Tony Stewart runs over and kills Kevin Ward Jr. after race dispute

a reply to: Diabolical

It was tony's car, you can tell by the video. No other car is gassing it as you can hear the track quite down since they were on a caution. You can also tell by how his car kicks out as that is what a high powered car does when you accelerate. I am sure he will never say that he did gas it, but the proof is in the video that he did.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: Mianeye

And strange how the 45 car is able to avoid him by what looks like braking and moving away from kevin while tony decides to hit the gas and keep his line...
Why the need to gas it when the track is under caution. Yes the kid made a horrible mistake by getting out of this car. Tony made a bigger one gassing it as he passed him.

Grew up on race tracks. Number one, Ward should've never stepped out of the car or attempted to cross the track, even under caution. Unless your car is burning, you don't get out until the safety crew is there with you. That's common sense.

As far as the rev, it comes after the strike along with that strange swerve. Those cars are built light and my guess, as grisly as it is, was that when Stewart struck Ward, Ward's body gummed up the right side back tire, causing the drift inward and Stewart corrected with the gunned engine. There are no side mirrors on a sprint car so couldn't have done a visual check to see if Ward was still standing on the track. Whatever was going on in Stewart's mind, he could've thought he hit debris for all we know. I'm reserving judgment for the authorities to decide on that one.

Unlucky #13? Nope nothing to do with bad luck here.

The poor kid should not have walked into the track, regardless of how many racers do it when they're ticked off.
IMO it looks like the white and blue cart almost hits him. The kid loses his balance just avoiding it. Also the blue and white car appears to have obstructed Stewarts view as it was right in front of him. Stewart may have accelerated without knowing that the kid is right in front of him, but hidden by the other blue and white cart.

But, as of now there is only one video to scrutinize. Other angles will emerge, we'll see I guess.

Rest in Peace.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: Diabolical

It was tony's car, you can tell by the video. No other car is gassing it as you can hear the track quite down since they were on a caution. You can also tell by how his car kicks out as that is what a high powered car does when you accelerate. I am sure he will never say that he did gas it, but the proof is in the video that he did.

To be the devil's advocate for a second, the footage was filmed from bleachers across two lanes of track. What car made the rev sound is hard to say because it's picking up what is passing before the individual filming on the closest side of the track. Heck, the revving sound could have actually been #45 as they had to slow abruptly to avoid Ward. They also do seem to speed back up to pace speed after the near miss. The nose kicking up to the right is likely due to drag under the back right tire.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
I don't know any of these people and from the looks of it it seems this Tony person reacted to a maniac running at his car who he may or may not have even seen. It's possible he tried to clip him, it's equally possible he tried to avoid him. Either way the only one responsible is this Kevin Ward person.

this is what im saying. Kevin ran to get to Stewarts car in the middle of a race like an out of control idiot. What did he think was going to happen? Did he think Stewart was going to stop and get out so they could fight right there on the track?! Ive never seen such a stupid move. We dont know if Stewart saw him or if he saw him at the last second and was startled by it and hit the gas. If Kevin would have left the track and delt with it after the race he would still be alive.

In cars with that power and weight a rev can be used to swerve. I think this is what he was trying to do. It didn't look to me like this was intentional.

ETA: Dude deserves the Darwin award for walking right out into the middle of the track.

I have been a race fan for the better of 20 years,and have never been a fan of Tony,not ever.He comes off as an arrogant hothead,always fists at the ready.
After watching the footage,and after years of watching Tony race...I have to say he is NOT at fault.
Not for a minute do I believe he intentionally meant to hit that kid. Tony has a temper for sure, but he's not a murderer. Not even in the heat of the moment would he have run that kid over. Judge by the incident, not the history of the driver.
Honestly, if this had happened anywhere other than a race track,with a raging person running up to a speeding car...not once would blame fall on the driver.As much as I have cursed Tony over the years for his antics on track and especially when he goes after my favorite driver...I would not wish this on him,as I see this as a tragic accident,that will likely ruin his career.
For the member who posted about him racing youngsters on a sprint track...Were it not for Tony taking some of them under his wing, they never would have graduated from Sprint to Stock cars...the big leagues. He may be an ass but he was always scouting for talented drivers to take up the ladder.

Conspiracy Alert: There are rumors that Tony Stewart allegedly had a Go-Pro Camera set up his car that would have gave us a first person view from the cockpit, and Tony's Crew immediately removed it and deleted the video.

Another one is that Tony's crew immediately changed the right rear tire after the race.

One thing I do find very strange is that Tony actually considered racing today after he killed that boy

a reply to: JHumm

Yeah the more times I watch the video, the less intentional it appears. I'm now of the opinion it was a tragic accident caused by Ward acting stupidly because he was angry, and getting clipped.

originally posted by: Jay Electronica
Conspiracy Alert: There are rumors that Tony Stewart allegedly had a Go-Pro Camera set up his car that would have gave us a first person view from the cockpit, and Tony's Crew immediately removed it and deleted the video.

Another one is that Tony's crew immediately changed the right rear tire after the race.

One thing I do find very strange is that Tony actually considered racing today after he killed that boy

And those are called "rumors" for a reason--it's a piece of unverified information. Haven't seen any claim of a Go Pro or a tire change substantiated in the news at all. Where I do see it being made is on a series of forums and a comment on a video.

What I do see being reported is that Stewart has been cooperating fully with the local sheriff's department and the sheriff's department has determined that there was "no evidence of criminal intent". If Stewart's pit crew had deleted a video from an on-board camera or done anything else amiss, then that would fall under obstruction and they wouldn't be saying that Stewart was cooperating fully.

www.latimes.com...

I watched the video and downloaded it. This guy was hit with the front right corner of Tony's race car and then Tony hit the gas.. it happened in a split second... I slowed it down to half speed......I'll upload it to Youtube then post it .....

a reply to: fnpmitchreturnsNo he wasn't. Right rear tire.

What the heck was that guy thinking, he was a race car driver, he knows people only look for cars and are constantly monitoring their competitors around them. Stewart was probably checking out the car onside the track and looking where everyone else was so he could go around it.

I don't think I even know anyone who would go out into the track like that and I do know a few not too smart people.

originally posted by: mwood

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
I'm actually surprised none have been shot either.

Really? You believe race car drivers carry firearms with them when they race?

I am very confused.

I am so sorry that you are very confused.

I would have thought I would not have had to clarify, but there's one in every crowd.

No not In their car. Most of the fights occur when the race is over. They don't usually occur right in the middle of the track while the are are still running like you see here.

If you are still very confused, maybe you should watch a race and look at the crowds in the pits and the crowds that come onto the track after a race is won. If you think that it would be impossible to have a firearm in any of that mess, I just don't know what to tell you.

originally posted by: Jay Electronica
Conspiracy Alert: There are rumors that Tony Stewart allegedly had a Go-Pro Camera set up his car that would have gave us a first person view from the cockpit, and Tony's Crew immediately removed it and deleted the video.

Another one is that Tony's crew immediately changed the right rear tire after the race.

One thing I do find very strange is that Tony actually considered racing today after he killed that boy

If you read my post, no he didn't, he dropped out of the race and let another driver take his place.

It also possible, that wing on the car was the initial hit, and not the car itself.

I have met Tony Stewart... twice. 1998 while he was driving IRL and 2005 in NASCAR. Tony Stewart is the absolute class of the field. His forays into dirt track racing are legendary: most folks see NASCAR drivers as prima donnas... not Tony. He races on dirt because that is his passion. "Eldora" is a perfect example... bringing NASCAR back to it's dirt track roots. This is tragic. He is a working man's driver, and always has been. I have more respect for Mr. Stewart than you can ever imagine...

Tony and Stewart-Haas racing, in my book, are the absolute BEST of what racing is about. Hard work and always being "on-track"... it is sad and tragic. I just hope Tony can rebound from this...

originally posted by: fnpmitchreturns
I watched the video and downloaded it. This guy was hit with the front right corner of Tony's race car and then Tony hit the gas.. it happened in a split second... I slowed it down to half speed......I'll upload it to Youtube then post it .....

I'll believe that knowing he was back around to the area where the kid spun out, and under caution, he never even saw him and thought he hit debris on the track...especially if his eyes were on the driver in front of him whom he saw swerve. Would be an automatic reaction to try to clear out of it by gunning it. To slow down, he himself becomes a hazard to drivers behind him.
I strongly believe if he wasn't such a well known driver, this would barely be up for discussion.
Honest to god, never in my life thought I'd be defending Stewart on anything, since come every race day he is the driver I LOVE TO HATE. I could easily fill a swear jar at him on any given Sunday...but not today.

I read that Stewart was attempting to Rooster Tail the kid & it went horribly wrong.

Rooster tailing on dirt is essentially getting close to a competitor and as you drive by them gun the engine and the person is sprayed with dirt but Stewart messed it up and killed the kid.

I've been going to Short Tracks for years, pretty big fan of local racing. And every track has the same safety rules for a reason.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do you get out of your vehicle under a Caution Flag. Under a caution flag vehicles are still permitted to move. (Unless your car is on Fire, but then we would move to a RED FLAG, which is full stop.) (Or if an official comes up to your window and says its safe now, he would have a tow truck parked beside you protecting you, Like the police do when you get pulled over.)

I'm definitely not a Stuart fan, but I see no fault here, Its a dirt track, Visibility is poor, it is a TURN, visibility ahead is not great. Some of you are acting like they where on the back stretch and Tony saw the guy standing there the whole time.

People who don't watch racing often just wont understand, Hence the stupid you tube comments that simply say "MURDERER". Get real.

There was no Murder, just pure Darwinism.

To me it looked like ward was attemting to jump on stewarts car. I think that stewart hit the brakes. Remember sprint cars do not have right front brakes, only left. This is done to pitch the car into a high speed turn. Hiting the brakes at low speed will make the car appear to swerve. Also sprints do not have clutches or transmisions, just an in and out box, a splind shaft with a lever to control the inner splined sleave. Not exactly easy to quickly dis-engage. The drivers are so staped in that they have little periferal vission. You cannot turn your head with a HANS device.