[NASCAR] Tony Stewart apparently runs over opposing driver

Typical American, no accountability nonsense. It's always the other guy's fault.

 

It was obviously a mistake he paid dearly for to run onto the track, but...still a valid question whether Stewart had a chance to prevent a collision?

 

if you are walking into oncoming traffic, it's going to be very hard to find a driver at fault, especially on a racetrack

it looks like the first driver breaks to avoid Ward, and Stewart goes high to avoid that driver and hits Ward

 

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He's coming out of a left turn on a dirt track. Dirt track turns are basically controlled slides. To exit a dirt track left turn, you accelerate with tires straight with the upcoming straightaway (turned to the right). If you turn left, you spin out. If you don't accelerate, you spin out. With the blue car in front of Stewart, I don't think he saw the black clad Ward until it was too late.

That being said, it's a tragedy any way you look at it. My prayers go out to the Ward family!

 

When I first saw the video, my immediate thought was Ward must be one of those fearless, cocky, teenagers who excel at that sport trying to do something with epic fearlessness,,,,walk out of his spun-out car to confront the other dude on the racetrack. I was close ... 20yrs old.

They were under a yellow flag, which means to slow down. Skidding should be completely out of play under yellow. And Stewart had done a complete lap under yellow at that point, and knew exactly where the disabled car was.

 

Unless Tony Stewart is an idiot or it's his first time driving under those conditions, he knows what hitting the gas will do in those circumstances (hint: it won't make the car go left).

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Ontario County Sheriff: No criminal charges to be filed against Tony Stewart at this moment» <a href="http://t.co/3wwioSLQcW">http://t.co/3wwioSLQcW</a> <a href="http://t.co/yqEGY8PChb">pic.twitter.com/yqEGY8PChb</a></p>&mdash; FOX Sports (@FOXSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSports/statuses/498561573166669824">August 10, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Tony Stewart showing what a true Alpha male badass he is + when keeping it real goes wrong + Darwin awards all around = this mess.

 

I'll agree that the sliding in the turns should be minimum under yellow, but "completely" doesn't necessarily apply. Being under yellow, they were running around to catch up with the leaders for the restart. Yes they knew where the disabled car was. It was up against the fence just past the turn. That's why they were running in the middle of the track or lower. What Stewart didn't know was that Ward was jogging down the track to him until after the car in front of him had passed Ward.

 

Kevin Ward trying to do something with Epic Fearlessness, like he saw in Iron Man....pedestrian confronting race car driver on the speed track.

"If Ivan Vanko can do it, so can I. Come at me bro" -- the last thought of Kevin Ward

<img src="http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/iron-man-2-whiplash.jpg" width=800[/IMG]

 

Ok Stephen A.

The victim needs to be held accountable.

 

It would be far less damning of Stewart if he had slid into the turn from the beginning, as if he was unaware of the yellow, which would give credence to him being unaware of the situation and Ward's presence, but he didn't. He went around it in a pretty controlled manner, albeit faster than the prior driver (who would be *less aware* of the wreck/situation than Stewart). He accelerated sharply, and thus slid to his right, when he neared Ward. So, unless his justification is "I didn't notice him and I smashed the gas pedal because he spooked me" (which is the best of a litany of terrible excuses), then he's pretty much on the hook for involuntary manslaughter outright. I can't see how this doesn't end up in court either way.

 

Agree, and that's why he will be found innocent, imo.

The only caveat to that is the drivers have communication headsets. Was Stewart told by his pit crew that Ward was in the middle of the track? Any communication like that, if recorded, would become evidence.

 

It's not uncommon for these guys to run out on the track, apparently.

 

it's more that he saw the big boys in NASCAR do it, so he was emulating.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Insight from a crew member on Chuck Hebing's 45 car, who was directly in front of Tony under the fateful yellow. <a href="http://t.co/K39Z30p5AW">pic.twitter.com/K39Z30p5AW</a></p>&mdash; Dirt Track Tweets (@DirtTrackTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/DirtTrackTweets/statuses/498570864997064706">August 10, 2014</a></blockquote>
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For those unfamiliar with a spring car, they are not like normal racing cars. Their wheels are set at very strange angles so when you accelerate they actually want to go side wards. That is how these cars go around corners, they power slide into them. They are set up to run very strange.

On top of that, they are extremely powerful. When they are racing and in the groove, they are a handful to get around a track. When they are slowed down they handle even worse.

During a caution drivers will accelerate to keep tyre pressures up, to keep their tyres warm, and to keep all their other pressures up.

Visibility inside of a sprint car isn't all that great. Keep in mind, during a race these cars aren't set up to be looking out to the right hand side while you're racing. That's not where a driver is looking at all.

It's hard to tell what Stewart was doing from that camera angle so I won't comment on his behaviour. I will say this though.

You never jump out of a wrecked car and run into the traffic. That was just asking for trouble. I've seen drivers throw helmets at cars, even go towards the track to abuse a driver as he goes past. I have never before seen a driver run into the racing line like that.

Just a horrible incident.

 

I'd be interested to see what other drivers say about it - none of us really has any idea of what it's like to be in the car. One current driver was on ESPN earlier today and basically said that he didn't think Stewart intended to hit him, but he felt it was definitely intentional and that maybe he planned to scare him or something like that. They asked him what other drivers thought and he just stated it was his own opinion. I hope they ask more drivers and I'll be curious to see if they are willing to discuss it.

 

The other driver walked about halfway onto the road, so it is partly his fault. It didn't look like Stewart tried to avoid him though; either he was swerving outward to hit him, or he started to swerve after he hit him.

Something must have happened for them to be mad at each other.