Driver killed on track

[Mezzer]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/10/justice/tony-stewart-hits-driver/index.html?c=homepage-t

Unfortunately this was only a matter of time. Over this side of the pond there is a penchant for you-done-me-wrong grandstanding on track and unfortunately it cost this driver his life. While I sympathize with the driver's family I struggle to think of the driver as anything other than a fool. Motorsport is inherently dangerous, running out on the circuit is hardly the cleverest of options, no matter how much it riles up the spectators.

 

[siffert_fan]

Mezzer,

I have to agree 100% with everything you said.

Add to that the fact that winged sprint cars have probably the worst visibility of any race car and that they steer more with the throttle than with the wheel, and it was even more inevitable.

I frequently wonder how much the organizers encourage such actions.

 

[KekeTheKing]

I frequently wonder how much the organizers encourage such actions.

Not at all is the answer. Not at all.

Really a shame for this kid. Emotions got the best of him. Hard to tell exactly what happens on the only video angle I've seen, but obviously he should have never put himself in that position. And I'm sure that putting on a "show" for the fans never entered his mind.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Tragic as this was it is pure stupidity that got the driver killed. You wouldn't run into a motorway with cars doing 70mph so why on earth would you think it is acceptable to do so on a race track with limited visibility. Out of all the motorsport related deaths this must be one of the most needless.

 

[Mephistopheles]

What a dick head a prime candidate for the Darwin Award...

 

[Lewywo4]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/10/justice/tony-stewart-hits-driver/index.html?c=homepage-t

Unfortunately this was only a matter of time. Over this side of the pond there is a penchant for you-done-me-wrong grandstanding on track and unfortunately it cost this driver his life..

Tony Stewart reigns supreme with those types of grandstanding antics, and unfortunately 20 year old Kevin Ward Jr. paid with his life trying to copy.......Smoke.

 

[siffert_fan]

Keke,

Since this rubbish has been going on for years and the organizers have never actively DIScouraged it via suspensions, I'm not sure you can say that they haven't actually been encouraging it.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I just can't see the logic of getting out of a car and shaking your fist at someone in a car coming towards you at a rate of knots there was only ever going to be one loser.

Do they have a slit your own throat and dive into a pool full of great white sharks competition in America.

 

[Josh]

It was stupid to walk on track (but strangely not unheard of in America) but there are multiple people, including a Sprint Car driver, that are saying Stewart hit the throttle when he was coming up on the guy

 

[Mephistopheles]

He may have done Josh but didn't someone say earlier that the throttle is used in part to steer the car so he could have been trying to avoid him by hitting the throttle I doubt very much he was actually trying to kill him...

 

[Josh]

Well that's what another driver said and there's only 1 car I can hear hitting the throttle in the video I saw

 

[Lewywo4]

There is an on-going police investigation refgarding this incident, which is very rare.....I can't remember when this has occurred before regarding an auto race.

 

[Lewywo4]

Stewart's past agressive post race actions may just come back to haunt him.

 

[soccerman17]

Anger, fighting and on-track feuds have been a part of American Auto Racing throughout its history, especially dirt track racing and stock cars. This is probably due to the sport's roots here being in Moonshine bootleggers from the deep South compared to European racing, which started with rich aristocrats if I'm correct. Young racers grew up watching it and that's how they learned to act on the racetrack, and the "tradition" of settling issues yourself has lived on ever since, although it seems to fading a bit in NASCAR. As for anybody wondering, NASCAR basically promoted this type of behavior by not really having a rulebook when it comes to on track behavior and never giving penalties for aggressive driving. NASCAR themselves promoted the sport by describing their drivers attitudes as "Have at it, boys." As for Tony's aggressive post race actions, they are pretty mellow compared to some drivers such as Brad Keselowski and the Busch Brothers. They are especially mild compared to some of the drivers of old such as Dale Earnhardt Sr., Cale Yarborough, and Bobby and Davey Allison.

There is absolutely no way Tony Stewart purposely hit this other driver. He has really mellowed out, and would not purposely injure anybody over what is essentially an exhibition just-for-fun driver for him.

 

[Mephistopheles]

But the other cars were not going to hit him so they wouldn't need to hit the throttle and someone waving their arms and shouting after a race does not make them a murderer I would hate to have to listen or read a trial by internet forum or the press, the bloke got out of his car and walked into the middle of a live track what did he think was going to happen? He's not Desperate Dan he can't stop a train with his chin...

 

[soccerman17]

Maybe somebody slowed down to avoid him and then sped up? Or he was trying to use throttle to help turn. Anyways no charges pending, no evidence of any criminal acts.

 

[Lewywo4]

Do those cars carry on-board cameras? If they do possibly able to answer some questions.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I actually have some sympathy for Tony Stewart, through no fault of his own he was involved in another mans death and that is not going to be easy to live with..

 

[cider_and_toast]

It's the first time I've seen that Helmet chucking vid. Blimey, I'd have banned the bloke for years if I was able to make those decisions. What a numpty.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Maybe it is not him who is the numpty maybe it is the people who run the sport that are numpty's can you imagine what the FIA would do to a driver who chucked his helmet onto the track? I know we moan about the FIA but at least they do police the sport for safety reasons the American organizers whoever they are don't seem to give a shit.

Do you remember that F1 race at Indy in 2005 the spectators were throwing cans and beer bottles onto the track at the end of the oval straight in protest and nobody did a thing about it...