OT: Tony Stewart video?

[Political Hack]

did anyone see it? it's been removed from YouTube.

[PassInterference]

Saw it.

Ward runs out on the track. One car had to swerve around him. He walks out to Tony's car as Tony is driving by. Ward intentionally gets within a foot or so of Tony's car, pointing & waving arms and stuff.

Tony guns the throttle. The car fishtails just a little. It wasn't wide open sideways stuff like sprint cars are known for. They were under caution at the time.

Because Ward was inches or a foot away, he gets clipped by the back wheel, pulled under the car, and ejected towards the top of the track.

Ward never moved after being hit.

Sportscenter showed it earlier this morning.

No way Stewart meant to hit the guy. I think Tony was just barking back with the throttle. I have to blame the guy who left his safety devices and put his body inches from a moving 800 horsepower machine.

[tupelopix]

http://deadspin.com/reports-tony-stewart-ran-over-opposing-driver-during-1618893708

Looks bad for Tony to me...

[starkvegasdawg]

Can't believe he's racing today. If I just killed a guy I'm not sure i would be able to do that. I could see this being a case of blame assigned to both parties. I have a feeling not much will happen to Stewart as he can afford much better lawyers. Just a fact of life.

[Maroonthirteen]

Saw a video of it on the today show. From that video, it isn't clear that Stewart gave the car more throttle. Based solely on that video, Stewart has a strong defense. The guy got out of his car and was standing in the middle of the track. Should a professional driver be able to avoid someone standing in the track? Sure, but it will be tough for a prosecutor to prove that Stewart tried to hit him..... Again based solely on the video I saw.

[starkvegasdawg]

Saw a video of it on the today show. From that video, it isn't clear that Stewart gave the car more throttle. Based solely on that video, Stewart has a strong defense. The guy got out of his car and was standing in the middle of the track. Should a professional driver be able to avoid someone standing in the track? Sure, but it will be tough for a prosecutor to prove that Stewart tried to hit him..... Again based solely on the video I saw.

Could still try for manslaughter. As a professional racer in nascar he has seen countless drivers do the same thing. It's almost a right of passage at Bristol. What I bet happens is no criminal charges but one hell of a civil lawsuit by the family.

[Maroonthirteen]

I agree Stark. He is going to get his tail sued off.

[Saltydog]

head and very short tempered. This could've been avoided. I don't think Smoke meant to kill him but I'm not sure he did enough to dodge him either. Knowing that it could've been avoided could be Smoke's undoing in a civil case. Did he intentionally try to hit him, no. Could he have done more, maybe so.

[Saltydog]

team said it would be business as usual but that's changed. He's NOT driving today.

[TUSK]

a very, very sad, case of Natural Selection.

Write the check.

[defiantdog]

a very, very sad, case of Natural Selection.

Write the check.

I'm right there with you.... this will be an out of court settlement. Stewart may be a hot head, but that kid was just being plain dumb by marching down the track like that. At least Jeff Gordon used to yell at the cars from the apron. No one marches down the track with 800 horsepower cars cruising by you.

[ckDOG]

did anyone see it? it's been removed from YouTube.

Tony will need a witness that got a better view. Obviously, you are asking for bad things when you walk on the track, the video doesn't look good for Tony either. If that is his vehicle making the acceleration noise when nearing the man, it doesn't speak well for his intentions according to the court of public opinion.

That said, I bet tony didn't even see the guy until the last second. Looks like he was very near the car ahead of Tony then lunged towards Tony. The acceleration could have been simply from him being startled when he finally noticed a man in front of him. If his foot wasn't on the break that point, his only reaction could have been turning the wheel and using accelerator.

Bad situation and a lot of questions to be asked and answered.

[Dawg61]

I put zero blame on Tony Stewart here. The guy is walking head on into race cars. What else can be expected but bad results? What if Tony was looking down or distracted or something and just kept on the same path his car was already headed? Then he would of hit the guy. So not only is Ward making an incredibly dangerous decision of walking straight into oncoming traffic but he's also now dependent on Tony Stewart to stray from his already intended path just to avoid him? No charges should be made here. The decision making TS would of had to make is maybe a seconds worth. Who can make an accurate decision when in the span of one second you look up and there's a man walking straight at your race car? I think the normal response would be to be shocked at what you're seeing initially and by that time it is too late. What do you do if all of a sudden there's a deer staring straight at you while you're driving 70 mph? The only person in this scenario who had enough time to consider what he was doing is Ward not Tony Stewart.

[smootness]

This whole thing is just so sad and so upsetting to me.

Obviously the guy shouldn't have gone marching down the track to put himself in that position.

That said, based on witnesses there and based on what you can apparently hear in the audio, Stewart definitely did hit the throttle. And anyone who drives those cars, especially someone with Stewart's level of talent and experience, knows what happens when you do that - the rear of the car slides and fishtails.

Do I think Stewart meant to hit him and kill him? I can't bring myself to thing that was his purpose. Do I think he meant to slide the car and at least scare the guy? Yeah, based on what I've read, I think that's probably likely. The whole thing could have been avoided if Ward hadn't tried to confront him, and it also could have been avoided if Stewart had just tried to get out of the way and make sure no harm was done.

[PassInterference]

I'm not sure the fishtail hit Ward. Watch the replay closely.

1) They aren't going fast enough or turning hard enough to make the car fishtail even if you hit the throttle.

2) The car fishtails to the inside, not to the outside towards Ward like pretty much everybody has assumed. The car fishtailed to the inside because the outside tire lost traction due to Tony being on the throttle and Ward being underneath the outside tire. The right rear losing traction while the left rear bites will make the rear end swing left. I could be wrong in this explanation, but the car definitely does fish to the inside, as Ward was underneath the car. It wasn't fishing to the outside.

[I seen it dawg]

It's a racing track for cars not feet. Keep your feet off it and it doesn't happen. That choice cost him his life.

[Dawg61]

It's a racing track for cars not feet. Keep your feet off it and it doesn't happen. That choice cost him his life.

This is basically what I think/feel about it too. If Ward stays in his car this never happens.

[I seen it dawg]

Not to go all political but this is our ****ed up nation now. Stewart will be vilified for killing the guy. The dead guy MAKES THE DECISION to put himself onto a race car track and gets hit and dies. No one else made him do it. Just like people don't go play dodgecar on I55 during rush hour because you will probably get hit and killed.

Stewart will end up being forced to cut a check to the guys estate and it's 100% wrong. The guy MAKES the decision to take his own life when he steps onto the track. It's sad it happened but it was tremendously stupid what he did. Obviously.

[ckDOG]

Certainly these teams have the races recorded?? I would assume there are a couple other recordings that will help fill in the blanks that the fan footage doesn't show.

[LC Dawg]

I haven't seen the video but I have sat in a sprint car and there was not much visibility and I wasn't wearing a helmet. Walking toward Stewart's car was obviously a very dumb decision. The whole thing is just very sad.

[I seen it dawg]

This thing should begin and end with "he proceeded to exit his car and enter the race track on foot while race was still going". It won't but it should. Cut and dried.

[ckDOG]

Not to mention those dirt tracks aren't exactly well lighted. When all the videos are collected and witnesses say their part, I'd be surprised if it paints Tony in a reckless or aggressive light.

[Dawg61]

I haven't seen the video but I have sat in a sprint car and there was not much visibility and I wasn't wearing a helmet. Walking toward Stewart's car was obviously a very dumb decision. The whole thing is just very sad.

I did watch the video and in my opinion the only person with enough time to make any type of decision is Ward. It happens too fast to be considered intentional on TS part.

[Dawg61]

Plot twist, if Ward's family sues TS then I think you'll see TS countersue them for the grief Ward has now put on him. Ward made the decision to walk head on into a "hot" track not TS.

[monroedawg5646]

Exactly. Typically these Saturday night dirt races are filled local Billy Joe badasses that are more than ready to fight over run ins on the track. Not getting out of your car is one of the most stressed topics in the driver meetings. It's sad the kid had to pay for his poor judgement with his life.

[smootness]

This thing should begin and end with "he proceeded to exit his car and enter the race track on foot while race was still going". It won't but it should. Cut and dried.

I agree that's obviously where the discussion should begin, and it should play a major part; but it also doesn't make all other decisions and actions after that point moot.

Asking whether or not Tony Stewart intentionally made a move toward Ward is absolutely legitimate. If a person walks onto the freeway, they are making a very poor decision, and they know what the consequences can be. But that doesn't mean I can seek that person out and hit them and all is fine because they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I agree that we'll just have to see what all the video, evidence, and witnesses say. But several witnesses have already spoken out, and it doesn't look good for Stewart. I heard one driver say he knows what you can see out of those cars and that Stewart absolutely would have seen the guy. He also said everyone knows what happens when you hit the throttle. And I do believe the car fishtails inside first; there's no other way the back end would have hit Ward since the front end didn't. Yes, it definitely slides inside after hitting him, but it first made a move outside.

But honestly, I don't want to watch that video again. This whole thing is sickening. I hope Stewart did nothing wrong and it was purely an accident. I don't understand the quickness to jump on the victim, though. Sure, again, his poor decision should be considered and discussed. But jumping behind Stewart and piling on Ward just seems strange. I don't watch NASCAR, though, and am not really biased in either direction.

[Dawg61]

I agree that's obviously where the discussion should begin, and it should play a major part; but it also doesn't make all other decisions and actions after that point moot.

Asking whether or not Tony Stewart intentionally made a move toward Ward is absolutely legitimate. If a person walks onto the freeway, they are making a very poor decision, and they know what the consequences can be. But that doesn't mean I can seek that person out and hit them and all is fine because they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I agree that we'll just have to see what all the video, evidence, and witnesses say. But several witnesses have already spoken out, and it doesn't look good for Stewart. I heard one driver say he knows what you can see out of those cars and that Stewart absolutely would have seen the guy. He also said everyone knows what happens when you hit the throttle. And I do believe the car fishtails inside first; there's no other way the back end would have hit Ward since the front end didn't. Yes, it definitely slides inside after hitting him, but it first made a move outside.

But honestly, I don't want to watch that video again. This whole thing is sickening. I hope Stewart did nothing wrong and it was purely an accident. I don't understand the quickness to jump on the victim, though. Sure, again, his poor decision should be considered and discussed. But jumping behind Stewart and piling on Ward just seems strange. I don't watch NASCAR, though, and am not really biased in either direction.

I don't think people are "piling on" Ward or "jumping on the victim" more than they and myself are defending Stewart. Ask yourself this. If Stewart closes his eyes and never moves his car from the path it is already intended on does he hit Ward? My initial thoughts are yes he does. Ward intentionally put himself in harms way and by doing so he is the one at fault and not Stewart. So Stewart is supposed to recognize the impending disaster being put directly in his path and move out of the way all in the span of 1 second of reaction time? Only person that can speak for what Tony Stewart saw or didn't see is Tony Stewart. He did have another car right in front of him and it is a race track with everything moving lightning fast and people are not supposed to be on race tracks walking directly in your path straight towards your car.

[I seen it dawg]

I agree that's obviously where the discussion should begin, and it should play a major part; but it also doesn't make all other decisions and actions after that point moot.

Asking whether or not Tony Stewart intentionally made a move toward Ward is absolutely legitimate. If a person walks onto the freeway, they are making a very poor decision, and they know what the consequences can be. But that doesn't mean I can seek that person out and hit them and all is fine because they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I agree that we'll just have to see what all the video, evidence, and witnesses say. But several witnesses have already spoken out, and it doesn't look good for Stewart. I heard one driver say he knows what you can see out of those cars and that Stewart absolutely would have seen the guy. He also said everyone knows what happens when you hit the throttle. And I do believe the car fishtails inside first; there's no other way the back end would have hit Ward since the front end didn't. Yes, it definitely slides inside after hitting him, but it first made a move outside.

But honestly, I don't want to watch that video again. This whole thing is sickening. I hope Stewart did nothing wrong and it was purely an accident. I don't understand the quickness to jump on the victim, though. Sure, again, his poor decision should be considered and discussed. But jumping behind Stewart and piling on Ward just seems strange. I don't watch NASCAR, though, and am not really biased in either direction.

It sucks the guy died. If he never is out on the racetrack on foot he lives longer. Period. Don't walk out on the ****ing track while cars are racing. The guy died because he made a stupid decision.

[Ralph]

I don't think people are "piling on" Ward or "jumping on the victim" more than they and myself are defending Stewart. Ask yourself this. If Stewart closes his eyes and never moves his car from the path it is already intended on does he hit Ward? My initial thoughts are yes he does. Ward intentionally put himself in harms way and by doing so he is the one at fault and not Stewart. So Stewart is supposed to recognize the impending disaster being put directly in his path and move out of the way all in the span of 1 second of reaction time? Only person that can speak for what Tony Stewart saw or didn't see is Tony Stewart. He did have another car right in front of him and it is a race track with everything moving lightning fast and people are not supposed to be on race tracks walking directly in your path straight towards your car.

I think his point was if TS doesn't apply throttle, as the car in front of him did not do and just turned the wheel hard left, then a dumb kid may still be alive. That's where the argument is, not whether or not it's dangerous to walk on a race track while drivers have their eyes closed. Everyone knows that would be dangerous.

[scottycameron]

The track is gonna get sued, the owners, the organization that sanctions the race also. And of course stewart. This could lead to shutting down a lot of racetracks. The liability won't be worth it anymore. Tracks/races will have to be insured against this from now on, it won't be cheap if they can even get coverage. Not that big of a loss, the young nerds today prefer to race on the xbox anyway. Real cars would scare them. When our generation is retired and in old folks homes, racing in a real car would probably be seen as stupid anyway. Maybe a Prius / Smart car GPS scavenger hunt while sending out cute twitters, but that's probably about it.

[Dawg61]

The track is gonna get sued, the owners, the organization that sanctions the race also. And of course stewart. This could lead to shutting down a lot of racetracks. The liability won't be worth it anymore. Tracks/races will have to be insured against this from now on, it won't be cheap if they can even get coverage. Not that big of a loss, the young nerds today prefer to race on the xbox anyway. Real cars would scare them. When our generation is retired and in old folks homes, racing in a real car would probably be seen as stupid anyway. Maybe a Prius / Smart car GPS scavenger hunt while sending out cute twitters, but that's probably about it.

Yet there's probably 5x more young race car drivers now then when you were a teenager. Ever heard of the XGames before? I don't think there's a shortage of young people in USA wanting to be involved in sports like race car driving.

[jbjones]

I think his point was if TS doesn't apply throttle, as the car in front of him did not do and just turned the wheel hard left, then a dumb kid may still be alive. That's where the argument is, not whether or not it's dangerous to walk on a race track while drivers have their eyes closed. Everyone knows that would be dangerous.

What?

Did he "apply the trottle" ? How can you tell ? Was it a car on the front-stretch (below the camera, out of sight)? I don't know either.

Tell me this, If "dumb kid" is standing off of your right front (on a dirt track, no less), and you turn left, what part of your car hits that "dumb kid"? The right-rear tire hits him, is the correct answer. If you turn right, you swing the drive tires (rear-end) away from the person (gassing it even helps to clear them). Have you ever driven a boat?

I'm not watching the video again, but growing up around racing is enough for me to know that there is no way he tried to hit the kid. No racer would do that. Not in a million years.

[Ralph]

What?

Did he "apply the trottle" ? How can you tell ? Was it a car on the front-stretch (below the camera, out of sight)? I don't know either.

Tell me this, If "dumb kid" is standing off of your right front (on a dirt track, no less), and you turn left, what part of your car hits that "dumb kid"? The right-rear tire hits him, is the correct answer. If you turn right, you swing the drive tires (rear-end) away from the person (gassing it even helps to clear them). Have you ever driven a boat?

I'm not watching the video again, but growing up around racing is enough for me to know that there is no way he tried to hit the kid. No racer would do that. Not in a million years.

So you're basing your entire argument on the fact that TS did not apply throttle. Since you don't want to watch the video, here's an article with expert witness opinions whether TS applied throttle.

http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/police-investigating-sprint-car-incident-involving-three-time-nascar-champion-tony-stewart-081014

[smootness]

I don't think people are "piling on" Ward or "jumping on the victim" more than they and myself are defending Stewart. Ask yourself this. If Stewart closes his eyes and never moves his car from the path it is already intended on does he hit Ward? My initial thoughts are yes he does. Ward intentionally put himself in harms way and by doing so he is the one at fault and not Stewart. So Stewart is supposed to recognize the impending disaster being put directly in his path and move out of the way all in the span of 1 second of reaction time? Only person that can speak for what Tony Stewart saw or didn't see is Tony Stewart. He did have another car right in front of him and it is a race track with everything moving lightning fast and people are not supposed to be on race tracks walking directly in your path straight towards your car.

I don't think speculating on what would have happened had Stewart's eyes been closed is relevant since they obviously weren't. And honestly, no, I don't think the guy gets hit if Stewart's eyes are closed and he just turns naturally like they do on every turn during a caution. I think he just drives by the guy, like the car in front did.

I just want to know what actually happened; I don't want people's eyes to be clouded by hatred of Tony Stewart, and I don't want people to be blinded by bias in favor of him, either. If he did something intentionally that swung his car toward the guy, regardless of why the guy was there in the first place, he has to be held accountable.

As for the idea that 'no racer would do that' (for jbjones), I just don't know how that can be an analysis of this situation. Obviously there are people out there who would make rash decisions that endanger other people; it happens all the time. I see no reason why a racer would be immune to that, especially someone who has proven to be hot-tempered and capable of making split-second bad decisions that endanger other people.

Again, I could never bring myself to assume Stewart actually meant to hit the guy at that speed or that he in any way intended to do serious harm to him. But my honest guess is that he just didn't think a lot, period. He was already angry about what happened on the track, he became even more angry when he saw the guy trying to confront him, and he decided to rev his engine and try to send the guy a message or scare him. That's my honest opinion based on the video and on eyewitness reports. It's also a guess because I don't know. Again, I hope it was a completely honest accident in which Stewart did nothing intentionally.

[scottycameron]

I have to admit that reaction seems kind of natural if somebody pops up on your right side just off your car - turn the wheel a little to left and hit the gas a second to get past him. I can see doing that to make sure you don't hit him or he doesn't get close enough to make contact with the car. If he wanted to contact him he'd of let the car move a little right into him. Makes sense to me.

[jbjones]

So you're basing your entire argument on the fact that TS did not apply throttle. Since you don't want to watch the video, here's an article with expert witness opinions whether TS applied throttle.

http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/police-investigating-sprint-car-incident-involving-three-time-nascar-champion-tony-stewart-081014

No, you're not reading very well. That's not my "entire argument". I said that I didn't want to watch it "again".

From your article:

"he was visibly shaken from the accident"

Of course he was, he wasn't trying to hit the kid. WTF. No sane person, much less a millionaire, champion race driver/track-owner would do that shit.

"...you can hear the motor rev"

Ok, fine. I still think that a camera in the stands will pick up a "rev" on the front-stretch or pits (it is a small track) just as well. I wasn't there. I wasn't the camera man. I don't know

Again, if you turn right and gas it, you'll keep the right-rear away from an obstacle to the right-front of your car. Not hard to visualize. That is my assessment.

[Dawg61]

I have to admit that reaction seems kind of natural if somebody pops up on your right side just off your car - turn the wheel a little to left and hit the gas a second to get past him. I can see doing that to make sure you don't hit him or he doesn't get close enough to make contact with the car. If he wanted to contact him he'd of let the car move a little right into him. Makes sense to me.

Agreed. To me if he was intending to hit him then he would of struck him with the front of his car and not tried to hit him with the backside of his car which makes me wonder if he doesn't steer to the left does he indeed then hit him still but with the front of the car not the back?

[jbjones]

I have to admit that reaction seems kind of natural if somebody pops up on your right side just off your car - turn the wheel a little to left and hit the gas a second to get past him.

No. Maybe on pavement, perhaps. . That's not how race cars on dirt work.

[scottycameron]

dirt or not, I thinks it perfectly natural. Somebody comes running up to your pass. side window you turn away from him and gun it. You've seen it before, if somebody is going after a car and reaching in the passenger side the reaction is always the same, turning away from them and hitting the gas. People have been drug and ran over before like this.

[jbjones]

dirt or not, I thinks it perfectly natural. Somebody comes running up to your pass. side window you turn away from him and gun it. You've seen it before, if somebody is going after a car and reaching in the passenger side the reaction is always the same, turning away from them and hitting the gas. People have been drug and ran over before like this.

Maybe you, sure. That makes perfect sense. Not to a 30+ year veteran PROFESSIONAL race driver. They're better drivers than you and I are. That's the bottom line. Race driving is a hell of a lot more than putting on your blinker and merging.

[Ralph]

No, you're not reading very well. That's not my "entire argument". I said that I didn't want to watch it "again".

From your article:

"he was visibly shaken from the accident"

Of course he was, he wasn't trying to hit the kid. WTF. No sane person, much less a millionaire, champion race driver/track-owner would do that shit.

"...you can hear the motor rev"

Ok, fine. I still think that a camera in the stands will pick up a "rev" on the front-stretch or pits (it is a small track) just as well. I wasn't there. I wasn't the camera man. I don't know

Again, if you turn right and gas it, you'll keep the right-rear away from an obstacle to the right-front of your car. Not hard to visualize. That is my assessment.

I never said he did it intentionally. I have heard no one say it was intentional, rather it was equally reckless as Ward's reaction was, but TS's problem will be that he doesn't have any damages, and Ward's family does. Right wrong or indifferent that's likely what will be the result of this.

[jbjones]

As for the idea that 'no racer would do that' (for jbjones), I just don't know how that can be an analysis of this situation. Obviously there are people out there who would make rash decisions that endanger other people; it happens all the time. I see no reason why a racer would be immune to that, especially someone who has proven to be hot-tempered and capable of making split-second bad decisions that endanger other people.


"No racer would do that" isn't an analysis. I'd love to see citations of when a racer intentionally killed another. Racers are competitors. Sure, they're assholes. They want to win. They're not immune, you're right.

[JDog13]

I've raced for 20 years. You sign a legal waiver when you enter the track. The rule books of the tracks also say that you will be disqualified if you get out of your car before the track crew arrives. This is for safety reasons. They can try to sue the track, and they may win. The fact that he signed a waiver, and the fact that he got out of his car to approach the moving vehicles may benefit the track. In the video you hear a car hit the throttle right before the young man is hit. As Stewart's car comes into view, he is in a slight slide. That would be from just tapping the throttle as many of us do when under caution. Stewart may have done it as a way of telling the Ward to screw off. Saying Stewart's car made a move outside is just retarded. He is in a slide that is consistent with tapping the throttle on a sprint car. The only time Stewart's car turned towards the outside of the track was after it made contact with Ward's body. This was either from the impact, or Ward's body slowing the right rear tire which would turn the car to the right.

I have read the comments of the supposed witness that claims he drives the same type of car. He claims you can see well enough out of the car to see a person on the track. He also claims that he doesn't think Stewart intentionally hit Ward. This was a friend of Ward. If he is in fact a driver, then he made this comment in the heat of the moment. The sprint cars have a small field of view. They also have small bars in front of the driver to protect him from giant dirt clods or flying parts. Some times mud can become lodged in these bars. The drivers wear tear offs on their helmets. It is where Nascar got the idea for tear offs on their windshields. When mud or oil hits your helmet's eye shield, you simply rip off a tear off and it clears your vision. The track had poor lighting in that corner. The driver was wearing a solid black fire suit with a black helmet. There was a blue car that appeared to swerve left before Stewart hit Ward. It was #45 I believe. Stewart was following that car.

How many people here have been driving down the interstate, when suddenly the vehicle in front of you swerves? The vehicle swerves and all of a sudden you are looking at a 18 wheeler tire recap, or pieces of wood, or a dead animal. Sometimes you have time to react, sometimes you dont and you hit it. It all depends on the distance of the vehicle in front of you to the obstacle. If the person in front of you swerves at the last second, it's a good chance you wont have time to react. The car in front of Stewart, the drivers dark clothes, and the dim lights are probably a good reason this happened. I can say that the lights do appear brighter when you are on the track than when you're sitting in the stands. In this video however, the lights do appear really dim.

The cars will have a tendency to slide when you hit the throttle. This is because of rollout. Rollout is what you may hear nascar announcers call stagger. The use of a larger right rear tire and a smaller left rear tire helps the car turn.

http://image.circletrack.com/f/9224712/0610CTRP_05z+tire_management+stagger.jpg

the inside of the cars are cramped. There is no clutch. The cars are either in gear or out. The torque tube connects to a hub on the rear of the motor, and goes between the drivers legs to connect to the rear end. The cars are push started. The car will start to build oil pressure, and when the oil pressure reaches around 15 lbs, the magneto is turned on. Flipping the magneto on allows the fire to go to the engine. The engine cranks and the car is under its own power. As you can see there is not much room inside the car.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i275/Checraft/Midget%20Model%20Refs/006640x479.jpg

And this gif kinda shows what it's like looking out of a sprint car. The camera being moved to the left makes it seem very hard to see out of them, but you can see straight ahead pretty well. It's the things like the wing on the right side that make it harder to see left and right.

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/3375812/sprint-car-o.gif

I wasn't there, and I can only speculate from the video. The video is pretty clear to me, so this was what I believed.

[jbjones]

I never said he did it intentionally. I have heard no one say it was intentional, rather it was equally reckless as Ward's reaction was, but TS's problem will be that he doesn't have any damages, and Ward's family does. Right wrong or indifferent that's likely what will be the result of this.

Very well. Cheers.

[jbjones]

That's a pretty good analysis by JDog13.

[Dawg61]

Good stuff JDog13

[Saltydog]

and some are speculating he might retire. Knowing Stewart, I don't see that happening. He's too much of a competitor. That's why he continues to race the smaller venues with some of the other well known drivers don't. Guy just loves to race. Those who aren't Stewart fans will point to his temper and frequent confrontations he's had with other drivers in the past. He's known as a smart ass and a hot head. I do think a civil suit will come out of all of this and prolly be settled outta court.

[JDog13]

Yeah he's a known hot head, but that probably wont relate to intent to harm. I can't think of anytime his hot head lead to anything other than a fist fight. I could be wrong of course. There is always the possibility of negligence, and it probably will cost him some change. I'm sure smoke will have the better legal team. Hendrick never spent anytime in jail for all the corrupt things he did. I'm sure Stewart will lose some cash, but I don't know it will be only legal fees. He may have to pay damages if he loses. He may pay some out of his pocket for the family anyway. He may feel like helping the family out. I don't know much about the legal system, but he's probably gonna have to lawyer up.

[Martianlander]

I put zero blame on Tony Stewart here. The guy is walking head on into race cars. What else can be expected but bad results? What if Tony was looking down or distracted or something and just kept on the same path his car was already headed? Then he would of hit the guy. So not only is Ward making an incredibly dangerous decision of walking straight into oncoming traffic but he's also now dependent on Tony Stewart to stray from his already intended path just to avoid him? No charges should be made here. The decision making TS would of had to make is maybe a seconds worth. Who can make an accurate decision when in the span of one second you look up and there's a man walking straight at your race car? I think the normal response would be to be shocked at what you're seeing initially and by that time it is too late. What do you do if all of a sudden there's a deer staring straight at you while you're driving 70 mph? The only person in this scenario who had enough time to consider what he was doing is Ward not Tony Stewart.
Spot on 100%

[State82]

Excellent info from JDog13. I sure didn't know those hot rods don't have a clutch.

[JDog13]

Excellent info from JDog13. I sure didn't know those hot rods don't have a clutch.

Yeah this guy gets his push about a minute into the video. You hear the guy say, "You ready buddy?" The driver says yeah. Meaning he was in gear and waiting on a push.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIY1gzJ-ZfM

[FISHDAWG]

Not to mention those dirt tracks aren't exactly well lighted. When all the videos are collected and witnesses say their part, I'd be surprised if it paints Tony in a reckless or aggressive light.

right ... the cars don't appear to have headlights and the guy was wearing a black suit on a dimly lit track ... Tony simply might not have seen the guy in time

[archdog]

Looks to me like Stewart was trying to dodge the dude at the very last second , but on dirt you can't swerve quick enough and if you turn the front abruptly the back end goes out the other way. He made a quick move because he didnt expect a dumbass to be standing right in front of him.

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

"No racer would do that" isn't an analysis. I'd love to see citations of when a racer intentionally killed another. Racers are competitors. Sure, they're assholes. They want to win. They're not immune, you're right.


"No racer would do that" isn't an analysis. I'd love to see citations of when a racer intentionally killed another. Racers are competitors. Sure, they're assholes. They want to win. They're not immune, you're right.

Just because someone is a millionaire and a celebrity doesn't automatically excuse them from committing a crime that ends up with someone dead. OJ Simpson, Aaron Hernandez are examples here.

Do I think what Stewart did is comparable to OJ and Aaron Hernandez ? No (or at least I surely hope not), but the "He's a millionaire and wouldn't do that" argument just doesn't hold water.

Now having said that, I think Stewart is a complete DIPSHIT. I hardly watch any racing, and certainly do not know the mechanics and tendencies of the cars that some posters on this board seem to know. I know that Stewart is a dipshit because he made a statement about running over another driver in 2012. Here is the quote from Stewart.

Two years ago Stewart threw his helmet at Matt Kenseth following a wreck in the Irwin Tools Night Race and threatened to run him over.

“I checked up twice not to run over him. And I learned my lesson there, and I’m going to run over him every chance I got until the end of the year. Every chance I got,” Stewart said following the August 2012 race, according to CBS News.

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2014/08/11/tony-stewart-threatened-to-run-over-driver-2-years-ago-following-wreck/


This is maybe one of the dumbest statements ever made. It is pretty damn similar to the Alabama fan that has claimed he sabotaged the Texas A&M expansion. Why in the world would you do that? He was probably just BS'ing but guess what...if anything goes wrong at Kyle Field I know who the first person the authorities will be looking for.

This is a truly tragic situation and I hope it was simply an accident, but Stewart's past statements are more than likely going to cost him a lot of money from both civil law suits, and the damaging of his image. There is also an outside chance it will cost him his freedom.

[Dawg61]

Come on man you conveniently forgot to include the very next sentence from that article. "Stewart meant he was going to try to take Kenseth out during a race, not actually run him over."

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

I wasn't implying he was tryign to run him over. I was simply stating how stupid it is to say something like this, especially when what you are doing involves such high risk.

[sandwolf]

Looks to me like Stewart was trying to dodge the dude at the very last second , but on dirt you can't swerve quick enough and if you turn the front abruptly the back end goes out the other way. He made a quick move because he didnt expect a dumbass to be standing right in front of him.

I tend to agree. It looked to me like he saw him at the last minute and was caught off guard and his instinct was to jerk the wheel. And after seeing the above pictures that show the view from the driver's seat and the information about the tear away eye shields, and considering the fact that the guy is focused on the race and all of the cars around him, this seems like the most reasonable assumption. Assuming that there isn't a camera in Stewart's race car that shows something completely different, I would be very surprised to see any kind of criminal charges filed. I am sure that the family will probably file a lawsuit and Stewart may settle it out of court, but if he does fight it, I can tell you that if I were on the jury I wouldn't award the family a dime. I hate that the guy got killed, but at the end of the day, he darted out into oncoming traffic on a dirt race track full of powerful race cars that are difficult to control and are driven by people that have limited visibility......I would say that the odds of that turning out poorly are better than average.

[Barking 13]

Thanks for your insight JDog13. I've probably seen you if you've ever been to the Bullring or the Mag. People that have no clue about dirt racing have run with this thing because it's Tony Stewart. This incident could happen to anybody at any dirt circle in the world. I have personally witnessed some horrific crashes, and some of the most asinine moves and actions by drivers, that caused injury and even death to drivers and fans alike. It's a dangerous sport, especially sprints. I agree, that the drivers should be aware and penalized for getting out of the car. I know you can let your emotions run amuck, but getting out of the car and challenging another driver on the track is just idiocy. Some do it to grandstand. You can see it happen on any dirt track in America, but the track officials (if they are worth a crap) are responsible for assuring the safety of all involved, to a reasonable extent. I've been a fan of Tony Stewart, even before anybody even heard of him. I watched him as a teen running midgets. The man can drive. BUT, like Jdog said, there is extremely limited visibility in a sprint. It's a bad deal all around. I'm sure Smoke will have to live with that image the rest of his life. It's a terrible accident created by one man's stupidity for getting out on the track with a bunch of sprint cars, even under yellow. I'm afraid to say it, but the Ward family will probably own Eldora.

[War Machine Dawg]

Before everyone jumps to conclusions, you should REALLY read this article (http://www.motorsport.com/sprint/news/yes-tony-stewart-did-run-over-a-fellow-driver-who-was-killed-but-know-the-whole-story/). Excellent explanation of sprint cars, racing mechanics, and what happened. You'll never convince me Smoke meant to hit the guy. Hell, the guy went out of his way to innovate safety upgrades for sprint cars after his accident last year. Just a tragic situation for all involved.

[blacklistedbully]

Looks to me like, at the last moment, Ward realized he F-d up and tried to make a late move away from the rear tire. Also looks like Stewart may have been trying to drift at the last moment to keep his rear tire from hitting Ward. That could explain why Stewart turns his wheel right and guns it at the last moment, trying to get the counter-steer effect and get his rear sliding away from Ward.

[spudd21]

I have driven many dirt cars. Never a sprint, but I have friends who do. The wing on the right side of a sprint car makes it all but impossible to see out the right side. Very limited visibility in these cars all together. Another thing is a sprint car is driven more with the throttle than the steering wheel. My take is Ward made a dumb decision by exiting his car and walking down the race track. He could have made his point standing at the back of his car and flipping the bird or whatever. This is tragic but like another poster said, this is one thing preached in the drivers meetings, do not exit your car. JMHO

[RattStevens]

Stewart is a cold blooded murderer. He ran Ward off the track, then ran over and killed him intentionally. He probably only wanted to give him a love tap, but it didn't work out that way. Since NASCAR is a felony in iteself, the charge should be capital murder. Redneck Rampage.

[JDog13]

Stewart is a cold blooded murderer. He ran Ward off the track, then ran over and killed him intentionally. He probably only wanted to give him a love tap, but it didn't work out that way. Since NASCAR is a felony in iteself, the charge should be capital murder. Redneck Rampage.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3oh2yD1QEXI/0.jpg

[War Machine Dawg]

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3oh2yD1QEXI/0.jpg

Sarcasm, JDog. Ratt's account is a parody.

[JDog13]

Sarcasm, JDog. Ratt's account is a parody.


Yeah, I know he's a parody. That's just my reply to his post.