Kevin Ward

[TenEightyOne]

I don't think it was intentional... I'm not convinced that Stewart could even see him so well.

An awful incident to watch and a tragic outcome. Hopefully now the oval organisers will put a stop to this "revenge" rubbish, the risk of someone being killed has gone up-and-up and now finally it's happened.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Disappointed to see so many people on this forum and in comments elsewhere moving towards blaming the victim.

Whatever happened until the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven?

Ward willingly walked onto the circuit in black overalls to needlessly make a gesture towards another competitor. He knowingly put himself in danger for the sake of doing something incredibly stupid. And of everyone involved, he was the one with the most power to avoid the accident.

 

[GTPorsche]

Ontario County Sheriff was asked if any incident has ever happened like this at that track before.

He hesitated at first, seemingly trying to remember if there were any incidents like this, said yes, looked to his right a bit as if he was getting confirmation from a colleague and then responded with "Yes, several years ago".

Also said that this is currently being looked at as an "on-track accident".

I'd be surprised if charges are going to be filed at this point.

 

[Ninners]

Woke up and checked my social feeds and saw all the news about this all over it, shocking.

These actions by drivers looking for revenge (not shifting the blame here ) is pretty pointless, what do you gain out of it? It's downright dangerous, even at caution speeds. Something serious was bound to happen from this sometime or other.

My best wishes to Kevins family in this tough time.

 

[nascarfan1400]

After viewing it myself... Kevin was hell Bent, and was quite aways away from the car. :/

This is going to effect Smoke, at this point, I don't want to see him- or anyone, in Sprint Cars

And not just because of this- the death traps took the lives of Leffler, and many, many, others. Snapped Tonys leg, broke a drivers back, and now this...

There's been a lot of nastiness from sprint cars in the most recent few years, and they aren't really making any safety improvements...

I know Tony didn't hit him on purpose... He couldn't see him, (dim track, black racing gear, away from the car, running around flailing his finger) I don't know why he thought that was a good idea... Smoke maybe should not have been high on the track but I doubt he thought the guy would run down the track...

I donno... Sprint Cars are making me more, and more upset.

RIP Kevin.

 

[Jahgee]

Ricky Craven is my favorite part of NASCAR on ESPN, he is so well spoken and so experienced, it's just perfect. Hopefully he moves to NBC or Fox because he belongs on NASCAR coverage

 

[Blitz24]

Not intentional.

I don't plan on viewing the video because what it sounds like is just a driver who is angry putting his life at danger and the combination of the poor lighting and the driver wearing dark clothing making him even more of a "blind spot".

As someone said earlier, the HANS device makes it difficult to look around, what if Ward attempted to grab Stewart in his Sprint car? He'd either have lost his arms or have been killed.

I would think Stewart would not race today because of the incident and his participation, not because he is under criminal charges.

 

[Bo]

Good point on NBC:

Third, if investigating sheriff’s deputies believed Stewart did intentionally strike Ward, would he have been released from custody after fully cooperating with investigators?

 

[GTPorsche]

He would have been released regardless unless charges were filed against him and they had issued a warrant for his arrest due to the charges.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

He would have been released regardless unless charges were filed against him and they had issued a warrant for his arrest due to the charges.

They could have filed charges against him right there, and yet they didn't. So that means either they're going to rule this an accident, or they don't have enough to go on to file charges. Since Stewart is quite a public figure he shouldn't be hard to find or keep track of. There's an entire NASCAR schedule for them to follow

 

[GTPorsche]

They could have filed charges against him right there, and yet they didn't. So that means either they're going to rule this an accident, or they don't have enough to go on to file charges. Since Stewart is quite a public figure he shouldn't be hard to find or keep track of. There's an entire NASCAR schedule for them to follow

Yeah, and with the Sheriff declaring the situation as an on-track accident, it looks like there won't be any charges filed.

NASCAR says there's currently nothing to keep Stewart from competing today also.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Yeah, and with the Sheriff declaring the situation as an on-track accident, it looks like there won't be any charges filed.

NASCAR says there's currently nothing to keep Stewart from competing today also.

So I guess for now we can only wait and see if this becomes more than where it currently stands as you and I and many others are saying.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

If nothing else, this incident demands a critical examination of the culture surrounding the event. As has been pointed out, there have been examples of on-track incursions happening during NASCAR races. I can think of no other series where this happens, much less is considered acceptable. The only instance I can think of was when Russell Ingall and Mark Skaife tangled at Eastern Creek a few years ago, and Skaife stayed inside the armco barrier to voice his displeasure when Ingall passed by the next time around - and the response from the officials was as swift as it was humbling for the both of them.

 

[nascarfan1400]

I don't really see the reason for charges to be pressed. Kevin Ward was probably a good ten feet from the car, in the dark, in all black, darting back and forth... I don't know why he went so far from the car in the first place... Tony slid the rear in an attempt to dodge him, as the car in front had swerved to miss him, giving Smoke what? A half of a second to realize a pedestrian is running at him in the middle of the track? There's no chance.

In the same sense, Stewart was going considerably fast for a caution, and was all the way on the outside... Trying to intimidate him, or just trying to recollect himself, I don't know.

Ward should've stayed in the car- or stayed by the car. There's a reason why angry drivers in NASCAR have 2-4 officials following them. While the drivers hell-bent, the officials are constantly looking for traffic. Ward took matters into his own hands and it was a fatal decision. It was a terrible accident, but I don't see why charges would be pressed. I don't know any NASCAR driver that would intentionally hit a driver. And if Tony was going to commit manslaughter, why Kevin Ward of all people?

 

[GTPorsche]

This has nothing to do with NASCAR, this is Sprint Cars- not Sprint Cup.

It does in a way... these situations where drivers are standing on the track waiting for the guy who wrecked them to come back around so they can show their displeasure has been going on for years, and I think it's time that it stops. It doesn't occur in other series.

In the same sense, Stewart was going considerably fast for a caution, and was all the way on the outside... Trying to intimidate him, or just trying to recollect himself, I don't know.

Quite opposite actually. Kevin Ward was about 75% of the way to the inside of the corner when he got struck. It's not a very wide track and there wasn't much room on the inside for the cars to go when he ran out towards them.

 

[nascarfan1400]

Quite opposite actually. Kevin Ward was about 75% of the way to the inside of the corner when he got struck. It's not a very wide track and there wasn't much room on the inside for the cars to go when he ran out towards them.

Well then that's even more reason why Kevin shouldn't have been running around like a chicken without a head, for lack of better words, and you know the media will blow it up. That 75 could've just as easily killed Kevin. Tony did all he could... But Kevin still was moving around the track when Tony committed to his line...

 

[ukfan758]

Both are at fault, Ward was an idiot to have WALKED ON TO THE TRACK in black clothing towards the cars when cars are going by, Stewart should have been going slower and not in a higher lane.

 

[nascarfan1400]

Quite opposite actually. Kevin Ward was about 75% of the way to the inside of the corner when he got struck. It's not a very wide track and there wasn't much room on the inside for the cars to go when he ran out towards them.

Both are at fault, Ward was an idiot to have WALKED ON TO THE TRACK in black clothing towards the cars when cars are going by, Stewart should have been going slower and not in a higher lane.

True, slower would've been a good idea, but the cars can necessarily stop on a dime, and like GTPorsche says, the track is quite narrow

 

[GTPorsche]

I've seen a screengrab of where Ware was standing a few seconds before getting hit, but I doubt I can post it.

No one was running a high line...

 

[MatskiMonk]

Not a good situation at all, but Ward put himself directly in the firing line. Whatever the legal verdict is, I can see this being something that will follow Tony around till the day he dies, I think it's going to make it very tough on him as a driver, and team owner.

 

[nascarfan1400]

I've seen a screengrab of where Ware was standing a few seconds before getting hit, but I doubt I can post it.

No one was running a high line...

So the camera angle manipulated it as high?

 

[GTPorsche]

So the camera angle manipulated it as high?

Yes.

 

[nascarfan1400]

Not a good situation at all, but Ward put himself directly in the firing line. Whatever the legal verdict is, I can see this being something that will follow Tony around till the day he dies, I think it's going to make it very tough on him as a driver, and team owner.

Ward stepping into the racing line is equivalent to running across a busy Highway. It's unsafe. It's silly. It's deadly.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Both are at fault, Ward was an idiot to have WALKED ON TO THE TRACK in black clothing towards the cars when cars are going by, Stewart should have been going slower and not in a higher lane.

And what about the four other cars prior to Tony that look to be going faster if not just as fast, with the fifth and last car in front of Tony's being the slowest and swerving to miss Ward? Also if you watch the video Stewart isn't that high up it only looks like it after he's hit the driver and the car veers right due to this and then he stops the car some distance.

 

[ND4SPD]

That looked pretty damn intentionally to me. I mean all the other drivers were able to get around Ward fine... Stewart just also happened to be the only driver that decided to pin the throttle at that exact moment... but that's just what I can tell from a 40 second long YouTube video. They're both idiots. Just a shame someone had to die.

 

[Pupik]

I know sprint car racing takes place on a relatively short track, but if there were several other cars that needed to swerve before Stewart arrived, then that suggests to me that the driver spent much longer on the circuit and on foot than he needed to. Protocol for any form of motorsport is to leave the area as soon as possible - if you have an issue with someone, settle it later.

And somehow, NASCAR has fostered this World Wrestling Federation attitude that fighting or a show of aggression after an accident is acceptable, without laying down major penalties. You don't play in traffic, you don't approach moving cars; you're told this from the time you are able to walk. Sad to say, I think many of us knew this would happen one day, and now it did.

Whether Tony Stewart intentionally hit a human being or not is for the authorities to decide. While I understand there's a sort of grit and ability for a professional to wipe away the events of the immediate past, I'm still kind of bothered that he's going to race on Sunday, though.

 

[nascarfan1400]

Out of curiosity- was it noted as to whether or not Stewart exited his machine following the accident?

 

[ukfan758]

And what about the four other cars prior to Tony that look to be going faster if not just as fast, with the fifth and last car in front of Tony's being the slowest and swerving to miss Ward? Also if you watch the video Stewart isn't that high up it only looks like it after he's hit the driver and the car veers right due to is and then he stops the car some distance.

It just looked like either ward went further down the track or Stewart was slightly higher from the video.

 

[GTPorsche]

Out of curiosity- was it noted as to whether or not Stewart exited his machine following the accident?

Yes, reports were that Stewart stopped that car within 100 yards of the incident.

 

[nascarfan1400]

It just looked like either ward went further down the track or Stewart was slightly higher from the video.

Ward went down more. He was jumping all over the place... He was bound to be hit when he started to juke... That's just stupid. Don't play chicken with a car.


EDIT: Any suspicions are now confirmed. The 14 will be piloted by Tony Stewart at Watkins Glen this Afternoon.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...wart-watkins-glen-nascar-sprint-cup/13857187/