If the roles were reversed the kid would be behind bars. Tony will not be charged for this but clearly played a major role in the young mans death. Power of the celebrity wins again.

 

I don't know if the kid would be behind bars but there would be whole heck of a lot people saying the hot headed Tony Stewart finally did something stupid that got him killed. The majority of the blame would have been put on him.

I just looked at it one more time. Ward first started to dart down the track at 33 seconds. He was hit at 36 seconds. In 3 seconds Stewart was able to tell that he was going to dart down the track, formulated a plan to show him up or scare him and then hit him? He didn't even get out from behind his car until the 29 second mark and didn't clear the front of it until the 31 second mark. I just don't see how Stewart had time to see him, get ticked off and decide to show him up in 4-5 seconds when he was following another car. It just doesn't add up.

 

So you say Stewart was following the line of the car in front of him, yet the car in front of him didn't hit the guy? Stewart didn't have enough time to steer is car out of the way (if he was on the exact same line as the car in front of him he wouldn't have had to move), but Ward had enough time to jump in the path of the car?

So you say Stewart was following the line of the car in front of him, yet the car in front of him didn't hit the guy? Stewart didn't have enough time to steer is car out of the way (if he was on the exact same line as the car in front of him he wouldn't have had to move), but Ward had enough time to jump in the path of the car?

 

Yes, Ward appeared to take another step down the track just as the first car cleared him. He wasn't ran over by Stewart--he was hit by the rear wheel. That one step was enough to get him hit. And like I said before, the guy wouldn't really have been visible to anyone until about 4 seconds before he was hit...I don't think that is enough time for Stewart to decide he was upset and then decide to scare the guys, I just don't.

 

I have no strong feelings towards Stewart either way, I'm just trying to look at this logically without taking past practices in general or Stewart's past behavior in particular into account.

Yes, Ward appeared to take another step down the track just as the first car cleared him. He wasn't ran over by Stewart--he was hit by the rear wheel. That one step was enough to get him hit. And like I said before, the guy wouldn't really have been visible to anyone until about 4 seconds before he was hit...I don't think that is enough time for Stewart to decide he was upset and then decide to scare the guys, I just don't.

 

I have no strong feelings towards Stewart either way, I'm just trying to look at this logically without taking past practices in general or Stewart's past behavior in particular into account.

 

IMO, you can't just forget about Stewart's past. He has earned the reputation he has, thus he will not get the benefit of the doubt from many because of it. The guy two seconds in front of Stewart missed him, it's my opinion Stewart could have missed him just as easily.

IMO, you can't just forget about Stewart's past. He has earned the reputation he has, thus he will not get the benefit of the doubt from many because of it. The guy two seconds in front of Stewart missed him, it's my opinion Stewart could have missed him just as easily.

 

But the guy moved further down the track, that is obvious from the video. If you were Stewart should you expect the guy to keep moving into the path of your car? Especially if your view was somewhat obstructed by the car in front of you?

 

If you're saying that Stewart could have missed him just as easily then you are saying he straight up murdered the kid. I think that's just ridiculous--no way that happened. Why would Stewart have been that mad? He wasn't the one that wrecked, he was still running the race. There just wasn't time for this stuff to happen. There were about 5 seconds from the time that the kid cleared the back of his car until he was hit. He was moving down the track closer and closer to the passing cars during this time. I just don't buy that Stewart, who wasn't wrecked, spotted him, got mad and tried to scare him in that length of time--all while having to keep an eye on the other cars. And I don't buy for a second that he could have missed him and didn't.

But the guy moved further down the track, that is obvious from the video. If you were Stewart should you expect the guy to keep moving into the path of your car? Especially if your view was somewhat obstructed by the car in front of you?

 

If you're saying that Stewart could have missed him just as easily then you are saying he straight up murdered the kid. I think that's just ridiculous--no way that happened. Why would Stewart have been that mad? He wasn't the one that wrecked, he was still running the race. There just wasn't time for this stuff to happen. There were about 5 seconds from the time that the kid cleared the back of his car until he was hit. He was moving down the track closer and closer to the passing cars during this time. I just don't buy that Stewart, who wasn't wrecked, spotted him, got mad and tried to scare him in that length of time--all while having to keep an eye on the other cars. And I don't buy for a second that he could have missed him and didn't.

 

I just don't understand how you say the first driver had time to see the guy and steer clear but Stewart didn't. I'm not saying he ran him over intentionally, but I do think he was trying to send a message and got closer than he probably planned. And yes, if I see a guy on the track, I'm doing everything I can to get as far away from him as possible. Stewart did not do that. Obviously.

I just don't understand how you say the first driver had time to see the guy and steer clear but Stewart didn't. I'm not saying he ran him over intentionally, but I do think he was trying to send a message and got closer than he probably planned. And yes, if I see a guy on the track, I'm doing everything I can to get as far away from him as possible. Stewart did not do that. Obviously.

 

Two reasons: 1) Stewart was following around 2 seconds behind the first car. I'm sure he was directing at least some of his attention to that car along with the wrecked car and any emergency vehicles. I doubt his first thought was that there might be someone charging his car. 2) I've said it several times: Ward continued to move lower on the track. If he'd have been in the same place that he was when the previous car passed him he wouldn't have been hit by Stewart. More than one driver has said that the peripheral vision in those cars are not good. The guy moved further down the track towards a car that was moving forward at 40 mph. It is simple physics, that greatly cut down on the angles available to Stewart to dodge him--if he even had time to see him move down the track.

What bothers me is Stewarts people had to talk him out of racing the next day.

Two reasons: 1) Stewart was following around 2 seconds behind the first car. I'm sure he was directing at least some of his attention to that car along with the wrecked car and any emergency vehicles. I doubt his first thought was that there might be someone charging his car. 2) I've said it several times: Ward continued to move lower on the track. If he'd have been in the same place that he was when the previous car passed him he wouldn't have been hit by Stewart. More than one driver has said that the peripheral vision in those cars are not good. The guy moved further down the track towards a car that was moving forward at 40 mph. It is simple physics, that greatly cut down on the angles available to Stewart to dodge him--if he even had time to see him move down the track.

 

You can tell from that video Stewart and the car in front of him are on the same line? There's no chance Stewart was a little higher on the track? I agree totally with you that Ward walked down farther after the car before Stewart passed. Both of them were probably a little higher and a little faster than they should have been considering there was a wreck on the high side. Stewart for sure knew there would be a caution and where the wrecked car would be. Also, Ward points at Stewart before walking down the track. Do you think he was pointing and gesturing at someone that had zero chance to see it.

 

I will say your analysis so far has backed me down a tad from my opinion that he may have been trying to save him. What you are saying and your timeline makes sense.

What bothers me is Stewarts people had to talk him out of racing the next day.

 

And he had plenty of time for the guilt to set in and sit out, but it was business as usual to them until the social media backlash. Sickening reaction.

You can tell from that video Stewart and the car in front of him are on the same line? There's no chance Stewart was a little higher on the track? I agree totally with you that Ward walked down farther after the car before Stewart passed. Both of them were probably a little higher and a little faster than they should have been considering there was a wreck on the high side. Stewart for sure knew there would be a caution and where the wrecked car would be. Also, Ward points at Stewart before walking down the track. Do you think he was pointing and gesturing at someone that had zero chance to see it.

 

I will say your analysis so far has backed me down a tad from my opinion that he may have been trying to save him. What you are saying and your timeline makes sense.

 

I couldn't measure it to the foot but it looks pretty darn close. At least close enough that I don't think Stewart was up there looking for trouble--there just wasn't enough time to get up that high unless he was already up there.

 

As for Ward pointing and gesturing I don't think he cared whether Stewart saw him or not at that point. He's seen Stewart and others do it in NASCAR and I'd bet he was doing it for the crowd's benefit. It isn't like this was a NASCAR track where the driver that you're pointing at could see you for 1/2 mile or better as they were approaching you.

I just don't understand how you say the first driver had time to see the guy and steer clear but Stewart didn't. I'm not saying he ran him over intentionally, but I do think he was trying to send a message and got closer than he probably planned. And yes, if I see a guy on the track, I'm doing everything I can to get as far away from him as possible. Stewart did not do that. Obviously.

You've never had a car you were following miss a pot hole or something else in the road that you didn't see until the car in front of you passed it and then you hit it because there wasn't time to react?

It has nothing to do with beloved or hated. Use your NASCAR wisdom and fill in the blank with whomever you want. Stewart is getting trashed because of past behavior.

 

To a large extent ... you are right. Do you know why? BECAUSE he has done this type of thing before. I have seen it with my own eyes at 5 different dirt tracks ranging from his teenage years to now.

 

Also--Stewart is getting trashed by me ... because he started the entire situation on the front stretch when he hit Ward ... which led to the flat tire ... which led to Ward wrecking ... which led to Ward being angry enough to show his displeasure.

 

From there ... I am a little confused ... weren't you the one who said (paraphrased) that if this were Jimmie Johnson ... there would be no issue? When you put things that way ... whether you realize it or not ... you bring in the factor of whether people love or hate a driver.

 

Like I said ... being a race fan isn't like being a fan of the Bengals.

 

Here is the way a race fan thinks (at least everyone that I know) ... if you like Tony Stewart ... you don't care if he is a whining crybaby, you don't care if he wrecks people on purpose, you buy the products that he endorses, you don't call radio call in shows and trash him (like Bengals "fans" do all the time) and there is basically nothing that could happen to make you change your loyalties towards him. Like I said ... life or death .. hell or high water.

 

So ... actually being a race fan ... actually driving a sprint car more than a few times ... makes our perspectives different. That doesn't make either of us right or wrong. But there are some differences that you are not aware of.

To a large extent ... you are right. Do you know why? BECAUSE he has done this type of thing before. I have seen it with my own eyes at 5 different dirt tracks ranging from his teenage years to now.

 

Also--Stewart is getting trashed by me ... because he started the entire situation on the front stretch when he hit Ward ... which led to the flat tire ... which led to Ward wrecking ... which led to Ward being angry enough to show his displeasure.

 

From there ... I am a little confused ... weren't you the one who said (paraphrased) that if this were Jimmie Johnson ... there would be no issue? When you put things that way ... whether you realize it or not ... you bring in the factor of whether people love or hate a driver.

 

Like I said ... being a race fan isn't like being a fan of the Bengals.

 

Here is the way a race fan thinks (at least everyone that I know) ... if you like Tony Stewart ... you don't care if he is a whining crybaby, you don't care if he wrecks people on purpose, you buy the products that he endorses, you don't call radio call in shows and trash him (like Bengals "fans" do all the time) and there is basically nothing that could happen to make you change your loyalties towards him. Like I said ... life or death .. hell or high water.

 

So ... actually being a race fan ... actually driving a sprint car more than a few times ... makes our perspectives different. That doesn't make either of us right or wrong. But there are some differences that you are not aware of.

 

FWIW I know several people that are dirt track drivers and fans of all racing. They are not Stewart fans...and they don't think this is his fault.

You've never had a car you were following miss a pot hole or something else in the road that you didn't see until the car in front of you passed it and then you hit it because there wasn't time to react?

 

I've had it happen with a deer.