Tony Stewart won that award tonight. While competing in a sprint car race at a track close to Watkins Glenn. Tony got into an incident with another driver putting the other driver out of the race. The 17 year old got out of his car and walked toward the line of cars coming by under caution waiting for Tony to come back by so he can let him know visibly what he thought. According to reports when Tony came back by he gunned his engine causing the rear of his car to kick out hitting the other driver throwing him some 10 feet.

Am getting conflicting reports on the other driver from serious injuries to him passing.

Stewart has had a long history of anger problems. Including run in with fans and reporters in the pit area. Eventually causing NASCAR to change it's hot pass rules. Removing a lot of the personal contact that fans has had with the drivers since the early days of NASCAR.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story...um=twitter

According to many unconfirmed reports the other driver has passed.

Removed the videos. Please do not post the video of the tragic death of Mr. Ward. While they are available widely around the web, there is no need to view them here. I appreciate your understanding.

My best wishes to the Ward family.

wow. Always have thought TS was a jerk, but this takes it to a whole different level. Cant believe NASCAR is going to let him run today.

I get drivers fighting in the pits after a race, but I've never understood going on the track and pointing, cussing, throwing your helmet at a moving car. Prayers for Kevin Ward's family.

Manslaughter indictment. Please.

As much of an @$$ as TS is, drivers are seriously stupid to walk around on a track with 1200 lbs of steel flying past them. ANYTHING can happen.

TAKE IT TO THE PIT

Nothing good will come from this. Nothing.

Why the hell would anyone get out of their car and walk on an active race track?

(08-10-2014 10:42 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Why the hell would anyone get out of their car and walk on an active race track?

I guess mostly it's being 20 years old.


And the OP was right. Even if it was completely accidental, there is no way to defend #businessasusual.

(08-11-2014 12:06 AM)MGR Wrote:  

(08-10-2014 10:42 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Why the hell would anyone get out of their car and walk on an active race track?

I guess mostly it's being 20 years old.


And the OP was right. Even if it was completely accidental, there is no way to defend #businessasusual.

When I was 3 I was taught not to go in the street when cars are coming. It would seem that would hold true when you are twenty and cars are zooming by in excess of 100 mph.

Exactly what message are you sending to a driver in a car speeding by?

It seems like road rage (The victim) gone amok. When I watch the video (and I don't know how that type of racing works) it seems like the guy was more at fault than Tony Stewart. You don't put your head in the mouth of a tiger and seem surprised when it bites. If the guy was in front of the car and it happened I can see blaming Stewart. But this happened on the passenger rear tire. The guy got too close to the car. Even if Stewart is the biggest a-hole in sports, this was a Darwin Award winner.

The kid stays in the car, none of this happens and he's alive. Its completely his fault. Completely. Stewart is not at fault in any way.
Terrible tragedy.

He should not have been on the track. With that- hundreds of drivers do the same thing- they are a constant huffing presence on tracks, both large and small.

When under caution, there is still a reasonable expectation that other professional drivers will pay enough attention, because they always have, to not run them over.

Additionally, non-drivers (track personnel) are on the track while the racers are driving by under caution at nearly every race----ever. Even in pit lanes- which is a riskier environment than the track itself when under caution, personnel AND DRIVERS are drilled to be constantly aware of the potential danger.

The idea that him being on the drag making his death an automatic simple avoidable accident, based on the near entire history of NASCAR and other racing, is positively ludicrous.

With that, indeed, it is a dangerous business- and non-drivers do indeed get accidentally hit as the poor kid did Saturday- but whether it was truly a tragic accident or a tragic result from a petulant ill tempered act by Stewart remains to be seen.

(08-11-2014 06:22 AM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(08-11-2014 12:06 AM)MGR Wrote:  

(08-10-2014 10:42 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Why the hell would anyone get out of their car and walk on an active race track?

I guess mostly it's being 20 years old.


And the OP was right. Even if it was completely accidental, there is no way to defend #businessasusual.

When I was 3 I was taught not to go in the street when cars are coming. It would seem that would hold true when you are twenty and cars are zooming by in excess of 100 mph.

Exactly what message are you sending to a driver in a car speeding by?

It seems like road rage (The victim) gone amok. When I watch the video (and I don't know how that type of racing works) it seems like the guy was more at fault than Tony Stewart. You don't put your head in the mouth of a tiger and seem surprised when it bites. If the guy was in front of the car and it happened I can see blaming Stewart. But this happened on the passenger rear tire. The guy got too close to the car. Even if Stewart is the biggest a-hole in sports, this was a Darwin Award winner.

^^^

(08-11-2014 12:06 AM)MGR Wrote:  

(08-10-2014 10:42 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Why the hell would anyone get out of their car and walk on an active race track?

I guess mostly it's being 20 years old.


And the OP was right. Even if it was completely accidental, there is no way to defend #businessasusual.

I'm sorry, but this is a really stupid statement... even if it was COMPLETELY ACCIDENTAL, there is no way to defend it.... Ummmm, I believe finding that it was an accident IS the defense.

When I worked at a local medical facility, I witnessed two VPs get into a fight over a bonus. While he is a jerk, I don't disagree, we are talking about a profession where the difference in a couple of spots in the finishes can mean the difference of thousands of dollars, tempers do flare.

(08-11-2014 09:30 AM)Mimi Wrote:  He should not have been on the track. With that- hundreds of drivers do the same thing- they are a constant huffing presence on tracks, both large and small.

When under caution, there is still a reasonable expectation that other professional drivers will pay enough attention, because they always have, to not run them over.

Additionally, non-drivers (track personnel) are on the track while the racers are driving by under caution at nearly every race----ever. Even in pit lanes- which is a riskier environment than the track itself when under caution, personnel AND DRIVERS are drilled to be constantly aware of the potential danger.

The idea that him being on the drag making his death an automatic simple avoidable accident, based on the near entire history of NASCAR and other racing, is positively ludicrous.

With that, indeed, it is a dangerous business- and non-drivers do indeed get accidentally hit as the poor kid did Saturday- but whether it was truly a tragic accident or a tragic result from a petulant ill tempered act by Stewart remains to be seen.

There were four or five cars that passed him before Stewarts car and they didn't seem to be going any slower than Stewart. The blue car was there a moment before Stewart too. How to we know that car didn't block Stewart's view?

In the video, you can clearly hear TS gun his engine and kick out the right side of his car just as he nears dude. I'm sure he was pointing and cussing back at the guy while passing.

He may not have tried to intentionally hit dude, but he certainly knew what he was doing. TS is a hot head driver and this is completely within his MO.

I simply do NOT believe that running over another human was within his MO.

I don't think he TRIED to hit him!!!! I DO think he tried to put him into the wall, which was very much within his MO.

I am making no judgment on whether Stewart petulantly buzzed him and ended up killing him.

What I am saying is that as reckless as it was and always is to walk on a track- that alone does not automatically mean getting hit is simply a bummer.

Unfortunately, the video really looks like Stewart intended to give him a buzz- in my opinion and we will never know. Equating Tony Stewart to a wild animal is insulting. Are we arguing that tweaking a short tempered race car driver means that if that race car driver reacts by very recklessly buzzing you it is the same as a wild animal accident???

Little doubt Stewart did not want to hit him- but walking is stupid- you are driving a deadly machine. If he buzzed him, he deserves whatever he gets.

If stupid race car drives deserve to be run over, NASCAR would end.

Again, the kid walked on the track trying to be a bad azz and it cost him his life. Just tragic. Stewart did nothing wrong.