Tony Stewart reportedly runs over fellow driver

[Spacemans Bong]

Guys only racing in their one chosen series is a comparatively new thing in racing. In the 1960s, Mario Andretti was racing in Indycars, Nascar, Formula 1, sportscars (in Europe and in the Can-Am series), IROC, and dirt track stuff like this all at the same time. So was AJ Foyt, minus the F1. Mark Donohue and Dan Gurney were all doing every series that had a warm seat for them too. That continued on for years, probably until the mid-80s until F1 and Indycar teams (and later NASCAR teams, once they got the top Northern talent) paid guys enough to tell them not to race elsewhere*.
 
I don't know if Stewart's consciously aping this tradition (although I'm sure he's aware of it) but given his co-owner status and pull as a three-time champion, there's not a lot of people who can say no to him if he wants to whip it around a dirt track on a Friday night.

 

[Flunky]

The bball analogy was not the best because its a physical sport. With auto racing, obv., the equipment is a big part.
 
You guys are underestimating the quality of some of those family operations. If you don't run a series regularly you won't be as dialed in. Just because someone's uncle built their car doesn't mean it's not a setup with the right talent and track familiarity to smack even Tony Stewart down. You'd be surprised how much money these "mom and pop" teams invest in their motors. And you'd be surprised how many "mom and pop" racing teams are a diversion for the son or daughter of a local wealthy family (car dealer owners, franchise owners, etc.)
 
A good friend of mine and also a former Whelen Mod. tour champ has raced with and beaten some big names when the main tour hits Loudon, Bristol and Martinsville.
 
the purse may be smaller, but that doesn't mean the competition isn't worthy.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

Pit crew? How long do you guys think these races are? They race in heats. Most tracks don't have pits, but garages. You go to the garage, you're done.

Sponsorship: Any serious racer has sponsors, and enough money to fund a team that could compete with a Tony Stewart-funded team. I'm sure he buys quality and probably has mechanics who just set him up to race considering he has to devote most of his time to the NASCAR cash cow. But this is not that great of an advantage, not remotely as great as being implied in this thread. Driving is not necessarily an athletic skill, which it would have to be for these analogies to work. If Kevin Durant controlled a basketball with his hands and feet, we'd be onto something.

Lastly, the discussion of how to drive on dirt is settled law. You turn right to go left. Don't fret: it took Lightning McQueen awhile to learn this lesson, too.

Edit: What Flunky wrote.

 

[twibnotes]

Pit crew? How long do you guys think these races are? They race in heats. Most tracks don't have pits, but garages. You go to the garage, you're done.

Buck Murdock: We'd better get to the tower, Lieutenant.

Lt. Pervis: We have no tower, sir.

Buck Murdock: No tower?

Lt. Pervis: Just a bridge, sir.

("Airplane 2")

 

[Bone Chips]

My first reaction when seeing the video was that Stewart was trying to "buzz" the kid and kick dirt on him while he accelerated by him. Having watched it several more times, my opinion hasn't changed. I can see how people could think differently though. But in my opinion, Stewart was trying to buzz him and accelerated - pulling the kid under the wheel and sending him flying. We'll undoubtedly see more videos coming out, which I think will help show more clearly whether he accelerated or not.

 

[Bongorific]

The bball analogy was not the best because its a physical sport. With auto racing, obv., the equipment is a big part.
 
You guys are underestimating the quality of some of those family operations. If you don't run a series regularly you won't be as dialed in. Just because someone's uncle built their car doesn't mean it's not a setup with the right talent and track familiarity to smack even Tony Stewart down. You'd be surprised how much money these "mom and pop" teams invest in their motors. And you'd be surprised how many "mom and pop" racing teams are a diversion for the son or daughter of a local wealthy family (car dealer owners, franchise owners, etc.)
 
A good friend of mine and also a former Whelen Mod. tour champ has raced with and beaten some big names when the main tour hits Loudon, Bristol and Martinsville.
 
the purse may be smaller, but that doesn't mean the competition isn't worthy.

I appreciate the comments from our resident "motorheads" because I certainly don't know a thing about car racing.
 
However, from my layman's point of view, I don't see the UCONN analogy as very appropriate.  Even thought the skill differential is great, there isn't an inherent increased injury risk because of the skill level different.  It's different than say a football game between Alabama and a local community college where it could potentially be unsafe for the community college kids to get hit by the bigger, stronger SEC kids.
 
I understand your point that the applicable skill level between Stewart and the local dirt track drivers might not be that great on the local dirt track.  However, I could certainly imagine a scenario in which Stewart, being more recently used to racing against the world's elite drivers in elite cars on precision paved tracks, could be surprised and not anticipate the driving decisions and actions of the local amateur racers.  This isn't a critique on what happened in this particular accident; more of a general point on Stewart's decision to race against competitors and conditions very different than what he has been more recently trained for.

 

[Flunky]

 
 
Regardless of his choice of analogy, I don't think that's the point he was trying to make (or at least not like I read it). No one is wondering why Ward was driving - of course he would jump at the opportunity. But why would Stewart do it, especially when he had an actual race the next day? To go back to his BB example, no one questions why Maine plays UCONN, they question why UCONN wastes their time playing Maine. 

 
Stewart races dirt for two reasons. 1, he loves it, he cut his teething doing it. 2, he is a team owner and has a vested interest in the series financial success. Putting himself in the drivers seat increases revenue for the venue and the series. He is also a facility owner (Eldora). He has spent a lot of effort testing and bringing new safety techniques to the series.
 
The analogy was supposed to allude to a mutually beneficial relationship. The series Stewart is one of the biggest figures in history benefits by him competing (his legacy) and the small time drivers in that series benefit from being able to race against him. UCONN gets to pad their schedule and continue their guiding influence on NCAA basketball and Maine gets to test themselves against one of the best teams in the country (and get paid by UCONN).

 

[Flunky]

I appreciate the comments from our resident "motorheads" because I certainly don't know a thing about car racing.
 
However, from my layman's point of view, I don't see the UCONN analogy as very appropriate.  Even thought the skill differential is great, there isn't an inherent increased injury risk because of the skill level different.  It's different than say a football game between Alabama and a local community college where it could potentially be unsafe for the community college kids to get hit by the bigger, stronger SEC kids.
 
I understand your point that the applicable skill level between Stewart and the local dirt track drivers might not be that great on the local dirt track.  However, I could certainly imagine a scenario in which Stewart, being more recently used to racing against the world's elite drivers in elite cars on precision paved tracks, could be surprised and not anticipate the driving decisions and actions of the local amateur racers.  This isn't a critique on what happened in this particular accident; more of a general point on Stewart's decision to race against competitors and conditions very different than what he has been more recently trained for.

 
I see, I wasn't even thinking about it from the safety/familiarity standpoint - I don't think that factors into it at all. As my above post indicates, Stewart has been racing in the dirt for years all over the country since he was a pre-teen. Aside from Steve Kinser he's like the godfather of the sport at this point (Kinser is the Pope).

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I don't have an issue with Stewart racing dirt track races like this one.  The part that shocked me and what I won't understand is why he was doing it after midnight, about 13 hours prior to the start of a grueling NASCAR road race, at the end of the season, when he's fighting for a spot in the Chase.  If I was his team owner or one of his sponsors, that shit would piss me off.  If he wants to race these things in his spare time, go nuts.  I just don't think this qualifies as his spare time, unless folks think that every single minute he's not on the track is spare time.  I can't really even come up with an analogy that works here. The college basketball comparison isn't close because at least in that situation, the team is competing in a game that, you know, counts.  Shit, you could even call that practice.

There is literally nothing about a sprint car that could even be construed as helping him in a NASCAR.  In fact, driving one of those cars for a couple of hours could actually hurt him when he goes to drive a NASCAR later that day.  Kind of like trying to play a round of golf after swinging a whiffle ball or baseball bat in the cages beforehand. 

 

[garlan5]

I breezed through today's responses so my response may have been covered already.  Stewart isnt the only driver who elects to go drive in these small town sat night races. Nascar has changed some in the last 10 years but still these guys typically race in all kinds of lower tier series and have done so since the early days of Nascar.  They utilize the small tracks to feed their racing desire and to also help train for other similar events.  There is a lower tier race track near where I live and each year some the big boys of Nascar show up.  Its a common thing.  The track near me is paved but very small and actually slightly smaller than the dirt track where the accident happened. The use radios and spotters at south boston speedway and have pits and such.  The talk that the dirt track is a good ole boy dad and uncle run place is far from the truth.  There is big money in these places.  Sure there are weekend warriors who spend their whole paychecks to just run a back of the pack car at these tracks but the reality is the big guys run here to get to the top.  Its not uncommon for them to be at these tracks.  Especially when the Watkins Glen race was Sunday.   Small dirt tracks give these guys some preparing for small tight battles and turns.  Here are some links for the track and the speedway i was speaking of:
 
http://canandaiguamotorsportspark.com/
http://www.southbostonspeedway.com/about/index.htm

 

[garlan5]

Here is a link from 2013 to give some insight on dirt track racing. 
 
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/07/17/dirt-track-racing-eldora-tony-stewart-austin-dillon.html

 

[natpastime162]

Central PA was out in full force on Facebook making unsubstantiated claims, "calling out" individuals for faulting Stewart, etc.  Usually I try to avoid clicking on linked articles, but I did this time and am glad.  The article is unimportant, but one of the article's comments came from Dave Axton, who was in the race.
 
 

 
[SIZE=medium]"I was in this race, let me point out some of your misinformation. First off the track was not muddy, and was in fact extremely dry...the track surface played absolutely no part in this tragedy. This race track is far from small. It is a half mile track and in dirt racing this is a very large track. The track size played no part in this tragedy. I have also seen reports that it was dimly lit, which is not true, and that Kevin's fire suit was black and could not be seen which is also bogus. When the yellow flew we all were told there was a car spun in turn 2, we all knew to be careful in that turn and to pay special attention when we can through there. Vision was not an issue in this tragedy. For as long as racing has been around driver "A" has exited his vehicle following an on track altercation and has stood on the track to voice his or her displeasure with a fellow competitor, driver "B". Driver "B", not knowing if a flying helmet is coming at him, usually reacts by what we call "buzzing" driver "a" to show his equal displeasure. Buzzing can be a slight swerve or lighting the tires a bit to say "stay back". Talk to a driver who has raced long enough and you will find most every driver has been on both sides of this exact scenario. None of us as drivers ever dream that this scenario will ever injure a competitor, but in this one it did. We need to all learn from this terrible needless, senseless accident and make sure it never happens again."[/SIZE]
 

 
 
Original Article: http://mrconservative.com/2014/08/47306-video-proves-stewart-did-everything-in-his-power-to-avoid-fellow-driver/

 

[Flunky]

Central PA was out in full force on Facebook making unsubstantiated claims, "calling out" individuals for faulting Stewart, etc.  Usually I try to avoid clicking on linked articles, but I did this time and am glad.  The article is unimportant, but one of the article's comments came from Dave Axton, who was in the race.
 
 
 
 
Original Article: http://mrconservative.com/2014/08/47306-video-proves-stewart-did-everything-in-his-power-to-avoid-fellow-driver/

 
That commenter claims they have two way radios. If that's the case, it could change things. But if TS was trying to buzz him, he'd need to know he's out of the car.
 
Here is a twitter comment by someone who works on the blue car that just missed Ward
 
https://twitter.com/DirtTrackTweets/status/498570864997064706/photo/1

 

[Bone Chips]

Central PA was out in full force on Facebook making unsubstantiated claims, "calling out" individuals for faulting Stewart, etc.  Usually I try to avoid clicking on linked articles, but I did this time and am glad.  The article is unimportant, but one of the article's comments came from Dave Axton, who was in the race.
 
 
 
Original Article: http://mrconservative.com/2014/08/47306-video-proves-stewart-did-everything-in-his-power-to-avoid-fellow-driver/

It all boils down to one thing - was Stewart buzzing him? If he was, there is certainly a degree of liability on Stewart's part, and perhaps even criminal negligence. This statement by another driver in the race is pretty damning.

 

[BoredViewer]

There are supposedly other videos.  Also, was there was an announcer at the track, or a radio guy?  You can hear someone talking... doesn't sound like a voice in the crowd... giving a play by play.  

 

[Flunky]

re: two way radios:
 
http://www.empiresupersprints.com/2014Tour/2014%20Rules.pdf
 
pg 11
 

 
G.28 Radios – On-board, one way radios, approved by the Technical Inspector, must be used. 
Only ESS officials may communicate with drivers using the on-board radio system. Official ESS 
radio communications overheard by others will not be used as the basis of a protest, nor will 
they be used in support of a protest. 

 
Though in the comments section, the type of communication described by Dave Axton is in line with one way communication (he may have mis-typed). He'll need to be more careful with the words he chooses at the trial...

 

[C4CRVT]

I watched the video several times and paused it at key moments etc. To me, it's pretty clear that Stewart hit the gas right as he's going past Ward. To me, it looks like Stewart was either trying to evade Ward by spinning out a bit or to dust him after he'd gone by (based on the crew comments above). All the other engines had idled down by that point and the audio syncs up pretty tightly with the movement of Stewart's car. As soon as Stewart's car gets straight, the engine noise stops.
 
Obviously it's impossible to determine intent and the video is pretty inconclusive as to how much (if any) fault lies with TS. I do think the video leaves a some room for the possibility that TS did in fact have some small amount of ill intent with his actions (obviously not to kill the kid).

 

[Greg29fan]

"From what I saw, Tony did everything in his power to turn down away from Kevin to avoid him," said sprint car driver Cory Sparks.
 
Sparks was just a few cars behind Stewart during Saturday's race. He said videos that have been posted online do not give an accurate picture of what happened.
 
"People say that they heard the engine rev up and he gassed it. In a sprint car, the only way to steer is you steer with the rear wheels as much as you do the steering wheel. In my opinion, what he did was he gassed it to turn down away from him," said Sparks.
 
Sparks also said drivers are very limited with the amount they can see out of the right side of the car.
 
"Kevin was wearing all-black. A black fire suit, a black helmet, which in normal situations isn't a big deal, they are to go with the colors of your car. It was tragic accident and a mistake was made," said Sparks.

 
http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/news/760185/witness-to-tony-stewart-crash-says-driver-could-not-have-avoided-hitting-other-driver/#sthash.prKbF3A3.dpuf

 

[Average Reds]

So basically we have two drivers from the same race completely contradicting each other about whether it was easy to see Ward or not and what Stewarts actions mean.

 

[rembrat]

So basically we have two drivers from the same race completely contradicting each other about whether it was easy to see Ward or not and what Stewarts actions mean.

 
Dave Axton's comments are the first I've read of their kind from someone who was racing Saturday night. I'm taking his with a grain of salt until enough people back him up.

 

[BoredViewer]

 
Dave Axton's comments are the first I've read of their kind from someone who was racing Saturday night. I'm taking his with a grain of salt until enough people back him up.

 
http://www.justjared.com/2014/08/10/racer-kevin-ward-jr-s-friend-gives-eyewitness-account-of-tony-stewart-accident/
 
 
If he were really trying to avoid Ward by gunning the engine (and it seems to be currently accepted that the noise was from Stewart's car).... when you do that... you don't immediately move down the track.  The back of the car skids out and the whole thing gets wider for some period of time, before it then takes a line down.
 
Clearly you can steer the cars in another manner.  You can see the other cars making minor adjustments in the caution.  They aren't skidding out to the right, to go left.
 
We all get Ward's part in his own death, but I find it strange that some people just don't want to accept that there is a reasonable chance Stewart's whateveryouwantocallit played a role in the accident, too.  It fits his personality.  It fits the racing culture.  It is at least a not unreasonable interpretation of what we see in the one video.

 

[teddykgb]

 
http://www.justjared.com/2014/08/10/racer-kevin-ward-jr-s-friend-gives-eyewitness-account-of-tony-stewart-accident/
 
 
If he were really trying to avoid Ward by gunning the engine (and it seems to be currently accepted that the noise was from Stewart's car).... when you do that... you don't immediately move down the track.  The back of the car skids out and the whole thing gets wider for some period of time, before it then takes a line down.
 
Clearly you can steer the cars in another manner.  You can see the other cars making minor adjustments in the caution.  They aren't skidding out to the right, to go left.
 
We all get Ward's part in his own death, but I find it strange that some people just don't want to accept that there is a reasonable chance Stewart's whateveryouwantocallit played a role in the accident, too.  It fits his personality.  It fits the racing culture.  It is at least a not unreasonable interpretation of what we see in the one video.

 
I don't think it's particularly fair to say it "fits his personality".  He doesn't have the personality of someone who runs people over for sport, he has the personality of an asshole who gets mad and wants to fight other drivers.  There is a gulf of difference between asshole and murderer, you're jumping it very easily.
 
Setting that aside, it's just impossible to know what was going through Stewart's mind when all of this happened.  That's why people "don't want to accept" that Stewart played a role.  There are reasonable explanations for what happened that don't involve a multi millionaire athlete deciding to become a murderer.  Sometimes, we are learning, they make this illogical choice (Hernandez, Pistorius) but I think we need a little more evidence than "he's an angry dude" before we try to label a guy as a murderer.

 

[Average Reds]

 
http://www.justjared.com/2014/08/10/racer-kevin-ward-jr-s-friend-gives-eyewitness-account-of-tony-stewart-accident/
 
 
If he were really trying to avoid Ward by gunning the engine (and it seems to be currently accepted that the noise was from Stewart's car).... when you do that... you don't immediately move down the track.  The back of the car skids out and the whole thing gets wider for some period of time, before it then takes a line down.
 
Clearly you can steer the cars in another manner.  You can see the other cars making minor adjustments in the caution.  They aren't skidding out to the right, to go left.
 
We all get Ward's part in his own death, but I find it strange that some people just don't want to accept that there is a reasonable chance Stewart's whateveryouwantocallit played a role in the accident, too.  It fits his personality.  It fits the racing culture.  It is at least a not unreasonable interpretation of what we see in the one video.

 
I find it equally strange that you seem to be so invested in the narrative that Tony Stewart acted in a reckless fashion.
 
I would add that the bolded portion of your post here is a bit of a strawman, in the sense that no one is denying that you may ultimately prove to be right.  I'd just like to see something to support that contention up before I go there.  Given that Axton's comments were directly refuted by another driver who was only a few cars behind Stewart, I can't make that leap just yet.

 

[DJnVa]

I guess in a sense, both sides of this could be true.
 
Stewart may have wanted to teach the kid a lesson, but had no idea he had wandered that far from the wreck and didn't see him until it was too late--he gunned (or didn't) his engine and turned left to try to avoid him but it was too late.

 

[Flunky]

friends and family should STFU
 
http://uproxx.com/sports/2014/08/kevin-ward-family-tony-stewart-dick/
 
I mean, I know if my nephew dies tragically, I am going spill garbage on Facebook and organize tasteless group photos.

 

[Average Reds]

friends and family should STFU
 
http://uproxx.com/sports/2014/08/kevin-ward-family-tony-stewart-dick/
 
I mean, I know if my nephew dies tragically, I am going spill garbage on Facebook and organize tasteless group photos.

 
No disagreement, but I'm going to cut them a lot of slack based on the fact that I can't imagine the pain they are going through right now.

 

[BoredViewer]

 
I don't think it's particularly fair to say it "fits his personality".  He doesn't have the personality of someone who runs people over for sport, he has the personality of an asshole who gets mad and wants to fight other drivers.  There is a gulf of difference between asshole and murderer, you're jumping it very easily.
 
Setting that aside, it's just impossible to know what was going through Stewart's mind when all of this happened.  That's why people "don't want to accept" that Stewart played a role.  There are reasonable explanations for what happened that don't involve a multi millionaire athlete deciding to become a murderer.  Sometimes, we are learning, they make this illogical choice (Hernandez, Pistorius) but I think we need a little more evidence than "he's an angry dude" before we try to label a guy as a murderer.

 
I don't for a second think he intended to hit Ward... and obviously not kill him.  He strikes me as a guy that would not take kindly to someone trying to show him on on the track and might buzz them, spin dirt on them, whatever. 
 
I guess I see things with a little different nuance than you describe.  I see a murderer as someone that goes around intending to kill someone.  I see this as a tragic incident between two bull-headed, testosterone-fueled racers.  But - one where I think both parties bear some responsibility.
 
 

 
I find it equally strange that you seem to be so invested in the narrative that Tony Stewart acted in a reckless fashion.
 
I would add that the bolded portion of your post here is a bit of a strawman, in the sense that no one is denying that you may ultimately prove to be right.  I'd just like to see something to support that contention up before I go there.  Given that Axton's comments were directly refuted by another driver who was only a few cars behind Stewart, I can't make that leap just yet.

 
 
I don't know.  I made a pretty simple remark about the video looking inconclusive, but if I had to guess... I'd guess he buzzed him - then it seemed like the Stewart Defense League rushed to defend his honor without any attempt to actually discuss what evidence we do have.

 

[MakMan44]

I don't know.  I made a pretty simple remark about the video looking inconclusive, but if I had to guess... I'd guess he buzzed him - then it seemed like the Stewart Defense League rushed to defend his honor without any attempt to actually discuss what evidence we do have.

That's not true at all. 
 
Both Average Red and I replied to you about the only evidence, the Video, and disagreed with your opinion. I still stand by that, I don't think the video proves anything expect that Ward ran into the middle of the track. 
 
EDIT: lostjumper also replied to you, and disagreed with your interpretation of the video. 

 

[lostjumper]

 
I don't know.  I made a pretty simple remark about the video looking inconclusive, but if I had to guess... I'd guess he buzzed him - then it seemed like the Stewart Defense League rushed to defend his honor without any attempt to actually discuss what evidence we do have.

 
Or we're saying it's really hard to gauge any intent based one camera phone vid, and the track conditions and circumstances mean we're not going to rush to judgement and say Stewart murdered the guy. 

 

[garlan5]

I'm not sure if the helps or complicates this thread or not. But give this a look. It is a slower motion video with what is claimed to show that Ward grabbed at the wing of TS  car.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5F8pP75vwc&app=desktop

 

[Night of the Keyboard]

http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/news/760185/witness-to-tony-stewart-crash-says-driver-could-not-have-avoided-hitting-other-driver/#sthash.prKbF3A3.dpuf[/size]

Testimony from a driver right behind Stewart carries a lot of weight and would trump any speculation based on analysis of an I-phone video. Stewart just has to say he didn't see Ward until the last second and tried to avoid him. The theory that he was trying to "buzz" him could never be proven in court.

That testimony, alone, would easily qualify as reasonable doubt against any possible charges.

 

[BoredViewer]

I don't think there is a lot of debate about what could be proven in court... outside of some kind of recorded comments from Stewart.  He could say he sneezed and hit the gas by mistake... didn't see him and then was startled.... etc. etc. etc..  Maybe in a civil court the family could win.  I'll let the lawyer-ly types here do debate that.
 
That slo-mo video does make it look like Ward had a hold of the wing for a moment.
 
If he did try and buzz him, then that's just something Stewart will have to live with.

 

[rembrat]

Stewart was scheduled to race in a Sprint Car race this Saturday but has since pulled out. As for his NASCAR duties, he is on the list for Michigan, but there is no certainty that he will take part in the race. If he does intend on racing this Sunday, he is expected to practice and qualify on Friday, meaning he will have to face a camera sometime between now and then which should be interesting to say the least.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

I'm not sure if the helps or complicates this thread or not. But give this a look. It is a slower motion video with what is claimed to show that Ward grabbed at the wing of TS  car.  

Back and to the left.

 

[Fred in Lynn]

These first-hand accounts don't seem like the kind of information useful to the DA if filing charges is his goal.

 

[garlan5]

Back and to the left.

That term suggests an assassination. unless you're referencing the slowmo video

 

[Fred in Lynn]

That term suggests an assassination. unless you're referencing the slowmo video

You're killing me, man. I'm not that funny, and my attempts at being so cannot withstand analysis. The fact that the phrase originated in relation to an assassination is beside the point.

At this point, the voices on the internet only lack a second driver in the interpretations, anecdotes, and theories.

 

[garlan5]

You're killing me, man. I'm not that funny, and my attempts at being so cannot withstand analysis. The fact that the phrase originated in relation to an assassination is beside the point.

At this point, the voices on the internet only lack a second driver in the interpretations, anecdotes, and theories.

As with a lot of things on the 'internets', your quote was over my head.. i just didnt know what you meant by it
 
 
edit: shitty spelling

 

[mauf]

It's an interesting study in the power of first impressions. Aside from a bunch of rumor-mongering on Twitter citing so-called witnesses who must have been at least a quarter mile away, there's no evidence that this was anything but a tragic accident. Which certainly doesn't foreclose the possibility that Stewart wasn't as careful as he ought to have been, but that's a far cry from suggesting he acted out of anger or malice in a way that cost another driver his life. Yet, that initial, rumor-driven narrative continues to enjoy traction far in excess of what the known facts support.

 

[Bone Chips]

Testimony from a driver right behind Stewart carries a lot of weight and would trump any speculation based on analysis of an I-phone video. Stewart just has to say he didn't see Ward until the last second and tried to avoid him. The theory that he was trying to "buzz" him could never be proven in court.

That testimony, alone, would easily qualify as reasonable doubt against any possible charges.

The quote from the other driver makes no sense:
 

"People say that they heard the engine rev up and he gassed it. In a sprint car, the only way to steer is you steer with the rear wheels as much as you do the steering wheel. In my opinion, what he did was he gassed it to turn down away from him," said Sparks.

So let me get this straight - he gassed hit to turn down. Can someone with an advanced degree in physics explain how a car going around a track counterclockwise can accelerate without the back of the car fish tailing up the track?

The acceleration caused the car to hit the driver. The only logical explanation I can see for one accelerating in that instance is to buzz the guy.

 

[Average Reds]

Since you won't listen to the the opinion of a dirt-track racer who (presumably) would know about these things, my guess is that I'm wasting my time.  But here goes.
 

The quote from the other driver makes no sense:
 
So let me get this straight - he gassed hit to turn down. Can someone with an advanced degree in physics explain how a car going around a track counterclockwise can accelerate without the back of the car fish tailing up the track?

 
On a dirt track, you will fishtail every time you turn.  If you want to minimize loss of control and/or change direction quickly, you turn the wheel and accelerate at the same time. 
 
You are correct in assuming that this will accentuate the fishtail action of the car.  But it also allows you to change direction more effectively than simply turning the wheel or (worst case) hitting the brakes and turning the wheel.
 

 
The acceleration caused the car to hit the driver.

 
How can you make an unambiguous statement like this when you admit that you don't understand how to control a car on a dirt track in the first place?
 

 
The only logical explanation I can see for one accelerating in that instance is to buzz the guy.

 
I have no idea what was in Stewart's mind, but concluding that this is "the only logical explanation" is simply false. 

 

[C4CRVT]

I drove my girlfriend's mustang quite a few times in the snow this past winter (up my steep, curvy driveway). RWD 300 HP with "all season tires"
 
Crackpot theory here perhaps but it seems to me that Stewart may have actually jerked the steering wheel up the track (to the right) and gassed it to get the back end to swing away from Ward. I think that by the time TS saw where Ward was he could have become acutely aware that Ward's momentum was toward his back tire and he was trying to get his rear tire away from him.

 

[rembrat]

Yea, for the 100th time, Sprint cars are not like your daily drivers. To turn them you need gas but don't take our word for it, here is JJ Yeley, NASCAR driver:
 

JJ Yeley, a NASCAR driver who has driven sprint cars for Stewart, told the Sporting News that the fact you can hear Stewart hit the gas in his car prior to hitting Ward should be taken into the context of how sprint cars operate.

“They have a solid rear axle, they don’t turn on a dime,” Yeley said. “You usually turn those cars with the gas. … They don’t just turn as soon as you turn the wheel. It does take the throttle to do that.”

Yeley said that if Stewart would have turned the wheel sharply without getting on the throttle, the car would have continued in the path it was going or would have spun. He compared it to riding a jetski, where throttle is needed when making a turn.

“The right side wing panel comes down sometimes below your eye level so you will have a blind spot. … There’s a part there where you wouldn’t see someone if they jumped out and got that close to the car,” Yeley said.

 

[Bone Chips]

On a dirt track, you will fishtail every time you turn.  If you want to minimize loss of control and/or change direction quickly, you turn the wheel and accelerate at the same time. 
 
You are correct in assuming that this will accentuate the fishtail action of the car.  But it also allows you to change direction more effectively than simply turning the wheel or (worst case) hitting the brakes and turning the wheel.

Do you really believe that Stewart accelerated so as not to hit Ward?  Really?  I'm not talking about what could be proven in a criminal court or a civil court, I'm asking what you believe happened.
 
Ward was coming down the track - obviously to smack Stewart's car or something.  If Stewart really concerned about Ward's safety, all you do it throttle down, coast by and let him do his thing.  Under no circumstances do you accelerate there.  And how on earth can you argue otherwise when the direct result of that action is apparently what caused the fatality?  If Stewart coasts by there, there worst that happens in maybe the kid hits the side of Stewart's car - maybe even slides under the back wheel.  If Stewart accelerates, the risk is far far greater - like the kid getting launched 50 feet, which by the way is exactly what happened. 
 
I agree with you that Stewart's intent is going to be difficult to prove, and that it's very doubtful he'll ever face any jail time over this.

 

[Average Reds]

Do you really believe that Stewart accelerated so as not to hit Ward?  Really?  I'm not talking about what could be proven in a criminal court or a civil court, I'm asking what you believe happened.
 
Ward was coming down the track - obviously to smack Stewart's car or something.  If Stewart really concerned about Ward's safety, all you do it throttle down, coast by and let him do his thing.  Under no circumstances do you accelerate there.  And how on earth can you argue otherwise when the direct result of that action is apparently what caused the fatality?  If Stewart coasts by there, there worst that happens in maybe the kid hits the side of Stewart's car - maybe even slides under the back wheel.  If Stewart accelerates, the risk is far far greater - like the kid getting launched 50 feet, which by the way is exactly what happened. 
 
I agree with you that Stewart's intent is going to be difficult to prove, and that it's very doubtful he'll ever face any jail time over this.

 
If Stewart was surprised by Ward in any way, his instinct would be to swerve left.  Which means that he would have accelerated to do so.  And since the video shows pretty clearly that Ward moved down the track at Stewart's car right before impact, this is exactly what I believe happened. 

 

[Bone Chips]

http://nypost.com/2014/08/12/racer-says-crash-that-killed-kevin-ward-jr-was-avoidable/
 
 
 

Paul Kinney — who was also competing when Stewart’s car struck driver Kevin Ward Jr. on a dirt track in Canandaigua Saturday — said he clearly saw Ward on the track and managed to dodge him himself.
“I seen Kevin clear as day. Nobody else ran into him, either,” he told NBC News

 
 
 
 
 

Stewart, 43, hasn’t been criminally charged in Ward’s death, but TV legal analyst Rob Becker said it’s likely he will be.
“What happens when you hit that throttle is the car is going to move to the right . . . Stewart had to know that if he hit the throttle with a man standing on the dirt to his right, there was a good chance the car would hit him, which means there’s a good chance he could be killed,” Becker said Fox Sports 1.

 
Edited to clarify that Becker is a legal analyst, and that he is not Paul Kinney.

 

[rembrat]

That's cool, what's Rob Becker's racing history like?

 

[Comfortably Lomb]

It's weird how so many people are experts about dirt track racing now.

 

[Average Reds]

Presenting those quotes like they are from the same person is extremely disingenuous.
 
The first quote is from a competitor from that night.  Of course, you omitted the part where he said:
 

 
“It’s not a good idea to get out of your car and run towards other cars,’’ Kinney said.
 
As for Stewart, “Nobody can speak for Tony. Only Tony knows exactly what happened.”

 
The second quote is not from a competitor - it's from a "TV legal analyst" who was interviewed by Fox Sports.  I'm not sure why I should take his word for how a sprint car operates or what Tony Stewart "had to know".
 
It's clear that we're not going to change each other's minds so I am done.

 

[garlan5]

Presenting those quotes like they are from the same person is extremely disingenuous.
 
The first quote is from a competitor from that night.  Of course, you omitted the part where he said:
 
 
The second quote is not from a competitor - it's from a "TV legal analyst" who was interviewed by Fox Sports.  I'm not sure why I should take his word for how a sprint car operates or what Tony Stewart "had to know".
 
It's clear that we're not going to change each other's minds so I am done.

politics, religion, and how dirt track cars accelerate to turn.... Things you cannot change other people's minds on.