I reserve idiot for someone of your ilk Meph
Driver killed on track
- Thread starter Mezzer
- Start date
soccerman17
Race Winner
A few other guys run races outside of NASCAR, but most just do some lower tier NASCAR races or nothing at all. The thing about this incident is that drivers get worked up like this and yell from the track at other drivers all the time. However they are usually sensible enough to get to safety on the very inside of the track and yell from there instead of directly in the line the cars are taking.
You old charmer, you...
KekeTheKing - I don't think I called him an idiot.
I wasn't aware of whose race it was, but there should have at least been a marshall to keep him on the verge.
Poor organisation, because this shouldn't happen.
I wasn't aware of whose race it was, but there should have at least been a marshall to keep him on the verge.
Poor organisation, because this shouldn't happen.
I should have made it clear teabagyokel that the second part of my post was not in response to you. It was directed at PB and the 'likers' of said remark.
As for marshals and organizers. Several thousands of these grassroots level Sprint races take place across the US every year without tragedy. This was a rare unfortunate incident. If it hadn't involved Tony Stewart it's highly likely we wouldn't be discussing it at all.
As for marshals and organizers. Several thousands of these grassroots level Sprint races take place across the US every year without tragedy. This was a rare unfortunate incident. If it hadn't involved Tony Stewart it's highly likely we wouldn't be discussing it at all.
Kewee
Race Winner
Some comments about speedway racing in general and Tony Stewart in particular, from Kewee. I've followed this type of racing for 46 years since I was a 19 year old back in 1968. It verges as an obsession every bit as much as F1 but it requires knowledge to truly understand it. The tracks are sometimes paved but usually dirt, the cars far more sophisticated than people who don't understand the sport realise. Sir Jackie Stewart has referred to Sprint Car racing as the last great spectacle left in motor sport.
The majority of the dirt tracks vary from quarter mile or a little less, through to half mile. In Auckland we have what the Americans consider the finest quarter mile dirt track in the world. What we witnessed with Tony Stewart we see almost weekly at speedways all over New Zealand, Australia and America. The sport is full of hot heads and those who love it hope it stays that way. Tony Stewart may well be one of them but he certainly wasn't in this case. He's a driver that not only runs Sprint Cars he also runs the Chilli Bowl Midget series over one week in Tulsa every year. Most of the top NASCAR drivers careers began on the dirt tracks and the Chilli Bowl gives Stewart the opportunity to return to his roots and give something back by helping young drivers as they come up through the ranks. The accident that led to the young driver getting out of his car to shake his fist at Stewart was no ones fault certainly not Stewarts. On dirt ovals drivers throw their cars at gaps that don't exist at speeds of over 100mph, the great drivers get it right most of the time, their judgement and anticipation is extraordinary, the anticipated gap opens just as they arrive sideways, throttle wide open with one front wheel near a metre in the air, "breathtaking" to watch. When they get it wrong the accidents can be enormous.
Tragically the young driver that died got it wrong. He went for a gap on the outside of Stewart that was alway going to close up, then chose to make the fatal mistake of getting out of his car to blame someone else for his own misjudgement that resulted in a relatively minor accident that then evolved into a tragedy.
Very very sad, but when the dust settles Stewart won't be blamed in any way but sadly he'll still have to live with the outcome. I hope he continues racing. The rest of the NASCAR community will support him I'm sure, he's still a pure racer and one of motorsports huge personalities, very popular with fellow competitors and fans.
The majority of the dirt tracks vary from quarter mile or a little less, through to half mile. In Auckland we have what the Americans consider the finest quarter mile dirt track in the world. What we witnessed with Tony Stewart we see almost weekly at speedways all over New Zealand, Australia and America. The sport is full of hot heads and those who love it hope it stays that way. Tony Stewart may well be one of them but he certainly wasn't in this case. He's a driver that not only runs Sprint Cars he also runs the Chilli Bowl Midget series over one week in Tulsa every year. Most of the top NASCAR drivers careers began on the dirt tracks and the Chilli Bowl gives Stewart the opportunity to return to his roots and give something back by helping young drivers as they come up through the ranks. The accident that led to the young driver getting out of his car to shake his fist at Stewart was no ones fault certainly not Stewarts. On dirt ovals drivers throw their cars at gaps that don't exist at speeds of over 100mph, the great drivers get it right most of the time, their judgement and anticipation is extraordinary, the anticipated gap opens just as they arrive sideways, throttle wide open with one front wheel near a metre in the air, "breathtaking" to watch. When they get it wrong the accidents can be enormous.
Tragically the young driver that died got it wrong. He went for a gap on the outside of Stewart that was alway going to close up, then chose to make the fatal mistake of getting out of his car to blame someone else for his own misjudgement that resulted in a relatively minor accident that then evolved into a tragedy.
Very very sad, but when the dust settles Stewart won't be blamed in any way but sadly he'll still have to live with the outcome. I hope he continues racing. The rest of the NASCAR community will support him I'm sure, he's still a pure racer and one of motorsports huge personalities, very popular with fellow competitors and fans.
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No charges against Stewart, and Ward, the victim, was found to be under the influence of marijuana!
He had to be under the influence of something and it certainly wasn't common sense...
By our Lord Sir Michael of Caine what on earth possesses someone to mix mind bending drugs and motortsport?
Hopefully Ward having been under the influence makes things a bit easier for Stewart. Stewart races for the pure joy of it, and will race virtually anything, anywhere. I hope his passion for the activity survives this.
Incubus
Champion Elect
I don't think it necessarily means he was under the influence at the time. Presumably the findings are that it was marijuana was present in his bloodstream. But marijuana remains in your bloodstream longer than just about any other substance. For all we know he might have had a smoke three weeks earlier. Not that makes any difference mind you...
The statement said the level was such that he was under the influence. I doubt they would have said that if they had any doubt that he was under the influence while racing.
In any event, a truly sad occurrence. Imagine how the parents feel now.
In any event, a truly sad occurrence. Imagine how the parents feel now.
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Well he certainly didn't take it after he walked in front of a race car and got squished to death and the finding certainly throws a question mark other his ability to make a reasoned decision and for the weed to stay in the body for three weeks the person has to be a regular user otherwise it is gone in a matter of hours and regular users do not go three weeks without a hit...
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ATL11
Pole Sitter
Reading the latest news report on this, a Grand Jury has declined to Charge Tony Stewart over this incident,
http://www1.skysports.com/news/19521/9487252/
Understandably the Ward family don't agree with the findings, they indicate that Stewart was the only accelerating car on the track but they forget to mention that Kevin Ward Jnr's Toxicology tests indicated that Ward was under the influence of marijuana the night of the incident.
http://www1.skysports.com/news/19521/9487252/
Understandably the Ward family don't agree with the findings, they indicate that Stewart was the only accelerating car on the track but they forget to mention that Kevin Ward Jnr's Toxicology tests indicated that Ward was under the influence of marijuana the night of the incident.
Am I the only one who thinks there's more than a hint of whitewash going on here?
Respected Racing Driver Reprieved due to the Guy He Ran Over being "Stoned at the time" - why, it ticks all the NeoCon boxes, doesn't it? What better way to completely bury an embarrassing courtcase than by blaming the victim, eh?
Respected Racing Driver Reprieved due to the Guy He Ran Over being "Stoned at the time" - why, it ticks all the NeoCon boxes, doesn't it? What better way to completely bury an embarrassing courtcase than by blaming the victim, eh?
Kewee
Race Winner
Road of Bones ...... Your completely wrong. I would suggest you scroll back ten postings and read my earlier posting, written long before this final outcome was published. Tony Stewart is a giver, when he's not racing he's helping young drivers advance their craft.
How anyone can turn this around and lay blame with Tony Stewart is beyond me. The answer to one question should indicate where blame should be directed, 'which driver got out of his car and walked out onto a track with cars still circulating'? It's a tough question because the obvious answer is the young driver who can no longer defend himself but sadly the fact he lost his life doesn't make him blameless, and certainly doesn't mean blame should be directed at Tony Stewart.
A couple of points some may not be aware of. These drivers wear far more layers of tear-offs than you'll find on an F1 helmet. As the race was under caution Stewart was in no hurry to remove a tear-off he may have needed later in the race meaning his vision would have be obscured. The second point, the way a sprint car is set up, when you accelerate from a slow speed they pull left, it's referred to steering on the throttle. Stewart obviously saw Kevin Ward far too late to avoid him, accelerating in an attempt to veer left was all he could do, sadly it wasn't enough.
How anyone can turn this around and lay blame with Tony Stewart is beyond me. The answer to one question should indicate where blame should be directed, 'which driver got out of his car and walked out onto a track with cars still circulating'? It's a tough question because the obvious answer is the young driver who can no longer defend himself but sadly the fact he lost his life doesn't make him blameless, and certainly doesn't mean blame should be directed at Tony Stewart.
A couple of points some may not be aware of. These drivers wear far more layers of tear-offs than you'll find on an F1 helmet. As the race was under caution Stewart was in no hurry to remove a tear-off he may have needed later in the race meaning his vision would have be obscured. The second point, the way a sprint car is set up, when you accelerate from a slow speed they pull left, it's referred to steering on the throttle. Stewart obviously saw Kevin Ward far too late to avoid him, accelerating in an attempt to veer left was all he could do, sadly it wasn't enough.
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Kewee - you missed my point, frankly. I was casting no aspersions on Tony Stewart as a driver, human being, etc. I was making the point that it was rather convenient for the "powers that be" to be able to shelve a thorny court-case because the victim may have brought it on himself by partaking of "evil marijuana".
