You have seen people run into the middle of the track when cars are moving at about 40mph? I have family that races dirt tracks every weekend and they said they've never seen anyone do that...

 

 

Yes with my own two eyeballs! I've seen two guys get out of their cars and actually fist fight each other in the middle of a dirt track as cars were passing them. I didn't have a radar gun with me so I can't actually say they were going 40 mph or not.

Only a couple of cars passed after he got out of his car and he was still up by his car when they went by. Only the car in front of Stewart and Stewart were near him when he went to the middle of the track to confront Stewart.

 

6 cars passed him as he was out of the car and walking down the track. The car in front of him did not swerve to avoid him in the video that everyone has seen. Stewarts car was the highest car on the track when the guy was out of his car and he without quest accelerated as he approached Ward. Stewart was trying to scare the kid and it backfired.

Not sure...but I don't think they do.

 

I've been to a blue million sprint car races, and I've never known there to be any radio communication other than from the tower to the cars.

Actually--sprint cars are usually extremely tight ... and push constantly (under steer).

The only way to get these cars to turn (most of the time) is to hit the gas.

I have driven a sprint car on quite a few occasions ... the only way I can describe it .. is that it is almost driving a car backwards.

I know that it looks like the rear end is sliding ... but you are usually going to end up turning the wheel hard inside more than to the outside (to get the nose straight).

 

(The rest of the response is not pointed at you--HB20) .. just some information that I have.

 

Some info of some one I know who was at the race in question last night:

Tony hit Ward on the FRONT stretch ... which blew Ward's tire.

From there ... Tony came out of turn 2 and took and barely edged into him.

Then Ward did the 360's--my buddy doesn't think Tony hit Ward there ... but his rapidly deflating tire while coming out of 2 was the major reason why Ward wrecked.

 

Before this goes further ... my opinion is that .. even with the above statements .. Tony is still at fault--for the fake out move (I don't think it was intentional .. but he is still responsible).

 

I have watched the video a ton of times ... I feel like I can BARELY see Stewart turn the wheel towards Ward. I also tried to compare Stewarts car was in comparison with the inside edge of the track ... and that made me more confident that Stewart made the fake out move.

Standard Operating Procedure at nearly every dirt track that I have been to ... is for the driver to get out of the car and get into the infield. (Which is a whole lot different than someone getting out of the car and confronting another driver).

 

The opinions that I have heard so far made it extremely clear that Tony was doing his normal .. "swerve a the angry driver he just wrecked" ... but either misjudged how close Ward was to his car .. or he couldn't get the wheel turned back quick enough after the fake swerve (this is another symptom of the car being tight ... Tony had to hit the gas to get the car to turn.

 

With that said ... guess what ... it happens every week and will continue to happen for one simple reason--to get butts in seats. Dirt track promoters play up the driver confrontations in the biggest way possible. Doesn't mean it is right ... but it is what it is.

 

As far as Tony goes ... he should have known better.

 

The anniversary of his broken leg was this past Tuesday ... maybe whatever higher being that Tony believes in was trying to send a message ... when he ignored it ... there you go (I know that sounds strange--but I believe in Karma)

 

Tony has been/is/will continue to be one of the most arrogant drivers in NASCAR.

 

Ooooohhhh .. Tony is a racer ... he wants to race ...!

Yeah well ... he is part owner of a multi-million dollar operation--where people depend on him for their livelihood. Before he became an owner ... I could care less where and what he was driving then. But when he put on the owner hat ... it was time to grow up and step out of his arrogant/self concerned mind set.

 

I really struggle with this one ... because Tony thinks he is helping dirt track racing by showing up to run sprints. I disagree for one simple reason ... Tony has no skin in the game--he can AFFORD to run so hard because he has the money and resources to do it. When you match that in with guys who are fighting tooth and nail just be be able to race each week ... well .. to me that is a horrible combination. He has a history of not cutting people any slack then whines like a sissy when he isn't cut any slack.

 

By no means do I think he tried to hit Ward .... but he is 100% liable for his stupid swerve fake out move.

This post is spot on. I've seen TS race sprint cars several times. And he's so much better than the weekend warriors it's clear to see and he's able to drop 100K in his motor when other guys are struggling to do it as a hobby. With that said, and watching the video, I agree with qs totally. There's never been a better sprint car driver that I've ever seen than Stewart, and he knows exactly how that car handles. He flirted with being a jerk to the kid who was trying to show him up and it bit him. Sprint cars are not "loose".

You have seen people run into the middle of the track when cars are moving at about 40mph? I have family that races dirt tracks every weekend and they said they've never seen anyone do that...

 

If I had a dollar for every time I have seen this (and any type of race track) ... we could both buy us brand new Ferrari's. As I said in my previous post (sorry .. I don't think I would read that book either!) .. dirt tracks need stuff like that to happen to ensure that the show is interesting ... which in turn keeps people coming back.

 

Racing on dirt is a different deal. Racing sprint cars on dirt is even more of a different deal. It's the mentality of racers ... WFO ... wreckers or checkers .. bring back the trophy or steering wheel.

 

How many times have you heard a person say "I watch NASCAR/racing of any type for the wrecks"? (maybe not any if you are a race fan ... but I am sure it rings true to some of us).

 

I would be willing to bet ... if you went to youtube .. and typed in "racing wrecks" or "dirt track fights" ... you could come up with enough video to watch for the next week without taking a break.

 

I asked my buddy ... who was at the track where this happened last night ... to go on youtube and see if he could either find an incar video from Canandaigua ... or somewhere else that had similar lighting/brightness (this looks a ton different--but remember--the lights are focused on the track--and the Tony Stewart video was taken in the stands behind the focus of the lights).

 

That's your take on the video. It's obvious we see and feel differently so I don't feel inclined to play the what if game. In my eyes Tony Stewart was trying to send a message to the kid and it backfired on him. I don't think he meant to hit or kill him but I don't think he had Kevin Ward's safety in mind either. There is nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise and the only person who knows the truth is Tony Stewart and none of us will ever find that out because he'd stupid to tell anyone exactly what was going through his head and what his intentions are. My opinion on this incident will be my opinion.

 

PP we see it the same way.

 

If I had a dollar for every time I have seen this (and any type of race track) ... we could both buy us brand new Ferrari's. As I said in my previous post (sorry .. I don't think I would read that book either!) .. dirt tracks need stuff like that to happen to ensure that the show is interesting ... which in turn keeps people coming back.

 

Racing on dirt is a different deal. Racing sprint cars on dirt is even more of a different deal. It's the mentality of racers ... WFO ... wreckers or checkers .. bring back the trophy or steering wheel.

 

How many times have you heard a person say "I watch NASCAR/racing of any type for the wrecks"? (maybe not any if you are a race fan ... but I am sure it rings true to some of us).

 

I would be willing to bet ... if you went to youtube .. and typed in "racing wrecks" or "dirt track fights" ... you could come up with enough video to watch for the next week without taking a break.

 

I asked my buddy ... who was at the track where this happened last night ... to go on youtube and see if he could either find an incar video from Canandaigua ... or somewhere else that had similar lighting/brightness (this looks a ton different--but remember--the lights are focused on the track--and the Tony Stewart video was taken in the stands behind the focus of the lights).

 

 

I guess I'm going to the wrong tracks. I've been to several races and I've never seen anyone do what this guy did. I haven't been as much as my family who races every weekend, so I asked them and one of them said they never seen anyone do that either. There is a difference in getting it, and getting out and running in to moving cars...I've seen tons of people get out.

 

6 cars passed him as he was out of the car and walking down the track. The car in front of him did not swerve to avoid him in the video that everyone has seen. Stewarts car was the highest car on the track when the guy was out of his car and he without quest accelerated as he approached Ward. Stewart was trying to scare the kid and it backfired.

 

How can you tell he accelerated? His car is in the frame a split second before striking Ward. No way to gauge if he accelerated prior to hitting him or not from the video.

 

That's your take on the video. It's obvious we see and feel differently so I don't feel inclined to play the what if game. In my eyes Tony Stewart was trying to send a message to the kid and it backfired on him. I don't think he meant to hit or kill him but I don't think he had Kevin Ward's safety in mind either. There is nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise and the only person who knows the truth is Tony Stewart and none of us will ever find that out because he'd stupid to tell anyone exactly what was going through his head and what his intentions are. My opinion on this incident will be my opinion.

 

Hopefully more video surfaces with different angles that will show clearer what happened. While no one can change your mind, I'm different I'd like to see more evidence and could easily change my mind if it were clear.

 

My biggest thing is that from that video the only thing that we can conclude is that Ward was in the middle of the track and appeared to be looking for Stewart's car. Then Stewart's car/wheel struck him.

Tony Stewart accident: No evidence of criminal intent, sheriff says - LA Times

 

The sheriff investigating the on-track accident involving Tony Stewart that resulted in the death of a fellow driver says there is no evidence of "criminal intent" on the part of the three-time NASCAR champion.

 

During a news conference Sunday, Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero said Stewart has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation and that there is no evidence that Stewart purposely tried to hurt Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint-car race in New York on Saturday night.

 

Ward, 20, was struck and killed by Stewart's car when it appeared he tried to confront Stewart while on foot during a caution in a dirt-track race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

 

“[stewart's] been interviewed and ... has made himself available again if it’s necessary,” Povero said.

 

Povero emphasized that video footage of the accident “is very important and crucial to our investigation" and that his department is looking for deeper analysis of the incident from people who are familiar with sprint-car racing. He said Stewart was driving 35-40 mph at the time of the incident.

lRelated NASCAR's Tony Stewart hits, kills rival driver on N.Y. track

 

“There are no foregone conclusions. .... We are looking for any information, any relevant evidence.”

Hopefully there will be a through investigation to determine the actual facts of the case...not just the twitter and facebook facts.

 

If Stewart in anyway is found to have attempted to hit him, he needs to be charged...but it will take more than that one video to prove that is what happened.

How can you tell he accelerated? His car is in the frame a split second before striking Ward. No way to gauge if he accelerated prior to hitting him or not from the video.

You couldn't see the car fishtail? Really? They don't get loose in the rearend without acceleration. Come on JD.

You couldn't see the car fishtail? Really? They don't get loose in the rearend without acceleration. Come on JD.

I saw the fishtail after he made contact, that could have just as easily came from him cutting the wheel hard trying to miss Ward as it did trying to hit him.

I saw the fishtail after he made contact, that could have just as easily came from him cutting the wheel hard trying to miss Ward as it did trying to hit him.

 

Can't make a car with those tires move in that short a space without acceleration. A turn of the wheel won't do it? I'm curious, not throwing stones, are you at all familiar with a sprint car?

He accelerated before contact. I can't see how anyone who watches this video can say otherwise honestly.

Can't make a car with those tires move in that short a space without acceleration. A turn of the wheel won't do it? I'm curious, not throwing stones, are you at all familiar with a sprint car?

Probably not as much as some, I've been watching it since Steve Kinser was the WOO Champ back in the 90's.

 

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that to turn those cars sharply as if to avoid something you would accelerate and cut the wheel over hard.

 

I'm not going to convince any of you, I'm not really trying to BTW. Just trying to give a different perspective that I guess no one is willing to consider.

 

Maybe Stewart can be hung on the front stretch at Daytona!!!

 

I'm gone!