Tony Stewart killed Kevin Ward Jr

Jim Oaks · Aug 11, 2014

You've probably seen the video. It's everywhere. Tony Stewart squeezed Kevin Ward Jr in to the wall at a sprint car race Saturday. After the wreck, Kevin Ward walked out on the track pointing at Tony Stewart, and Stewart ran him over killing him.

According to a friend of Ward:

"Tony Stewart needs to be put in prison for life," Tyler Graves told the publication.

Graves was sitting in Turn 1 of the grandstands at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, a half-mile dirt track at the Ontario County Fairgrounds.

Ward spun out and struck a wall while coming out of Turn 2, then got out of his car and walked on the track. Stewart's car struck Ward following a caution flag, when cars slow to about 25 mph to 30 mph, Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said.

"Tony pinched him into the front-stretch wall, a racing thing," Graves told Sporting News. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car. ... He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.

"I know Tony could see him," Graves said in the interview. "I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him..."

"You never mean to do something like that," Graves told Sporting News. "Kevin was pissed and he let Tony know. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn't happy either. He went over the line with it."

My thought is this;

Both drivers involved were professional drivers. Both understand the vehicle dynamics of these race cars as well as the conditions.

You can go back and find countless incidents over the years of drivers getting out of their car mad, pointing and yelling at the driver that put them in the wall, throwing helmets, and even getting in to fist fights.

Ward wouldn't have stepped in front of a car and got himself ran over. He was clipped by the side of the car, likely the rear tire.

Stewart knew he put him in the wall, and would have reasonably expected the driver to be out yelling at him as he came by. He surely shouldn't have been surprised that Kevin Ward Jr was out of his car.

There was also obviously a caution, and cars slowed down to steer clear.

If Stewart did in fact hit the gas as he went by, his actions caused the death of Kevin Ward Jr.

Motorsports.com is saying;

It appears Stewart saw him at the last second, and swerved, but still hit Ward hard enough to toss him like a rag doll at least 20 feet down the track. An autopsy is pending, but it seems likely Ward suffered a broken neck, though he still had his helmet and head restraint device on, but the device only works when you are strapped into your car. Stewart stopped about a hundred feet down the track. Emergency workers were there in second. Indeed, Stewart may have hit the gas, but you steer sprint cars with the throttle more than with the steering wheel. The idea that he accelerated trying to hit Ward is beyond the pale.

Yes, you steer by accelerating, but it works because you're drifting and swinging the rear out - not turning the front. An experienced driver knows if he hits the gas he's going to swing the rear of the car out and hit what he's passing.

So was it an accident, or track rage that went to far?

I find it even more bizarre that Tony Stewarts main sponsor is Bass Pro Shops - a hunting and fishing store. Talk about bad coincidences.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Ward Jr's family. I hope that this unfortunate event will impact the sport in a way that will hopefully reduce these incidents in the future.

dangerranger83 · Aug 11, 2014

All I can say is he should have never got out of his car.

Jim Oaks · Aug 11, 2014

From USA Today:

In 2002, Stewart nearly lost his ride at Joe Gibbs Racing for shoving a photographer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a 12th-place finish in the Brickyard 400. He sought anger management counseling and was placed on probation for the incident, as he also was for striking Brian Vickers after a 2004 Cup race at Sonoma Raceway.

There have been many other instances in which Stewart's legendary temper has flared without drawing punishment. Two years ago at Bristol Motor Speedway, he wasn't disciplined for hurling his helmet at Matt Kenseth's car after a crash while racing for the lead.

As I said, Stewart should have expected the other driver to be out expressing their anger.

These anger outrages as well as incidents where drivers have been putting other drivers in to the wall have went on for years. We need to get to a point where there is more criminal penalties for these events.

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 11, 2014

Why would Stewart be so mad at a guy he took out of the race to go as far as killing him?

The media really really wants to make something out of this.

I don't see where Bass Pro as a sponsor has a thing to do with it. Some narrow minded people may want to try to draw a line between guns and violence but a more comparable line would be drawn to the ATV department in this case...

IF Steward did accelerate his car enough to kick the rear out... the other idiot was still very close to a nearly uncontrollable racecar with poor visibility on a muddy surface in the dark with a black suit. If the rear of the car kicking out a foot or so was all that it took to catch him his stupidity still played a huge role.

The only thing that will stop this is to ban the stupid roadside rants/taunting.

hank857 · Aug 11, 2014

No the guy that got out of the car and on to the track is just as responsible for the incident as the other driver. As noted this is being blown out of proportion to make "'NEWS" IMO. Black suit, dirt track and a guy causing another driver to swerve at the last second then standing and pointing at the other driver! Well they are lucky from all reports that this does not happen more often that someone who gets on the track and is injured or as in this case killed. And the driver involved is one of those idiots as he has a history of it himself, but supposedly it has been sometime since his last incident.

Dont think anyone will ever know, there are no gloves to try on this time.

97RangerXLT · Aug 11, 2014

I watched the video, and it looked like Tony Stewarts car kicked after the hit... plus the track was dark (and made of mud and dirt), so I would imagine that Tony Stewart may not have realized he was as close as he was until it was too late.

Yeah, Tony Stewart wrecked him.
Yeah, Tony Stewart is an ass.

But I seriously doubt he intentionally hit him, even if it was just to be an ass.

The guy was asking for a Darwin Award by getting out of the car while there were cars actively driving on the track, even if it was under caution. He even upped the ante for the Darwin award by walking into the line of traffic.

Tragic, and I feel for the guys family, but I don't see where this is Stewart's fault.

AJ

straycat · Aug 11, 2014

It is sad...dark track, a bang up and then a driver gets out and runs in front of traffic....not real smart. He looked a bit dazed /confused to me when I saw the video a few times. The right rear wheel struck him and it was just a real bad accident.

RangerSVT · Aug 11, 2014

My view:
Did Tony put him into the wall, yes. But look at this closely, at the few seconds before he tagged him. Going into the turn Ward was not on the side of Tony. Tony was well into the turn, sideways, and "steering" to the top of the track, typical of track racing and "tracking" (as in which lane of travel). Ward comes up on the high side traveling at a faster speed than Tony. Tony's rear tire is what pit'ed him into the wall. At no point was Tony able to see or know any car would be on the high side attempting to pass.again, did Tony put him in the wall, yes, but it was UNINTENTIONAL.
Ward, getting out of the car, and angry at Tony, he had that right, as he thought it was intentional. But it doesn't take a lot of common sense to stand in front of or even near a moving car. I saw a car pass just in front of Tony on the lap after the pit, possibly preventing Tony from going lower on the track. Yeah, Tony could have slowed further to get lower, but its racing, not an accident on public streets. Tony swerved at the last minute, whether by steering with the front or the rear. Its even possible Tony was being a smarta$$ by fishtailing him. Again, unintentionally hitting him.
I feel if Tony intentionally tried to run him over, he would of done it with the front tires. This was just a tragic accident...

SVT

bmerr98 · Aug 11, 2014

What he said. ^^^^

Jim Oaks · Aug 11, 2014

RangerSVT said:
My view:
Did Tony put him into the wall, yes. But look at this closely, at the few seconds before he tagged him. Going into the turn Ward was not on the side of Tony. Tony was well into the turn, sideways, and "steering" to the top of the track, typical of track racing and "tracking" (as in which lane of travel). Ward comes up on the high side traveling at a faster speed than Tony. Tony's rear tire is what pit'ed him into the wall. At no point was Tony able to see or know any car would be on the high side attempting to pass.again, did Tony put him in the wall, yes, but it was UNINTENTIONAL.

Watching it, I hadn't formed an opinion as to whether Tony knew he was there and squeezed him in to the wall. I don't know if he had a spotter like he would in a typical NASCAR race.

RangerSVT said:
Its even possible Tony was being a smarta$$ by fishtailing him. Again, unintentionally hitting him.
I feel if Tony intentionally tried to run him over, he would of done it with the front tires. This was just a tragic accident...

SVT

It was a tragic accident, but if Tony was intentionally being a smarta$$ and fishtailing him, he should be responsible for hitting him.

tmcalavy · Aug 11, 2014

Naw...Kevin Ward killed Kevin Ward...if you're that pissed you save it for later...shit in his lunchbox kinda stuff...but not walk out into traffic on a track, no less. Stewart is a tool, for sure, but not a killer tool.

Kowboy · Aug 11, 2014

This young man, Mr Ward, was doing something that I would call, entirely approved by NASCAR or Racing in general. Just watch some of the NASCAR TV commercials. I'll bet everyone here has seen little Danica walking onto the track and pointing her finger at another competitor. That sort of thing sells tickets. They punish and fine drivers for their on track bad behavior and then make a commercial of the offense. Doesn't make sense to me, but then I'm not selling tickets. I could go on about other events like these, but I'm sure most of us know the deal. Sadly Mr Ward is gone from us and it will take his loss to get NASCAR to take control of these brave young men who want to throw their bodies into the path of race cars. Ward was just doing what he had learned and everyone cheered until now and now we want to put the blame on a driver who probably was the one driver who just couldn't beat the odds. Some say Tony is a hot head, and I would wager that Ward knew that as well. So why would he do what he did? One more thing, NO ONE, knows what Tony saw or was thinking that night. No One! My thoughts only.

adsm08 · Aug 11, 2014

I was all excited when I hear the tail end of the headline yesterday, thinking that Stewart was the one dead. I don't want anyone to die in a car wreck, but if someone is gonna do it he is high on my list of people I'd like to see go first.

Anyway, Stewart as a reputation bigger than I do for being a dick. He certainly did things he should not have, but any time any of them get into a race car they accept that they might die. Dale Sr said as much in an interview shortly after his death. But getting out of your car and walking into the track, during a race, at night, in a black jump suit, well.... At my house we call that "asking for it".

Frankly, I am far more upset about Robin Williams.

SenorNoob · Aug 11, 2014

adsm08 said:
...Dale Sr said as much in an interview shortly after his death....

How does that work exactly? Ouija board?

adsm08 · Aug 11, 2014

Just wanted to see who was paying attention.

Tony Stewart killed Kevin Ward Jr

Just some guy with a website

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