Tony Stewart killed a man last night. The famed NASCAR driver was participating in a dirt car race when he got into an accident with another car. The driver of the other car, Kevin Ward Jr, aged 20 got out of his car and started pointing his finger at Tony Stewart. Kevin acted as if Tony was to blame for knocking Kevin out of the race. When Tony came around again on the short track, Kevin was still pointing and Tony ran over Kevin, killing him. Police at this point are investigating the death as on track investigation. I imagine that will change at some point because if it had happened on the street they would be investigating Tony for murder or manslaughter.
RIP Kevin
ReplyDeleteGlad that you are in full possession of all of the facts Enty. Phew. Where would we be without you calling judgement?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Kevin get out of the car ?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Kevin get out of the car ?
ReplyDelete@MISCH - Because he was 20 years old and pissed off. Tony had just hit him and knocked him out of the race.
DeleteWell two racing careers done last night.
ReplyDeleteMay Kevin RIP. Condolences to his family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI do have some questions though....
First question: Why did Kevin walk on the racetrack, knowing the other drivers were still racing?! I understand he was angry, but that takes me to my second question...
Second question: Aren't they trained to stay off the track if cars are racing? I mean...isn't that or shouldn't it be the very first bylaw of racing cars on a track? If a race is going on, stay off the track. Simple as that, one would think.
Third: Did Stewart know Kevin was out there or even see Kevin? I mean..when you are driving that fast and it's a dirt race...fast and dirt dust do not make for a pristine eye view. I would assume when you are racing you are focusing on just that and not if some guy out there on the track?
My final thoughts: some articles are stating that Kevin ran out in front of Stewart's car. Even if Stewart slammed on his breaks, Kevin would still have been hit.
Terrible all around. A family lost a loved one. A young man lost his life and the man who hit him has to live w/ that fact for the rest of his life. Very sad tragedy for all involved.
I just couldn't believe this when I saw it this morning! You can check out the raw video on Deadspin.com - shot by a spectator. Tony is well known for having a quick temper, and while the poor kid who got killed shouldn't have acted the way he did, you'd think Tony, who has loads and loads of driving experience, could have easily avoided him. I mean, Tony's one of the most seasoned drivers in NASCAR. It's truly scandalous. But Tony's got a shit ton of money behind him.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is when they asked if he would race today he said it "business as usual"
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't Tony saying that, fyi. Some tool from his racing company.
Deletehttp://www.kevinwardracing.com/
ReplyDeleteWTF is the dude doing out of his car, on the track, while cars are still going around?
ReplyDeleteFrufra - that's a crazy video! Looks like the guy before Tony almost hit him too. Those dirt tack races are wild. I thought I would die in the stands. Those cars just seemed so light to be going that fast. RIP
ReplyDeleteSad. RIP.
ReplyDeleteIt almost sounds like that he was so pissed off about getting bumped out of the race that it over rode any common sense of safety to stand on the track.
From what i read Kevin Ward was dressed in his black suit and black helmet. Another driver barely saw him in time and was able to swerve and miss hitting him. I doubt that a multi-millionaire, 3 time Nascar winner would intentionally hit this kid. I sure hope not at least. Tragic though for him and his family/friends.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I've been persuaded by my NASCAR-watching friends to be less judgy about Tony - I think the burden probably falls more on the poor deceased. Terrible tragedy all around.
ReplyDeleteNora after your well reasoned post I apologize for MY quick judgment about Mr. Stewart.
ReplyDeleteI finally watched Rush this weekend, wow what an awesome movie, love to know how they filmed it - as someone who as a kid always watched the racing on ABC Wide World of Sports.
Bad job, Enty. I've been a motorsports reporter for 15 years. First off, this was not a NASCAR race, it was a Regional sprint car race. Much different. These cars are push started because they have no clutches. It's hard to keep them going in a straight line Second, while there some competitive interactions on track between Stewart and Ward, only an idiot would get out of his car and walk among the other cars. I'm sorry he died but any of the cars could have hit him on a dark greasy track with greasy mud on their "windshields". Third, Tony Stewart does have a temper but so do most race car drivers. I've known drivers all my life and none of them, including Tony, would hit a person walking on a hot track if they could help it. Stick to what you know, Enty. Please.
ReplyDeleteVery sad.
ReplyDeleteRIP Kevin. So sad. Everything Lisa added makes a lot of sense. However, it is being reported that the drivers could see the track clearly, so maybe it's more about the difficulty of controlling the car. Finally, what I don't get are the claims that Tony gunned the engine before he hit Kevin. Is it possible he sped up to try to a avoid him?
ReplyDeleteTrack was poorly lit. The drive went out in front of the car in front of Stewart. It swerved and missed him. Stewart would not have seen the guy's location till the car in front of him swerved. By then, too late. A terrible accident? Yes. Deliberate, probably not.
ReplyDeleteRubbing is racing
ReplyDeleteThe driver killed made a fatal error by getting out of his car during a green or yellow flag, and compounding the first mistake by allowing himself to lose control of his emotions to the point that he chose to ignore basic safety rules in short track racing. Dim lighting at the turn, and being dressed in a black fire suit didn't help the guy. A significant lapse in judgement that sadly, cost this young racer his life.
ReplyDeleteTony Stewart withdrew from today's race fwiw
ReplyDeleteYou can hear Tony rev his engine before hitting him, so the back wheel would snag him. They were both pissed at each other, and Tony took advantage. Tony's been racing a loooooong time. You think he hasn't dealt with an angry person on foot on the track before? He wanted to teach the victim a lesson and it went too far. Not saying it wasn't dumb of the guy to go towards the cars in anger, but it isn't a coincidence that the person the victim was angry at is the one who hit him. It just isn't.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI just don't think a successful race car driver would intentionally hit another driver, no matter how pissed. They just wouldn't. And the kid was idiotic for getting out of the car and walking in front of the other vehicles. Come on dude. Tragic loss yes, but deliberate? NO.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Nora and Lisa for a more fairminded take on this tragedy. I find it hard to believe that Tony would want to teach this kid a lesson by killing him. A serious and fatal lapse in judgement.
ReplyDeleteOk from a huge nascar fan perspective (guilty) dirt racers are known to show their displeasure by "spraying dirt" on their competitor. There's word saying that's kinda what tony was trying to do and it backfired horribly. I've went to tracks since literally 3 years old and a lot of these grassroot hometown tracks are poorly lit plus the dirt surface is extremely slick before during an after a dirt race. I found it odd that the cars seemed to be going as fast as they appeared
ReplyDeleteTo be during a caution. No one seemed to be going caution speed. While it's common to get out of your car and point a finger, this right here is the exact reason you shouldn't. Basically two lives are gone here. Kevin is gone and tony will be forever labeled a "murderer." It's hard to tell from the grandstand videos exactly who moved up or down so it'll fall on the drivers behind him really to say if tony moved up or kevin walked too far, maybe slid, however it happened. Regardless it's a horrible senseless tragedy that should've never happened. Both made mistakes I feel.
What was a NASCAR driver doing racing in a dirt race? Don't they have clauses preventing them from engaging in reckless activities?
ReplyDeleteNo they can race in other series. Tony owns a dirt track, too. He also broke his leg last year in a sprint car crash...and now this. @seachica
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video. The driver got out of car and moved down the track to confront him on go around. He was just too aggressive and got too close and got clipped by Stewart's dirt cart. These carts don't really travel in straight lines as they go around a dirt track and the back end rides up the track. Doesn't look like stewart steered towards him or anything. Driver only has himself to blame. I don't give a shit about stewart, nascar, or racing. But that is what I saw when watching video.
ReplyDelete@Seachica I was going to say Tony needs to win somehow ;)
ReplyDeleteI dunno gang, Tony knows better and is a hothead.
@Sarah, I agree.
I haven't watched the video,(learned my lesson, be careful what you look for in racing crashes) just not up to it, but husband did, and he said it looks like Tony yanked on the wheel towards Kevin.
I don't want to totally say "Tony's fault" but I will say he knows better.
RIP Kevin, but this is an accident that would be avoidable if he had stayed inside his car and been away from the road in the middle of a f word ing car race.
ReplyDeleteHe deliberately ran him down.
ReplyDelete"He deliberately ran him down."
ReplyDeleteYeah, because when you're going driving on a badly lit dirt track with crap all over your windshield you're going to aim your car for the guy in the black suit that you didn't know was there.
I just watched the video it looks as if Tony slowed a bit then gunned his engine to either blow mud on Kevin or to skid out away from him to leave him "in the dust" so to speak. It was, in my opinion, an adolescent act that resulted in Kevin's death. Tony took his lesson too far. The fact that he said he would race today and it was "business as usual", shows his immaturity and lack of responsibility. I would never want to be on any track with that kind of driver.
ReplyDeleteI'm a NASCAR fan and I don't believe for one moment that Tony would intentionally strike a person on the track. I watched the video (dear God) and I think Tony swerved to miss him and the back of the car rose up and caught Ward.
ReplyDeleteZipadelli (of Stewart Haas racing) was the one who released the "business as usual" statement. Which was, at best, unfortunately worded.
Pulling out of the NASCAR race today means Stewart is ineligible for the Chase (which costs his organization millions of dollars).
From what I have seen of Tony in the last decade is that he loves to race. He doesn't hunt or fish or go bar hopping, he visits these small fry dirt tracks and they benefit because more people show up just to see a "name" race.
this is tragic and terrible and I feel for all of those involved in this.
I watched it too and really wish I hadn't. Dear Lord it was awful. Love tony or hate him I'm sure it was a horrible unfortunate mistake that he will live with the rest of his life. Definitely prayers to all involved including the fans who witnessed it. I can't imagine seeing that and capturing it on my phone not knowing what horror I'd be videoing. I can't begin to try. Tony didn't race today and I figured he wasn't the one who said "business as usual." I dare say he truly didn't plan to race today in his heart. I don't see how he really could've. @verachristina
DeleteIf you look closely Kevin is practically in the middle of the damn track when he is struck. I just don't see how Stewart is responsible for this; despite his history of having a bad temper. Tragic all around.
ReplyDeletei just watched video and the driver should never have been running into the middle of the track.
ReplyDeletesad all around. getting knocked out of the race is sop on every race.
he should have left the track and confronted him in the pit after
Enty for one who claims to be a "lawyer" you of all people know that your writing was irresponsible at best. There was an on-track accident caused by a driver getting out of his car and walking on the track. He got hit and died. The preponderance of guilt belongs to the driver who opted to ignore safety rules. It's like if I walked in the middle of the street at rush hour against signal, if I got hit, it's because I was were I didn't belong. I would also be putting other drivers at risk.
ReplyDeleteListen up Pro Bass Shops. I will never have anything to do with you - whether buying products from your store ever, ever again. Further, I will express my opinion to my friends and to whomever will listen to me.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you upset with Bass Pro Shop?
DeleteThis was so irresponsibly written. It was obviously a very tragic accident, caused by the adrenaline of an angry young man who hopped out of his car and directly in the path of oncoming racers.
ReplyDeleteRIP Kevin Ward
ReplyDelete@Sarah Highcove
@ItsCourtneyD
@BitchieMitchie:
i totally agree...
foolish or not it is common for drivers to get out of their cars on the track & attempt to exchange words with or throw their helmets at the driver they think wrecked them or spun them out.
Ward obviously made a mistake by leaving his car but there is no rule against it. Stewart's a seasoned driver who knows how to handle a car. i don't think he would intentionally hurt someone but he does have a temper & can be a little childish & petty but i don't think he's even been punished for it. looks like Stewart was trying to spray him with dirt but got a little too close to the guy. in the fan video it kinda looks like maybe Stewart was going at a higher speed than other drivers & maybe even accelerated. idk. kinda maybe looks like.
@Sunshine: i've been wondering about his sponsors & how they'll handle this. it'll be interesting to see how this plays.
sad situation all around.
Jesus fucking Christ. What an idiotic thread. He didn't intentionally kill anyone. The dickhead literally walked into traffic and got blasted. This is a case of natural selection at its best.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about this type of car racing but I watched the deadspin video (WHYYYY???) and the guy who was killed was very very foolish. He should have stayed in his car until the official truck came to get him.
ReplyDeleteIf a man walked out into traffic on the highway and was struck by a car would you blame the driver? Or the man?
Everybody who drives a racecar for a living knows how dangerous it is. I don't know anything about Tony Stewart but I do know this - any racecar driver would do everything he could to avoid hitting another person and expects the other drivers to do the same.
As for business as usual, he DID sit the race out today.
Shame on you Enty.
My NASCAR friend said what others have said: It's common for drivers to get out of their vehicles and shout, throw a helmet or point at another driver they feel wronged them.
ReplyDeleteI don't follow auto racing but I watched the tape. There is also a statement made by a person at the track. He said Stewart hit the throttle and that when driving the kind of vehicle he was driving it swings out like we see in the video. Kevin was trapped under the wheel and thrown to the side of the track. Knowing that Stewart owns a dirt track and had participated in races like this before reinforces my belief that he intentionally hit Kevin. Did he intend to kill him? I think when you're in that "mind gone blank not accountable" mode you can't say what your intention was. At the very least he should be looking at manslaughter.
I think Kevin's family is going to be made an offer they can't refuse.
Aoife, I read some stuff along those lines myself. A *lot* of witnesses said that Tony Stewart gunned his engine and the vehicle swung out and the back end clipped Kevin. Do I think Tony intended to kill him? Absolutely not. But I am coming around to the idea that Tony at least intended to spray dirt at him in a dismissive gesture of bravado - and the direct and proximate result of that intentional action was the guy's death. You're absolutely right, that's the textbook definition of manslaughter. And it some states, 2nd degree murder.
ReplyDeleteThis didn't look like a regular NASCAR race ... but then what do I know? Anyway, if drivers in NASCAR regularly run out onto the track then they're fucking crazy. I know IndyCar drivers don't do that! (I watch IndyCar sometimes, but not Nascar.)
That kid was a victim of his own stupidity, nothing else.
ReplyDelete