Tony Stewart involved in on track fatality

[SHELBYSALEEN]

By now most of you have learned of the accident last night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Tony was involved in a accident which left Kevin Ward jr deceased.

What started as just another rubbin is racing moment ended IN a life altering event for all involved.

Tony and Kevin got tangled which left kevin in the wall. Kevin got out of the car and started to show his displeasure with Tony.

Even under caution these cars tend to be going quickly. From the video that has flooded you tube and twitter it appears that Tony accellerated and his car fishtailed slightly. In the process his car hit 20 year old kevin ward jr and he was DOA.

The sherriff of Ontario county said Tony was fully cooperating and the investigation was not a criminal one.

Track officials are holding off on comment until later today. They also asked that everyone hold off on speculation until the investigation is done.

Well we all know that is not going to happen. In a day where social media is King and everyone gets to voice their opinion to the world Truth tends to take a back seat. Even when the truth is revealed there will be many yelling cover up,conspiracy etc.

What is known without doubt is kevin ward got out of his car tony hit him and kevin is dead.

The questions are why did Tony accellerate what were his intentions and what went wrong?

The other without a doubt part of this is Kevins life ended, his familys life will never be the same, Tonys life will never be the same.

Some of the opinons out there are calling for Tony to be banned from NASCAR forever. Others are yelling for him to go to jail also forever. They are saying Tony hit him intentionally. Look at his past he knew what he was doing.

Other opinons are saying It was just an accident, he was proably just trying to sling dirt on the kid as to say go away kid your bothering me.

Even the media with headlines that read Tony Stewart Kills another driver. you do not read accident until later in the articles.

My opinion is it was a truly awful accident. An accident that could have been possibly avoided by tony if he had not accellearated [for any reason]. An accident that could have been avoided definatley if Kevin Ward had stayed in his car and not confronted Tony. You see in the video another car going by driving quickly. What if Kevn had slipped and fallen under his car. What if Tony had accellarated for the sole purpose of just going by the kid and hit a slick spot on the track. The following is not meant to be funny but from the moment I saw the video all I could think about was happy days. Most of us have seen the one where Pinky gets out of her car and the malochi brothers hit her. Yea its TV but the point of it was stay in your car. What if Tony really did not see kevin until the last second and the reason he accellerated was to dodge him.

More information will pour out today. Fallout from this will continue for months. What will NASCARs reaction be, will they ban Tony. I doubt it. If he is not held criminally liable there would be no basis. Will they try and ban their drivers from racing different series to prevent NASCAR receiving a black eye for one of their drivers/stars that is a possibly.

There will almost guaranteed be a lawsuit. When people are hurting they want others to hurt. If I cant send you to jail for this I will make you pay. I am not saying that is what the ward family is thinking. I am sayin that is what a lawyer somewhere is going to be trying to tell them. Will they win, no matter what the outcome of a possible trial is you can never say they will have won. In NC they probably would not win due to contributory negligence laws. I do not know about New York.

In a sport that is all about winning there will be no winners in this.

[jasonluckydog17]

thanks for the great write up I'm withholding judgement till all the facts come out.

[Greengoblin782]

This is a very tragic event.

[14smoke2x]

One thing is for certain. The Ward family will be set for life.

[racinghy]

One thing is for certain. The Ward family will be set for life.

If you look at the video, which I suggest to and then stop when the #45 car passes which also almost hit him, look at the speed of the cars under yellow and HOW FAR HE TRAVELS from his car to where he got struck. No reason why ANY driver should get out of their cars unless it is on fire, or an official tells them too. I do put 85-90% blame on the kid, but also some on Tony and the track for not having sufficient lighting. Yes, I am aware it is a local dirt track, but the local dirt track near me has better lighting than CMP. My thoughts and prayers do go out to his family and Tony cause he now has to live with this for the rest of his life, but it was purely an accident.

PS, I'm sure I'm not the only one sick and tired of hearing all this news and seeing them show the video on national TV, which they did not show on the Today show, but just give the man his space.

[Jazzer540]

I am not a NASCAR fan at all. So big name drivers and small name drivers are all the same to me. Although, I also am not quite sure what to think completely on this, I can't help think and wonder....if it was a smaller name driver in the same instance hitting and killing a big name driver.... I guarantee that the media and the thoughts of people would definately be different. There is a mix of thoughts because people who are a fan of Stewart will see things differently because of this. If a no named were to do the same thing and hit someone like Stewart and kill him.... Most would have a different side. Its unfortunate in our society where popularity and "celebrity" status sometimes clouds facts, truth, and viewpoints. I just hope that justice and the reality is upheld regardless.

[capt55]

The problem I have with Tony Stewart is he's very hot headed, he almost has that punk attitude, we'll have to wait and see, It won't surprise me if something big happens to Stewart.

[pwaldo]

Sadly this isn't that shocking. You have had racers for whatever reason run onto the track or get into altercations that have seemed to just escalate recently. Tony Stewart has a history of incidents already so you combine that with somebody on the track during a race and something bad was bound to happen.

[AllenWilliams1987]

What incidents? The same as other drivers have had? What about when he shoved/hit a reporter you ask? Well other athletes have done it too. The sick part is people on ESPN are taking things out of context. When Kenseth and Stewart wrecked at Bristol, Stewart said, "I will run him over every chance I get." He meant that he would wreck him. Yet people on ESPN are using those quotes now. Way outta context. Is that tragic? Of course. Should Stewart be charged? Maybe. But did he do this on purpose? I'd like to think not.

[meuandthelot]

I could make a compilation of fights(Yelling matches) derby lookalike crash bandakoo altercations from race 1, well earliest days. Go look up some of the greats from days gone bye. Majority not named Tony Stewart
A few names.. Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Allison's(family who had bad juju), The Waltrips, Cale Yarborough, AJ Foyt These old timers flat out banged!!

This is a heated sport. Smoke is a top tier hothead, who has enjoyed star treatment for sometime(some see him as a prima dona)
But he is a racer at heart, competition courses thru his veins.. the man loves the thrill of the track.
He's made same moves(engine revs, bump passes) 100's of times if not more without incident. Maybe odds just caught up with him?

One sure way this could have been avoided(well 2) either no racing or driver remains in car. At worst Smoke was sayin get back to your car but maybe a "Whoa" I dont want to get hit reaction so goose engine.


I dont know just rambling some things that have been bouncing in my head since this happened.
Godspeed, thoughts, namaste to those affected, sure is sad.


Oh, last thing.
When you reach the level Tony has where many depend upon you, do you then have a higher responsibility? Should you walk a tighter line, be made to drop risky hobbies, etc..?