here. It is a very tragic situation for both parties involved and my prayers go out to the family of Kevin Ward and to Tony Stewart. It will be a long time, if ever before Tony can get past what happened last night and focus going forward.
God Bless all parties involved.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Not good at all. I have never been to one of these races nor do I watch them on TV regulary. What comes to mind here, is the speed these guys are going w/ an accident has happened on the track....Are their CAUTION lights , flagmen etc. to slow these guys down quickly? One never knows when the Lord will calll you home. Condolences to the Family and may this young man RIP


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## czbrian (Aug 16, 2011)

After watching the video over multiple times and with the sound off, I'm not seeing any acceleration by Tony Stewart. He was coming around the turn a little faster and wider than the car in front of him but at about the 30 sec mark another car was going just as fast or faster and wider. That car came pretty close to hitting this guy as well. It looks like this was just a bone head move by the driver to get out of his car and walk into the middle of the track.


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## spike404 (Sep 13, 2010)

Some folks see a lot more than I do in about 1-1/2 seconds of an amateur video.


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## TexasVines (Jan 5, 2012)

czbrian said:


> After watching the video over multiple times and with the sound off, I'm not seeing any acceleration by Tony Stewart. He was coming around the turn a little faster and wider than the car in front of him but at about the 30 sec mark another car was going just as fast or faster and wider. That car came pretty close to hitting this guy as well. It looks like this was just a bone head move by the driver to get out of his car and walk into the middle of the track.


not only that after the blue and white car when by he moved even further into the track and turned to face Stewart head on

he had all the room in the world to stand 10' to 30' away and throw a helmet or a rock or a dirt clod

instead he tried to get as close as possible to a car in a very aggressive way and more than likely lost track of the fact that the rear tires are much wider than the front and then it was too late


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## willt (Jan 3, 2009)

The glare from the lights of a dirt track at night ,looking through staked up tear offs. The amount dust generated from a track full sprinters is enough alone to cause this.


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## smokinguntoo (Mar 28, 2012)

I seriously doubt that Tony saw him until perhaps milliseconds before the impact. Worst case scenario is that Stewart MAY have seen the guy at the last second and blipped the throttle in an effort to turn left and miss him. He sure as heck didn't strike him intentionally. You drive a sprint car with the throttle. Tragic racing accident fueled by a young driver's impulsive emotions. Sorry for the young man, his family and Tony.

SG2


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

Note To Self...NEVER walk out into oncoming traffic to have a discussion with someone...ESPECIALLY when wearing black at night. hwell:


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## mstrelectricman (Jul 10, 2009)

Count me in the group that says the guy killed was an idiot. I'd bet there will be rule changes to make sure this doesn't happen again. All involved will need prayers.
Stupid actions bring bad results.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

It's sad that a guy died. But lets face it that was a very stupid thing to do. With that being said it did not look like Tony Stewart tried to avoid him much either and may have even tried to initiate contact.

But then again Tony is not known for being a "class act" either.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> It's sad that a guy died. But lets face it that was a very stupid thing to do. With that being said it did not look like Tony Stewart tried to avoid him much either and may have even tried to initiate contact.
> 
> But then again Tony is not known for being a "class act" either.


So you're willing to go on record officially accusing Tony Stewart of murder? It was an accident. You try to dodge something that close, on dirt, at night, with lousy visual conditions, using a car that's all but uncontrollable. Let's see how it works out for you.


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## Shrimpy26 (Oct 25, 2013)

Got to work early this morning and one of the guys on shift found a video online shot from the OTHER side of the track (looking at the approaching cars directly). In that video, the blue and white car swerves to miss the kid, and Tony seemed to not see him, then turns left and blips the throttle to try to drive down on the track. There was no sound on the video, but you get a COMPLETELY different perspective. However, that video was pulled off of youtube at around 6:45am. He can't find it now, and has been searching like crazy.

I am not a nascar fan, but will occasionally watch a race on tv. I am kinda like some others who say if dressed in black, at night, on a dark track, stay in your car.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

dwilliams35 said:


> So you're willing to go on record officially accusing Tony Stewart of murder? It was an accident. You try to dodge something that close, on dirt, at night, with lousy visual conditions, using a car that's all but uncontrollable. Let's see how it works out for you.


Nobody is accusing anyone of anything except the guy getting out of his car of being stupid. But when I watch the video it looks to me as if he revs his engine fish tales and hits the idiot.

Considering Stewart's past it would not surprise me.


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## JOHNNY QUEST (Mar 6, 2006)

Now I'm gunna need some popcorn hwell:


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> Nobody is accusing anyone of anything except the guy getting out of his car of being stupid. But when I watch the video it looks to me as if he revs his engine fish tales and hits the idiot.
> 
> Considering Stewart's past it would not surprise me.


 You do know that throttle modulation is a big, big part of steering one of those, right?


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## DeepBlueGulf (Jan 18, 2005)

I watched the video several times and it is tragic to say the least. You can see the 45 car swerve a bit when Ward comes walking down the track, and with Stewart following him, he may never have seen Ward in time to avoid hitting him. Very tragic ending, but I don't think there was any intention by Stewart to hit Ward. Very sad for Ward's family and Stewart and his team. On ESPN, Ricky Craven is doing a great job of keeping things cool and not letting the media spin this into something it isn't. Tom - DeepBlueGulf


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Do some stop action*

The guy walked into the back tire - the fish tail was a result of Stewarts tire contacting the guy - there was no acceleration going on - tragic


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Tony won't race in todays Watkins Glen. It's the right thing to do. Hes an aggressive driver, but not mean spirited. There is a reason they call these "accidents". 
http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/sto...struck-killed-racer-in-sprint-car-race-081014


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## Billygoat (Feb 1, 2013)

I've been to a dozen or so of these races, and they certainly don't get much traction in the corners. Looks like Tony blipped the throttle to try to get lower in the corner to avoid him. The cars are usually sideways the whole way through the corner and a lot of them kind of slingshot from out-far in the corner leading in, to the apex about 3/4 around the turn.They always look to struggle with keeping a line when going slow after the mud has been turned to glass. 

Never would have happened if he stayed in his car.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

dwilliams35 said:


> You do know that throttle modulation is a big, big part of steering one of those, right?


One could make the argument that the "throttle modulation" ended up with the car performing exactly the way Stewart wanted it to.

When I watch the video objectively I see a blue car steer away from the guy and I see Stewart do exactly the opposite...


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## Oceola (Mar 25, 2007)

DJ77360 said:


> Kevin was at fault when initial contact came before the crash. Tony was under him and had him beat coming out of the turn. There was no room on the outside, but Kevin didn't back off a hair to clear Tony, thus contact was made putting Kevin in the fence. He is a 20 year old and wants to point out to Tony that he wrecked him.....he did not. Kevin wrecked himself in my opinion. He then stepped into Tony's right rear that sticks out from the side of the car. IN MY OPINION it was purely an accident on the part of Tony for being too close to Kevin and Kevin stepping into the right rear tire. It looks to me that Tony tried to maneuver the car to keep from hitting him, but Kevin was too close.
> No, I was not there, but I have raced on dirt tracks for about 10 years in the past. I have seen this happen many, many times on the track. Others have been hit, but not killed as is the case here. It is a very tragic situation for both parties involved and my prayers go out to the family of Kevin Ward and to Tony Stewart. It will be a long time, if ever before Tony can get past what happened last night and focus going forward.
> God Bless all parties involved.


 Exactly...x2


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> One could make the argument that the "throttle modulation" ended up with the car performing exactly the way Stewart wanted it to.
> 
> When I watch the video objectively I see a blue car steer away from the guy and I see Stewart do exactly the opposite...


 I can't see it. Most of any evasive move is off-screen in that video: looks to me like he was trying to steer away from him, started to lose the back end to the right, goosed the throttle to bring it back around straight and head down on the track, and it didn't swing around in time to avoid the idiot standing in the middle of the track... Steering is just more of a guideline on dirt: the throttle and what you do with it is what sends the car in any given direction.


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## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

Billygoat said:


> I've been to a dozen or so of these races, and they certainly don't get much traction in the corners. Looks like Tony blipped the throttle to try to get lower in the corner to avoid him. The cars are usually sideways the whole way through the corner and a lot of them kind of slingshot from out-far in the corner leading in, to the apex about 3/4 around the turn.They always look to struggle with keeping a line when going slow after the mud has been turned to glass.
> 
> Never would have happened if he stayed in his car.


That's the single one thing that could have prevented his death. You never enter a track surface when cars are present!


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

At 35 sec. into this vid ( the angle that wasn't polled from youtube ) the driver gets struck ...

At 43 sec. into this vid an ATV is seen ( bottom left of the screen )

At 44 sec. into the vid a truck polls onto the track to give aid.

At 24 sec. into this vid it was clear the driver was coming out of the car toward the track ...

At 26 sec. into this vid it was clear the driver was gunning for Stewart ...

The track security sure shut down the track fast after the driver was killed ... they did it in 8 sec. , so where were they when it was clear this driver was going out into the track 11 sec. before he was hit ?

Do these cars not have breaks ? ( I don't know .... never been around one ) .

I will say this ... " The manager for Stewart is our cold blooded uncaring human being "

Here's a quote " Earlier Sunday morning, Zipadelli told reporters that Stewart would take part in the race, saying it was "business as usual." Zipadelli later told Fox Sports that Stewart is "going through a tough time, it's emotional for him."

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Sports/2014/08/10/LA-Times-Stewart-Will-not-Race-Today

Business as usual ?? Stewart going through a tough time ?? It's emotional for him ????

Clearly this man ( Zipadelli ) does not care at all about the dead man, the dead drivers family, parents and grandparents , friends , girlfriend, or fans.

I can't imagine how emotional it is for the Ward Family, friends, and fans today especially after reading some of the comments here and on other blogs.

Prayers for the Ward Family ....

*MB*


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

MB said:


> I will say this ... " The manager for Stewart is our cold blooded uncaring human being "
> 
> Here's a quote " Earlier Sunday morning, Zipadelli told reporters that Stewart would take part in the race, saying it was "business as usual." Zipadelli later told Fox Sports that Stewart is "going through a tough time, it's emotional for him."
> 
> ...


 Kind of a catch-22 for them: if they race, they're cold uncaring individuals. If they don't, they obviously have something to hide. They've still got a business to run, the dirt-track stuff on friday nights is obviously somewhat of a (relatively) small part of the "brand"... The general practice is that the show goes on: if the manager went off the reservation as far as tact goes, that's' another problem; I wouldn't have been surprised if Stewart was racing today if the way that was handled wasn't botched so severely.. They've gone from "we hate that we were involved in such a tragic accident, and we'll be dedicating our team's efforts to Kevin's memory in the race tomorrow", to full-blown damage control after one interview..


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Two things we can take away from this tragic accident.

!.) The young man made a very stupid life threatening move.

2.) Tony Stewart is the A-hole we all knew he was.


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> Two things we can take away from this tragic accident.
> 
> !.) The young man made a very stupid life threatening move.
> 
> 2.) Tony Stewart is the A-hole we all knew he was.


Two things I see ...

1) Tony Stewart put Kevin Ward in the wall

2) Tony Stewart put Keven Ward in the dirt 

*MB*


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

Tragic occurrence.

Tony Stewart will never be the same. Never.

( he didn't race at Watkins glen today)


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

Tony should hire a lawyer. His racing career is probably over.


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## driftfish20 (May 13, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> It's sad that a guy died. But lets face it that was a very stupid thing to do. With that being said it did not look like Tony Stewart tried to avoid him much either and may have even tried to initiate contact.
> 
> But then again Tony is not known for being a "class act" either.


SMH!


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Stumpgrinder said:


> Tragic occurrence.
> 
> Tony Stewart will never be the same. Never.
> 
> ( he didn't race at Watkins glen today)


X2 very sad deal


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## Mick R. (Apr 21, 2011)

Bad deal all the way around - I can't imagine what the heck the kid was thinking, running around the track like that.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

I need to call up my parents and tell them "yep, mom and dad, when ya'll told me not to ever run out into traffic, ya'll were right. go figure".


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## Mr. Breeze (Jan 6, 2005)

Prayers for his mom / dad and all involved. Must be devastating for them. God Bless.

http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/sto...r-driver-killed-in-sprint-car-accident-081014


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Just looked at this link I got off the drudge report ... Read the comments here ...

http://deadspin.com/reports-tony-stewart-ran-over-opposing-driver-during-1618893708

This one got especially got to me

Quote: " WAS AT SPEEDWAY AND RIGHT NEAR TONY STEWARTS RACE HAULER.AFTER HE CAME IN HE HAD THE CREW CHAGE HIS RIGHT REAR TIRE .THEY ENDED UP PUTTING A LEFT ONE ON. COPS WERE TOLD ABOUT IT SO HOPEFULLY THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. HE ALSO HAD A GO PRO CAMERA ON HIS CAR HOPEFULLY THEY CONFISCATE THAT ALSO BEFORE THAT GETS DESTROYED. HEARD THE YOUNG DRIVER DIDN'T MAKE IT AND I HOPE IT'S NOT TRUE BUT THEY WOULDN'T BRING TONY OUT UNTIL ALL OTHER HAULERS WERE GONE .ALOT OF POLICE AROUND HIS HAULER ALONG WITH HIS PERSONEL SECURITY. HOPE IF THIS IS ALL TRUE WHAT HAPPENED ON THE TRACK THAT HE DOESN'T GET AWAY WITH IT. HE FINALLY LET HIS TEMPER GET THE BEST OF HIM........ "

*MB*


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

Sad deal. My Gf and her Ex(husband) were in the racing scene. In fact he still races. They started in dirt and then onto track. She even said, I doubt he meant to hit him. Maybe throw some dirt on him as he passed. As she told me, you never leave the car while on the track if you don't have too. Also Tony has anger problems, she doesn't care for him at all. Prayers to his family, sad deal.


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Here is Stewart getting pinned in a turn just like he pinned Kevin Ward and than forcing a crash that took both cars out of the race ... He then came after the driver of car 17 entering the road ( almost the same thing Kevin Ward did ) and throwing his helmet hitting the car, but not getting hit by a car fishtailing as it passed. The most damming statement made was at the end of the press interview.






*MB*


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Yeah... entirely different situation, surface, experience level, bevel and condition of track... I see NO comparison , to that incident, at all!


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

tbone2374 said:


> Yeah... entirely different situation, surface, experience level, bevel and condition of track... I see NO comparison , to that incident, at all!


Like comparing apples to bull dozers


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

MB said:


> Just looked at this link I got off the drudge report ... Read the comments here ...
> 
> http://deadspin.com/reports-tony-stewart-ran-over-opposing-driver-during-1618893708
> 
> ...


Yes, he has a temper.... not a part of this, though!


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

http://t.sports.msn.com/nascar/remembering-kevin-ward-jr-driver-killed-in-sprint-car-accident God bless and comfort the family... so very sad!


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## marshhunter (Mar 20, 2008)

Its Catchy said:


> Two things we can take away from this tragic accident.
> 
> !.) The young man made a very stupid life threatening move.
> 
> 2.) Tony Stewart is the A-hole we all knew he was.


you sure seem to have something against stewart


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

tbone2374 said:


> Yeah... entirely different situation, surface, experience level, bevel and condition of track... I see NO comparison , to that incident, at all!


Stewart got pinned ... ( surface / condition of the tract ... irrelevant ) Then He got mad because his car was taken out of the race and blamed #17 ... ( looks like he had the expreience to know first hand how mad a driver gets when you pin him and take his car out of the race. ) And then the first chance he had to confront #17 was when it came driving toward him and he moves out into the lane. ( sounds like the same thing Kevin Ward did and since Stewart was involved in the same kinda angry conflict and has that experience he might have anticipated Kevin Ward doing the same thing he did. ) The only differance is it was a nascar on what looks like a pit ramp ... Everything else. ( pinned , crash , mad , enters road in angry confrontational manor to attac the other driver. ) is identical.

*MB*


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

MB said:


> Stewart got pinned ... ( surface / condition of the tract ... irrelevant ) Then He got mad because his car was taken out of the race and blamed #17 ... ( looks like he had the expreience to know first hand how mad a driver gets when you pin him and take his car out of the race. ) And then the first chance he had to confront #17 was when it came driving toward him and he moves out into the lane. ( sounds like the same thing Kevin Ward did and since Stewart was involved in the same kinda angry conflict and has that experience he might have anticipated Kevin Ward doing the same thing he did. ) The only differance is it was a nascar on what looks like a pit ramp ... Everything else. ( pinned , crash , mad , enters road in angry confrontational manor to attac the other driver. ) is identical.
> 
> *MB*


WOW... what planet, are you from??? Track surface and conditions, are EVERYTHING. Do you really, really, think, about what you're saying before you open an orifice? Just amazing. God rewards compassion, with , compassion...hope you never have family issus, and turmoil. (for your family sake)


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## 1fastmerc (Aug 12, 2012)

MB said:


> Here is Stewart getting pinned in a turn just like he pinned Kevin Ward and than forcing a crash that took both cars out of the race ... He then came after the driver of car 17 entering the road ( almost the same thing Kevin Ward did ) and throwing his helmet hitting the car, but not getting hit by a car fishtailing as it passed. The most damming statement made was at the end of the press interview.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do you really think he really meant that he was going to run him over. You don't see to many drivers running around the track at Nascar or sprint car races. I think it was intended as he would take his car out every chance he received.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

As I see it:

1. I have never driven a sprint car.
2. I am a Stewart fan.
3. I have been to many sprint car races.
4. I can't tell from the video what Stewart did when he approached Ward on the track and out of the car.
5. I saw nothing unusual that caused the initial incident. That is racing.
6. Stewart is a very intensely competitive driver, as are most of the top drivers.
7. Stewart has had anger issues, but I've seen situations up close where he could have, and maybe should have, gotten very mad and didn't.
8. I'm not a mind reader like some others that posted what Ward and Stewart were thinking.


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## Gearman (Nov 13, 2012)

I posted this on another discussion on this forum. This is my opinion on the accident.


You really have to understand how sprint cars work as they are different that most other race cars. In fact when you let off hard on a sprint car the car wants to turn right. It is very simular to a boat as it drives better under throttle instead of breaking or coasting. These cars really don't have good braking systems. In fact a guy I used to help run a sprint car would race with little to no braking pressure. So with that being said as they went into turn one tony did a slide job on the kid and there is a good chance he didn't even know the kid spun out as contact is normal and you don't look backwards in those cars. Depending on how the track is setup there us a chance he didn't see the caution until turn 4 which comes quick, then it is not uncommon for cars to race to the start/finish to gain a spot under caution which happens sometimes , remember this isn't nascar. Next thing you know Tony is coming hard into turn 1 and he has a kid running at him, I believe he got on it to try and have getter control of the car and it didn't work. Also keep in mind this Kid had a black fire suit and half the time drivers have mud and dirt on there helmet and there are many blind spots on these cars. The main problem is he got out of his car while cars were still trying to slow down. Had the car before tony hit this kid as he almost did we would not have heard hardly anything about this. What I would like to know is was this kid a hot head who was known to blow up at other drivers when things didn't go his way. There are a lot of rich kids that have attuides in the sprint car circuit that ever time something doesn't go there way they get ****** and start trouble. That's Stewarts problem is he has grown up racing in that world and he still thinks he can do it in nascar. Very sad thing that happened either way , my heart goes out to everyone involved, but for people that don't understand the sport of sprint car racing I don't think you should be talking about how tony should be charged with murder as that is a very ignorant comment. A person died in a very very dangerous sport because of one thing and that was he broke a rule and got out of his car, plain and simple


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

tbone2374 said:


> WOW... what planet, are you from??? Track surface and conditions, are EVERYTHING. Do you really, really, think, about what you're saying before you open an orifice? Just amazing. God rewards compassion, with , compassion...hope you never have family *issus*, and turmoil. (for your family sake)


Issues FIFY

Track surface has nothing to do with defensive track moves like " pinning " which occurs in most 4 wheel Motorsport racing events like the one in the vid I posted up ...

A yellow caution resulting from a car (#14 ) pinning and causing another driver to crash ( #13 ) creates a yellow flag caution condition which I thought meant to slow way down and be ready to stop quickly due to a wreck ( in this case car #14 caused ) and possibly debris in or on the racing surface ( again in this case the driver of car #13 trying to aggressively engage the driver that caused the caution to begin with ).

No one stopped until Kevin Ward was killed ...

Does this now mean that under a yellow caution flag ( regardless of track surface and condition, regardless of event type such as nascar or dirt track race, weather it's day or night, raining, windy, or clear all drivers should go as fast as they can get away with to get back to the starting line until someone is killed and then stop?

It's hard to predict how a jury will interpret this event ... Mr. Stewart's atty. is going to face a lot worse than the man from another planet. There may be other vid's we have not seen that show a different angle and give a different perspective like the possible go pro camera suggested may have been on in Stewarts car in one of the comments on one of the links posted. I can't see this being tried as a homicide ... I can see yellow caution flag rule changes coming as a result of this tragedy.

*MB*


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Very bad deal prayers to the kids family


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## DJ77360 (Jun 10, 2012)

In my experience in dirt track racing, during the drivers pre race meetings drivers are always told to remain in your car while on the track until help arrives in the case of an accident. Mr Ward failed to do this and unfortunately, it cost him his life.
Mr Stewart is not guilty of any crime in my opinion.
God Bless all concerned.


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## A6TEXAN (Apr 2, 2010)

Its Catchy said:


> Two things we can take away from this tragic accident.
> 
> !.) The young man made a very stupid life threatening move.
> 
> 2.) Tony Stewart is the A-hole we all knew he was.


X2 !


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

Some 2Coolers with good debating skills need to call Sports Radio 610. Ted Johnson & Nick Wright are talking about it right now. 713.572.4610


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Come out here to the country on a dirt road after a light drizzle. have your low beams on and be going as fast as Stewart was going and have a deer jump out in front of you, no...... a black bear. See what happens when you try to avoid hitting it, when it appears out of no-where. Put a helmet on and have a dirty windshields too. I don't think your reaction time will be as good as you think it would be. You will probably plow right in to that bear.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

View of passenger side of one of these things









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gearman (Nov 13, 2012)

No one is going to stop their sprint car because someone spun high in a corner. Believe it or not Tony was actually going pretty slow for a sprint car at the time but I do believe he was coming off the gas from the 4th turn. Dirt track racing is bad about racing under caution on simple yellows. I don't think anyone disagree getting out if the car was a big mistake. Had the number 45 car hit him we would have never heard anything about it as it would be just another sprint car accident which seem to happen a lot.


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Gearman said:


> No one is going to stop their sprint car because someone spun high in a corner. Believe it or not Tony was actually going pretty slow for a sprint car at the time but I do believe he was coming off the gas from the 4th turn. Dirt track racing is bad about racing under caution on simple yellows. I don't think anyone disagree getting out if the car was a big mistake. Had the number 45 car hit him we would have never heard anything about it as it would be just another sprint car accident which seem to happen a lot.


How many sprint car drivers have gotten out of their cars and been run over and killed in the last ... say ... 10 years ??

*MB*


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

spike404 said:


> Some folks see a lot more than I do in about 1-1/2 seconds of an amateur video.


Start and stop the video like I did and you can see a lot more.


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## spike404 (Sep 13, 2010)

baytownboy said:


> Start and stop the video like I did and you can see a lot more.


 I did. It is still a very fuzzy amateur video with no clarity.


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## driftfish20 (May 13, 2006)

Gearman said:


> I posted this on another discussion on this forum. This is my opinion on the accident.
> 
> You really have to understand how sprint cars work as they are different that most other race cars. In fact when you let off hard on a sprint car the car wants to turn right. It is very simular to a boat as it drives better under throttle instead of breaking or coasting. These cars really don't have good braking systems. In fact a guy I used to help run a sprint car would race with little to no braking pressure. So with that being said as they went into turn one tony did a slide job on the kid and there is a good chance he didn't even know the kid spun out as contact is normal and you don't look backwards in those cars. Depending on how the track is setup there us a chance he didn't see the caution until turn 4 which comes quick, then it is not uncommon for cars to race to the start/finish to gain a spot under caution which happens sometimes , remember this isn't nascar. Next thing you know Tony is coming hard into turn 1 and he has a kid running at him, I believe he got on it to try and have getter control of the car and it didn't work. Also keep in mind this Kid had a black fire suit and half the time drivers have mud and dirt on there helmet and there are many blind spots on these cars. The main problem is he got out of his car while cars were still trying to slow down. Had the car before tony hit this kid as he almost did we would not have heard hardly anything about this. What I would like to know is was this kid a hot head who was known to blow up at other drivers when things didn't go his way. There are a lot of rich kids that have attuides in the sprint car circuit that ever time something doesn't go there way they get ****** and start trouble. That's Stewarts problem is he has grown up racing in that world and he still thinks he can do it in nascar. Very sad thing that happened either way , my heart goes out to everyone involved, but for people that don't understand the sport of sprint car racing I don't think you should be talking about how tony should be charged with murder as that is a very ignorant comment. A person died in a very very dangerous sport because of one thing and that was he broke a rule and got out of his car, plain and simple


Thank you for that spot on perspective. Very well said, Sir!


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## Gearman (Nov 13, 2012)

MB that is a fact I can't answer because there is no way to track it but I can tell you it is dangerous to run them, work on them and be in the pits with them. I have seen a few people in the pits run over not paying attention. The way they are started and the fact they don't have a transmission to shift into neutral makes them pretty crazy to be around. All I am pointing out is sprintcar racing is a very complex and dangerous form of racing, jumping out of your car and trying to start a fight during a yellow takes it to another level of dangerous. I have seen **** you couldn't even make up at a dirt track, no one that drives a sprintcar has any fear what so ever.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Gearman said:


> MB that is a fact I can't answer because there is no way to track it but I can tell you it is dangerous to run them, work on them and be in the pits with them. I have seen a few people in the pits run over not paying attention. The way they are started and the fact they don't have a transmission to shift into neutral makes them pretty crazy to be around. All I am pointing out is sprintcar racing is a very complex and dangerous form of racing, jumping out of your car and trying to start a fight during a yellow takes it to another level of dangerous. I have seen **** you couldn't even make up at a dirt track, no one that drives a sprintcar has any fear what so ever.


 X2
Some of you folks posting about this don't know jack and need to go back to watching baseball and taking a nap.
I'm done here.


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Are all sprint cars outlaw cars with no transmission ??

*MB*


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

MB said:


> Are all sprint cars outlaw cars with no transmission ??
> 
> *MB*


 You don't know enough to ask a serious question. Go educate yourself. Do you need instructions to use Google?
TROLL


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## Gearman (Nov 13, 2012)

Yes all sprint cars are direct drive, you engage them then the car is started by being pushed by a push car. If you are driving and the car gets pulled out of engagement you can not re engage it again. To stop the field creates a ton of work getting everyone everyone started back up again.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

http://www.world-sprintcar-guide.com/


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

Gearman said:


> Yes all sprint cars are direct drive, you engage them then the car is started by being pushed by a push car. If you are driving and the car gets pulled out of engagement you can not re engage it again. To stop the field creates a ton of work getting everyone everyone started back up again.


Thanks for letting me know ... I had no idea all sprint cars were outlaws so ... it makes sense that no one would stop during a yellow caution flag ...

What doesn't make sense is why the guy before you labeled me a troll. LOL

For the record ... I try to avoid allowing google to track me and giving all that info to the NSA ... And no I don't have any tinfoil or hair on my head either. :slimer:

*MB*


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

MB said:


> Thanks for letting me know ... I had no idea all sprint cars were outlaws so ... it makes sense that no one would stop during a yellow caution flag ...
> 
> What doesn't make sense is why the guy before you labeled me a troll. LOL
> 
> ...


I guess I'm not done.

What are you calling "outlaw"? Define that.

Sprint cars have been around for decades. USAC has sanctioned sprint cars since AAA got out in the 1950's. There is a sanctioning body that was formed in the 1970's that is named "World of Outlaws".

A yellow flag does not mean stop. It means slow down. A red flag means stop.

TROLL: you are picking a fight and just stirring the pot.

NSA tracking you...I doubt it.

You might want to check for the tinfoil.


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## Gearman (Nov 13, 2012)

I am guessing he was asking about the outlaw cars which are really the same car as all the other sprint cars but they run 410cubic in motor where there cars that Stewart was running last night is the 360 class, it is the most common class where they mix it up is some tracks run a 360 carbureted car and some will tun fuel injected, very big difference in these 2 style cars. ASCS runs 360 fuel injected, every once in awhile a track will have a 305 race or series. All running the same frame and gears, little to no brakes


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## MB (Mar 6, 2006)

redexpress said:


> I guess I'm not done.
> 
> What are you calling "outlaw"? Define that.
> 
> ...


I never start fights and really hate fighting ... Why didn't you answer the question the way gearman did ?? His answer was informative and educational not combative.

To answer the other question .. I went to dirt track races back in the mid eighties and the people there referred to some of the cars racing as outlaws ... There were several types of cars racing on the evenings I attended. I had no idea which dirt track cars had transmissions and which ones ran without them ... and they were all loud as he!! too and many people brought ear plugs. The cars described as outlaws were the only cars I was told had no transmissions.

I don't attend auto races or watch auto races on TV either so I'm uneducated on this topic ... What I do know is there are millions of people just like me who may be asking the very same questions I am and looking for truthful answers to this tragedy and will be willing to listen to reasonable explanations. Tony Stewart better hope his atty. ( if this goes to court ) is like gearman if he hopes for a decent outcome.

*MB*


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Gearman said:


> I am guessing he was asking about the outlaw cars which are really the same car as all the other sprint cars but they run 410cubic in motor where there cars that Stewart was running last night is the 360 class, it is the most common class where they mix it up is some tracks run a 360 carbureted car and some will tun fuel injected, very big difference in these 2 style cars. ASCS runs 360 fuel injected, every once in awhile a track will have a 305 race or series. All running the same frame and gears, little to no brakes


 I'm very familiar.
In fact they do run brakes and frequently control the car with them to the extent that the brake discs are glowing red throughout the race.
MB apparently has no interest in reading the link I posted for him.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

These are USAC sprint cars showing the progression from 1930/40's to current. The #15 being oldest, #14 is AJ Foyt sprinter from 1960's, to #20 Tony Stewart Racing sprint car.
All pics taken at Eldora Speedway September 2013. Yes, I'm going back this year.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

marshhunter said:


> you sure seem to have something against stewart


Not really, but from watching the video over and over it's clear he did not try to avoid the idiot. Watch the blue car before him steer clear and then watch Stewart's actions.


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## driftfish20 (May 13, 2006)

redexpress said:


> As I see it:
> 
> 1. I have never driven a sprint car.
> 2. I am a Stewart fan.
> ...


^^^This!


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## willt (Jan 3, 2009)

Strap your self in a full containment seat, head sock, helmet ,Hans or any other type of neck restraint and you will fully understand how this could happen. Any speculation from anyone with zero seat time in one of these cars have no idea what limited right side vision you have. Not to mention looking out for the track crew while going thru that affected area of the track. I don't care how much of an a- hole you folks think Tony is, he wouldn't intentional do this. This stuff happens I have witnessed it myself, never fatal but have seen it several times.


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## texasjellyfish (Jan 23, 2006)

Condolences to the family,
Nobody in the racing community ever wants to see this happen.
The #14 car.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

willt said:


> Strap your self in a full containment seat, head sock, helmet ,Hans or any other type of neck restraint and you will fully understand how this could happen. Any speculation from anyone with zero seat time in one of these cars have no idea what limited right side vision you have. Not to mention looking out for the track crew while going thru that affected area of the track. I don't care how much of an a- hole you folks think Tony is, he wouldn't intentional do this. This stuff happens I have witnessed it myself, never fatal but have seen it several times.


 Very well said sir.


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## Doubless (Aug 22, 2005)

Wow! Not hard to figure out who the tunnel-visioned Tony Stewart fans are...

We are going to crucify an already dead youngster for doing exactly the same thing Tony Stewart did when he felt like he was wronged? 'Splain me that... 

Here is what I see:

Tony Stewart is a professional, and if you watch what he did on the previous lap, it appears to me he spun the car behind him intentionally. Stewart is a man among boys on this track; he can slice bologna with either bumper on his car; admit it.

He is also a hothead; everyone who has ever watched any NASCAR knows that.

The car in front of Stewart's intentionally steered around the young man on the track and Stewart CAN'T? BS!!!!! Watch the video; amateur or not, Stewart got even with the young man, then intentionally revved the motor and kicked the car to the right. THAT will come out in court; watch for it. What Stewart couldn't predict was that the tire would roll over the young man and drag him down the track. It is plain to me that Stewart's intention was to bump the other driver with a tire, and his hotheaded move went south. 

Way too late in coming... he is a problem, and now his hot-headedness has caused him a REAL issue. 

I hope he is done... He is an egomaniac, and deserves to have been run out of racing long ago for doing exactly what he did on that dirt track on Saturday night: let his temper get the best of him...


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

I agree but he should have stayed in his car


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## ByGodTx (Sep 15, 2010)

Guy doesnt have a great rep with other drivers, Im betting many of them see his cars movement as deliberate. Criminally , they can't prove it either way.


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## A6TEXAN (Apr 2, 2010)

Doubless said:


> Wow! Not hard to figure out who the tunnel-visioned Tony Stewart fans are...
> 
> We are going to crucify an already dead youngster for doing exactly the same thing Tony Stewart did when he felt like he was wronged? 'Splain me that...
> 
> ...


absolute best statement in this thread.


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## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

A6TEXAN said:


> absolute best statement in this thread.


These kinds of statements confirm the trolls are out in force (not to mention they've never been to or watched a sprint car race EVER). the so called intentional spin was nothing more than a bump that happens pretty much every lap of every sprint car race!


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## jetbuilt (May 4, 2010)

These type of threads confirm that arguing on the internet, is indeed, absolutely retarded!


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## Billygoat (Feb 1, 2013)

Those two drivers came into the corner on 2 completely different lines. 

Easy to tell who the Stewart haters are too, ready to crucify him because they KNOW he did it on purpose because he's a hothead... Some of you people are unreal.


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## 2slick (Dec 5, 2008)

I hate the youngster got killed.......but what he did was the equivalent of going to a gun fight with a knife. Others, including Stewart, that have done so have been lucky.


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## geezuphosdn (Jun 5, 2006)

hippyfisher said:


> I read where people are saying that but i just dont see it. The audio is from the close side of the track so the engine rev you hear is not Tony's car. I personally dont think you really see anything until after the impact so its hard to say what happened. We have to remember its a dirt track and it looks like Kevin tried to jump in front of Tony, and if Tony swerved he likely just kicked his rear end out, which is what looks like hit Kevin.
> 
> Sad deal all around, I wish these guys would save the fights for the pit, walking out onto the track is useless and dangerous.


"The audio is from the close side of the track so the engine rev you hear is not Tony's car"

How do you know the audio was from the close side of the track. It coincides with the rear end of tony's car swerving and hitting the guy. I'm not race fan, and yes I know sound travels relatively slowly, but to me it appears he gunned the throttle to make the rear of his car swing to the right. Did he mean to hit him...NO, but probably meant to scare him by slinging the rear of his car as close to the guy as possible. And yes, I agree, the guy was an idiot for getting out of his car.


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## Waymore (Jul 6, 2011)

I have driven dirt track cars for 20 + years, most of them in a wing modified type of car. The wing mods are similar to the sprints and handle about the same. Iam a fan of Tony Stewart but agree he is hot headed. The op's vidio is the only one I've seen and it appears to show that Tony did accelerate at the point he hit the young man. It is my opinion that he intended to sling mud on him, but I don't have the ability to read Tony's mind. As another has said if you look how low the right front wing panel is, you have very restricted view in that area. A vidio may surface that shows the oncoming view of the cars and it would be very interesting to see.. I also think that the inital wreck was just a racing deal and happens all the time. Kinda like two people trying to occupy the same real estate at the same time, in other words competition...


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## devil1824 (Sep 4, 2010)

the revving was on the front stretch


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

SlickWillie said:


> I hate the youngster got killed...


I'm leaning towards suicide....Can't imagine being that ignorant.


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## DCAVA (Aug 5, 2013)

Terrible deal all the way around!


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## GulfCoast1102 (Dec 30, 2013)

Sad deal, but i can't see how anyone but Kevin Ward is responsible. No disrespect to the deceased, but he had no business at all getting out of the car. He was hot headed and wanted to throw down in the middle of a busy race track. It cost him his life.


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## SURF Buster (Feb 17, 2008)

I just wonder how many of these "Experts" on what they appear to see from a short clip will volunteer their expertise on the stand if this was to ever go to trial?


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Congrats to the Dinger on his win yesterday!! Great come back story....


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## misbhavn (Nov 19, 2010)

I'm not a race fan but i'ts a sad situation that a young man died. Condolences to the man's family and to Tony Stewart. With that said:

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.


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## Knot Kidding (Jan 7, 2009)

devil1824 said:


> the revving was on the front stretch


Can't see that side at all from in the car.


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## jetbuilt (May 4, 2010)

Most of the people arguing this on the internet today have very little idea on what goes into handling that sprint car, it's absolutely nothing like what most people drive, with the exception of the pedals and the steering wheel. I bet most of the mechanically inclined people reading this would have a hard time getting the **** thing started their first time out! Strapped in hard against the seat, head and neck restrained, night race with bright lights shining off of dirty tear offs, dust dirt and rubber flying through the air continuously inhibiting vision, methanol fumes buring your eyes, rock guard in front of your face that rapidly collects mud/dirt/rocks,the inability to look behind you and very limited visibility to the right of you due to the wing, direct drive setup (there is no transmission, it's either in gear or it's not), huge staggered tire setup (one piece rear axle with no differential), up to 410cubic inches of powerplant capable of producing 900 horsepower, and an idle speed of 35-45MPH. Now consider the staggered tires, lack of differential, low rear tire pressure, and imagine how that car handles at low speed in a straight line. Now that you've got it fired up and rolling at idle speed, you apply the trottle and the car pulls to the left and you fight it to keep it going straight. Now you're entering turn 1 and you have to get on the throttle to make the car go through the turn as it won't turn worth a **** without the gas pedal. Keep this up all night and you might win a heat race at the local dirt track. These guys are seasoned drivers, many of them spending their entire lives behind the wheel of a race car. Getting out of the car in a wreck is actually the smart thing to do. . .because a methanol fire doesn't burn bright and pretty like a gasoline fire does, it's barely visible. Getting over the high side wall is priority number one, walking down into the race lane is absolutely ridiculous given the nature of sprint car racing. I feel bad for both parties, but 20 year old Kevin Ward Jr would be alive and well today if he didn't walk down in front of that race car. Who knows what Tony Stewart intended, but I doubt he meant to kill a fellow racer that night. Racing is a big boy game and it comes with serious consequences.


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## warcat (May 22, 2004)

jetcycles said:


> Most of the people arguing this on the internet today have very little idea on what goes into handling that sprint car, it's absolutely nothing like what most people drive, with the exception of the pedals and the steering wheel. I bet most of the mechanically inclined people reading this would have a hard time getting the **** thing started their first time out! Strapped in hard against the seat, head and neck restrained, night race with bright lights shining off of dirty tear offs, dust dirt and rubber flying through the air continuously inhibiting vision, methanol fumes buring your eyes, rock guard in front of your face that rapidly collects mud/dirt/rocks,the inability to look behind you and very limited visibility to the right of you due to the wing, direct drive setup (there is no transmission, it's either in gear or it's not), huge staggered tire setup (one piece rear axle with no differential), up to 410cubic inches of powerplant capable of producing 900 horsepower, and an idle speed of 35-45MPH. Now consider the staggered tires, lack of differential, low rear tire pressure, and imagine how that car handles at low speed in a straight line. Now that you've got it fired up and rolling at idle speed, you apply the trottle and the car pulls to the left and you fight it to keep it going straight. Now you're entering turn 1 and you have to get on the throttle to make the car go through the turn as it won't turn worth a **** without the gas pedal. Keep this up all night and you might win a heat race at the local dirt track. These guys are seasoned drivers, many of them spending their entire lives behind the wheel of a race car. Getting out of the car in a wreck is actually the smart thing to do. . .because a methanol fire doesn't burn bright and pretty like a gasoline fire does, it's barely visible. Getting over the high side wall is priority number one, walking down into the race lane is absolutely ridiculous given the nature of sprint car racing. I feel bad for both parties, but 20 year old Kevin Ward Jr would be alive and well today if he didn't walk down in front of that race car. Who knows what Tony Stewart intended, but I doubt he meant to kill a fellow racer that night. Racing is a big boy game and it comes with serious consequences.


I agree that the general public has no clue how those cars handle. However, what people (maybe an actual jury) will make judgement on is how one car handled (the one that actually swerved to miss Ward) compared to another (Tony Stewart's car). From the tweets surfacing, Stewart may have had a go pro camera mounted in the car... and he had his right rear tire replaced after the race was called. There is also another video showing a different angle out there somewhere... not to mention voice recordings (if driver's go thru the trouble of setting up voice feeds for a dirt track). There's alot still out there to be brought into the investigation. People could be singing a different tune when it all comes out.


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## jetbuilt (May 4, 2010)

warcat said:


> I agree that the general public has no clue how those cars handle. However, what people (maybe an actual jury) will make judgement on is how one car handled (the one that actually swerved to miss Ward) compared to another (Tony Stewart's car). From the tweets surfacing, Stewart may have had a go pro camera mounted in the car... and he had his right rear tire replaced after the race was called. There is also another video showing a different angle out there somewhere... not to mention voice recordings (if driver's go thru the trouble of setting up voice feeds for a dirt track). There's alot still out there to be brought into the investigation. People could be singing a different tune when it all comes out.


Precisely why I refrained from passing judgement on either party involved. Even when every video, sound clip, and stitch of evidence comes to the table. . .there's going to be a whole lot of grey area. I have an opinion but I try not to argue on the internet too often, it seems to be a losing proposition for most involved. I can say, at the ripe old age of 33, that I've been involved in all forms of racing throughout the years and I know that my first move after a crash is to get the heck off of the racetrack if I'm physically capable of doing so. I hope all parties involved find peace within themselves, for unlike me talking about this on a message board, they have to live with the consequences.


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## Baffin Bay (Jul 26, 2011)

It was either suicide or Darwinism>>>>he's playing frogger on a race track with a bunnch of soup-up go-karts..


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## hkmp5s (Jan 24, 2006)

This thread makes me want to watch Death Race 2000 again.


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## Whitecrow (May 26, 2004)

warcat said:


> I agree that the general public has no clue how those cars handle.


Truth. I doubt there will be criminal charges, but a civil suit is probably a certainty.



warcat said:


> ... not to mention voice recordings (if driver's go thru the trouble of setting up voice feeds for a dirt track).


Radio communication between crews and driver on dirt is against the rules. Most tracks require Raceivers but only the competition director can talk to drivers...and it's one way.



warcat said:


> and he had his right rear tire replaced after the race was called.


Not sure what the inside of TSR's hauler looks like, but some trailers are too narrow because of cabinets and stuff and require a "load tire" to fit the car inside. Most teams use a LR as a load tire.

My take is that the kid got in front of TS to make him stop and put on a big show......TS didn't see him until the last minute and you know the rest. If you frame by frame the video you can see the kid try to jump back up the track when he realizes TS is not stopping. Handle a pair of Nomex racing boots and you realize they don't have the grippiest soles ever. TS was only traveling about 30-35 mph, which is normal caution speed for these cars. No dirt track that I've ever raced at or been to in my life "races back to the caution". Just doesn't happen.


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## spike404 (Sep 13, 2010)

Whitecrow,

Don't throw logic and facts into the discussion!

Found a pic of rear wheel stagger:


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Whitecrow is 100% right. 
Another example:


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Looks like he won't be racing this weekend,and hired an attorney http://www.wthr.com/story/26251836/2014/08/11/stewart-hires-attorney-jim-voyles

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

gom1 said:


> Looks like he won't be racing this weekend,and hired an attorney http://www.wthr.com/story/26251836/2014/08/11/stewart-hires-attorney-jim-voyles
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 NASCAR is at Michigan this weekend. The racetrack mentioned in your link is a track in Indiana. Apparently Stewart was scheduled to race there Saturday before the NASCAR race. No news that I have heard about Stewart racing or not racing NASCAR this weekend.


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

A foolish young man walks out into traffic ( needlessly & foolishly) he gets hit and perishes . It's a tragic story but wholly avoidable & unnecessary. It was almost certainly the deceased young mans " fault". He behaved foolishly, irrationally and dangerously.

If Tony Stewart is sued and forced to pay, it's extortion. Not justice .


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## goldie (Nov 17, 2008)

Kevin Ward killed himself, should have confronted Tony after the race


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## CoreyGill (Mar 12, 2013)

I have followed this pretty closely since last night. I've formed my own opinions but I have watched quite a few videos and found these few particularly interesting.

In this slow motion video(below) it looks to me like tony hit ward while sliding up the track coming out of the turn and was forced down the track from hitting ward. I personally think this video tells you everything you need to know.






In this video(below) which is labeled "raw video" at 0:35 you can hear the motor rev in question and it coincides with the blue car in front of Stewart sliding sideways, well before Stewart hits ward






In this video(below) the sound coincides with Tony Stewarts car. When you watch the two of them back to back it is pretty apparent that one of the two videos was altered.






I read a bunch of news articles about it earlier. Nobody has seemed to pick up on the fact that there might be an altered video out there. As I said before I've formed my own opinions and have a reasonable idea of what I think the outcome might be. Sad day for the family of Kevin Ward Jr. And Tony Stewart.


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## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

SafetyMan said:


> It sure looked liked the driver went out of his way not to avoid him.


X2


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## Gottagofishin (Dec 17, 2005)

My own opinion... And that's all it is... You've got a lot of testosterone at play here. 

My guess is Stewart didn't intend to hit him, but also wasn't going to back down. He probably meant to give him a close drive by or possibly spray dirt on him, but either misjudged or didn't realize Ward was as far down the track as he was until it was too late. Then again, maybe he just didn't see him dressed in Black on a dark track. Or maybe he was looking at something else during the caution. Checking his gauges or something. 

People see what they want to see, but I can't tell anything from the videos other than Ward intentionally putting himself in harms way.

Stewart will have to live with his mistake. Ward won't. Bottom line is if a person on foot plays chicken with a person in a car he will lose 10 times out of 10.


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

The Ontario County Sheriff's Office in NY said Stewart has been interviewed twice and no charges are expected to be filed.


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## teeroy (Oct 1, 2009)

Gottagofishin said:


> Stewart will have to live with his mistake. Ward won't. Bottom line is if a person on foot plays chicken with a person in a car he will lose 10 times out of 10.


What mistake did Stewart make?


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

teeroy said:


> What mistake did Stewart make?


Perhaps not a mistake, but he accidently took the like of another....He will have to live with that.


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## Doubless (Aug 22, 2005)

I will let things play out and have no further input into this thread, but "leopards don't change their spots". Look at the list below of things Tony Stewart has done over the course of his career, and tell me again that he can control his ego:

After a 1999 crash with Kenny Irwin at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, Stewart got out of his car -- and threw his gloves at Irwin before reaching into Irwinâ€™s car.


Following a 2000 race at Watkins Glen, Stewart spewed expletives at Jeff Gordon.


He was accused in 2002 of assaulting a fan, but no legal action was taken.


He also punched a photographer after the 2002 Brickyard 400, drawing a $50,000 fine from his sponsor, Home Depot.


Stewart tossed his helmet at Matt Kensethâ€™s car during a 2012 race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. â€œI donâ€™t give a ****. The hell with the helmet,â€ he said later.


Stewart ran up to Joey Logano in 2013 and pushed him, before pit crews held the drivers back. Stewart was angry that Logano blocked him following a restart. "If he ever turns down across in front of me again, I don't care what lap it is, he won't make it through the other end of it,â€ Stewart said following the race.


Stewart also shared words with Kurt Busch following a 2013 race at Richmond International Speedway after their cars collided. Stewart stormed off following the race, leaving without talking to the media.


During a July 2013 race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park -- the same track where Saturdayâ€™s accident happened -- Stewart was involved in a crash that left Alysha Ruggles, 19, seriously injured.


A month later, Stewart broke his leg after crashing at a sprint car race in Iowa. The crash sidelined him for the rest of the 2013 racing season.
 'Nuff said... I rest my case. He should be banned from the sport for life.


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## jetbuilt (May 4, 2010)

Banned from the sport for life? Based on the items that you posted, of which some of them are trivial at best? You obviously have a distaste for the guy, and I don't have a problem with that. Had Kevin Ward Jr. stayed in his dang race car, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Tony Stewart has to live with the consequences of that race. . .the kid that ran down the track, into the high side race lane, obviously already dealt with the consequences.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

Doubless said:


> I will let things play out and have no further input into this thread, but "leopards don't change their spots".
> 
> Anything further information about your knowledge of leopards you care to share, or was that just about it?


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## rookie06 (Oct 1, 2005)

Sure seems to be a lot of TS haters out there. It's funny reading all the "expert" comments on what happened. I believe that if it were some no name driver (or anyone else for that matter) 100% of the blame would have been put on Kevin for getting out of his car. Everyone would have been bashing him for being an idiot getting out. But since it was TS, everyone wants to jump to conclusions and blame him because the don't like him.

What if..................after the accident Dale Jr climbed out of the 14 car, would everyone be blasting and blaming him? I think not, everyone would be bashing Kevin for getting out and calling him an idiot! Just a lot of TS haters wanting to twist thing around so he looks like the bad guy. In my opinion, the bottom line is Kevin messed up by getting out of his car on a moving track, period. I feel bad for his family and what happened, but it was 100% avoidable on his part.

Just my .02!


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## teeroy (Oct 1, 2009)

Doubless said:


> I will let things play out and have no further input into this thread, but "leopards don't change their spots". Look at the list below of things Tony Stewart has done over the course of his career, and tell me again that he can control his ego:
> 
> After a 1999 crash with Kenny Irwin at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, Stewart got out of his car -- and threw his gloves at Irwin before reaching into Irwinâ€™s car.
> 
> ...


You just described a killer!


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