Tonight's Tony Stewart/Kevin Ward Jr. incident

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Than no better time to write and enforce the rule. Before a tragedy happens. Circle track racing has accepted it for one day too long.

Just flipped by Fox Sorts 1 and the current talking point is:

"Should Sprint Cup drivers be allowed to race dirt track events"

What a crock of horseE36 M3. That's not even in the same solar system as rational discourse. Its been less than 24 hours and the motorsports equivalent of Nancy Grace is coming up with talking points.....great.

I'm not a fan of Stewats having met him at the Rolex but after seeing the video I don't think he did it purposely. Getting angry and storming out onto a slick surface which didn't appear to be under caution to pick a fight with another driver is incredibly reckless and dangerous.

I feel bad for the kid and his family but a severe lack of judgement was shown.

Do sprint car driver's use spotters?

JG Pasterjak wrote: Present company excepted, the response to this tragedy—including the so-called "straight" news reporting of it—has made me weep for the future of our species. Beyond the horribly misinformed and sensationalistic news reporting, reading any sort of comments on this makes me want to go read a comment thread on Benghazi or gay marriage, just so I can get some intelligent discourse. I fear we've officially become a society of howling, narcissistic trolls and idiots.

Nothing new.

It's the reason I cancelled the newspaper, and stopped watching or listening to ANY news coverage over 30 years ago.

No, they don't use spotters.

My son just turned 20. He races. Started in go karts then went to motorcycle powered dirt sprint cars. Now races late model asphalt cars but wants to race 360 and 410 sprint cars. From the start I have preached to him about keeping his emotions under control, to not react in the heat of the moment, and to respect the competitors, fans and equipment.

My son and I have been at races in which Kevin has raced. Tony too. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and with Tony.

What a sad way to go out of this world. {edited out of respect for the dead kids parents} I feel bad for everyone involved.

New rule: no dark colors during evening events.

The first time I watched the video, I had already heard that Tony was trying to kick some dirt up at the guy, so what I saw was a car being driven dangerously in an already dangerous situation. After watching it more closely, I have to give Tony the benefit of the doubt. Tony's car enters the frame with the tail already out of line, as that's only real explanation for the tail snapping back towards the inside of the turn. That means the slide was initiated quite a bit earlier than would be necessary for such antics as a retaliatory dusting. While I do still believe it's possible that Tony was initially trying to scare the guy by going past with his tail out and not expecting the guy to get so close, the motions of the car make me think it's more likely that if anything the car had the tail out a little as a last ditch attempt to get the car to turn in and avoid the driver coming into his line on the track. In my opinion, any amount of legal liability for the death of this man revolves entirely around the intent behind Tony's car sliding out as it approached the guy. But ultimately there is only one person who actually knows the absolute truth as to what was going through his mind in the moments leading up to it, and whether it was an act of desperation or negligence.

I thought that drivers getting out on an active track was kind of like gun control...There are already rules in place, but there is a distinct lack of enforcement and repercussions for breaking them. However, I would be careful about the wording of any new rules created in direct relation to this event, as it has occurred more than once that a driver has been the first responder to come to the aid of another stricken driver on an active track. Any act to potentially save another drivers life should not face a penalty.

At the very least, I should hope that in the aftermath of this tragedy, Tony Stewart seriously reflects on his own past actions and becomes a very vocal proponent of much stricter enforcement and stiffer penalties against drivers acting aggressively outside of their car on an active racetrack...And always leads by example, from this point forward.

Lancer007 wrote: Just flipped by Fox Sorts 1 and the current talking point is: "Should Sprint Cup drivers be allowed to race dirt track events" What a crock of horseE36 M3. That's not even in the same solar system as rational discourse. Its been less than 24 hours and the motorsports equivalent of Nancy Grace is coming up with talking points.....great.

Slightly off topic but not really. Fox Sports 1 is in the same business as ESPN. Generating their own drama and news for the sake of filling TV time or getting web page traffic. They released an article recently about the UCF head football coach retiring after the first game of the season. When the coach was actually questioned in front of a camera he called out FS1. I guess all it takes to be a well paid sports reporter these days is a great imagination. GRM excluded.

GameboyRMH wrote: Well here it is, the price of decades and decades of making it acceptable in sprint car racing to storm out onto a hot track. It's been more accepted than fights in ice hockey for longer than I've been alive.

Yea, anyone ever see the footage of a fist fight after a crash on one of the earliest network TV nascar races?

The thing that I keep coming back to, no matter what the discussion of fault or intent, is this:

If Ward would have just stayed in his car, or near his car, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all, and the world would still have a young man that enjoyed racing in it.

I get crap at autocrosses and the local track for being the "safety nazi". This is why.

dinger wrote: I get crap at autocrosses and the local track for being the "safety nazi". This is why.

Then keep up the good work. You may save someone's life.

As tragic as this is, if anyone other than Tony Stewart was involved this would be back page stuff.

There are so many things that could have happened. Unfortunately they happened at the wrong time.

six pack says tony is out of the drivers seat for the remainder 2014 nascar season

In reply to Karl La Follette:

I'll take that bet!

In reply to Driven5:

I agree about the car movement.

I have watched the video many times (without the benefit of slo-mo, hi-def, or any other camera angle).

The car movement looks identical to me to the #45 car in front of Stewart. Everyone agrees THAT movement was an avoidance maneuver.

Nose cuts to the inside, like he is swerving to miss Ward.

Zomby Woof wrote:

JG Pasterjak wrote: Present company excepted, the response to this tragedy—including the so-called "straight" news reporting of it—has made me weep for the future of our species. Beyond the horribly misinformed and sensationalistic news reporting, reading any sort of comments on this makes me want to go read a comment thread on Benghazi or gay marriage, just so I can get some intelligent discourse. I fear we've officially become a society of howling, narcissistic trolls and idiots.

Nothing new. It's the reason I cancelled the newspaper, and stopped watching or listening to ANY news coverage over 30 years ago.

"and that right there is why 10% of the time i think ZW is a berkeleying genius."

My wife says I'll lead a much less stress filled life if I learn to stop reading the crap out there.

SVreX wrote: In reply to Driven5: I agree about the car movement. I have watched the video many times (without the benefit of slo-mo, hi-def, or any other camera angle). The car movement looks identical to me to the #45 car in front of Stewart. Everyone agrees THAT movement was an avoidance maneuver. Nose cuts to the inside, like he is swerving to miss Ward.

Not only that, but from my non-expert analysis of the available video there is an even chance that he goosed it as he cut back to the right in an attempt to kick the back end down the banking and AWAY from Ward.

Duke wrote:

SVreX wrote: In reply to Driven5: I agree about the car movement. I have watched the video many times (without the benefit of slo-mo, hi-def, or any other camera angle). The car movement looks identical to me to the #45 car in front of Stewart. Everyone agrees THAT movement was an avoidance maneuver. Nose cuts to the inside, like he is swerving to miss Ward.

Not only that, but from my non-expert analysis of the available video there is an even chance that he goosed it as he cut back to the right in an attempt to kick the back end down the banking and AWAY from Ward.

That's exactly how I see it as well. However a non racing enthusiast co worker watched it this morning and is 100% convinced that he swerved into him

Not like Ward was standing still, either. He was actively darting TOWARD the cars, so there's not much chance to avoid him if you don't see him in time (like the first car, which was obviously not Ward's target)

Driven5 wrote: However, I would be careful about the wording of any new rules created in direct relation to this event, as it has occurred more than once that a driver has been the first responder to come to the aid of another stricken driver on an active track. Any act to potentially save another drivers life should not face a penalty.

Perhaps they need a rule to throw the red flag as soon as any driver steps out on the track, then sort it out once traffic is stopped.

I know they will have Toxicology on the kid, i wonder if they got any on Tony ?

Searched the track rules, general and sprint car and found nothing applicable to a driver exiting the car on track. Although there was a rule forbidding crew, owners, family etc. of any car being on track except for planned red flag refueling or service. Their sprint car rules were not applicable to this event tho.

Empire Super Sprints sanctioned this event. No rule posting on their site.

Thought WOO might have a similar rule set but no mention there either of driver exiting.

Given the explicit explanation of other rules... conduct, engine, chassis, nuts n bolts etc. I thought a driver exit rule would be included if there were such one.

Not making an issue, just saying, it may be something so simple that it is covered in the driver meeting tho.

I gotta throw my .02 into the conversation.

This morning, even the local Boston sports radio guys were talking about this incident. They have many times shown that they know zero about cars, and they had a disclaimer stating that they had no clue about auto racing. The callers were mostly people calling for Stewart's head, stating that they could see "clear intent to kill" the way Stewart was driving, and he is a murderer. I watched the video and didn't see that.

I'm sorry, but I join many people in thinking that if you get into a wreck on track, and you can stay in the vehicle until the emergency crews get there (aka your vehicle isn't on fire), STAY IN THE DAMN VEHICLE!!! You know there's cars flying around, and that you could get hit, and you take your life into your own hands when you get out and start having a tantrum in the middle of a live track. Now, I didn't see it personally, but I heard that not 24 hours later, at Watkins Glen, a driver did the SAME THING after a wreck! Seriously???

Now, it could have been avoided, that's for sure. Either Kevin Ward Jr could have stayed in the car and waited until later to get in Stewart's face, or Stewart could have slowed down and tried to cut further inside, but it was avoidable either way, and that's the tragic aspect of the whole thing.

Driving a car in any capacity can be dangerous, whether it is a gold Camry loafing down the highway, or a Sprint Car flying sideways down a dirt track. They can do serious damage to a human body. This is why adults teach kids no look both ways before crossing the street, and why you don't run around in traffic for fun. And in a dangerous situation, like after a car crash, you don't floor your car past the wreck: you approach with caution.

Either way, it sucks, and my thoughts go out to all involved.