Multiple sources say Tony Stewart ran over another driver tonight

F

Flying Penguin

Active Member
Canandaigua Motorsports Park
9 minutes ago
Tonight's racing events were suspended due to an accident. Please hold off on any speculation until we have further information to share.

305 Sprint Car race. Stewart and Kevin Ward, Jr. crashed in turn 2. Reports say Ward got out of his car to confront Stewart and was run over. Ambulance took Ward to hospital. No official report on his condition. Spectators say he was in critical condition. State police came and shut down the track for the night.
 
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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nasca...igation-at-new-york-dirt-track-042049206.html
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The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff's Department is investigating an incident at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park involving NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart which occurred on Saturday evening.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. ET, a spokesman for the department said it had no comment at this time but said a news release would be prepared and available in "two to three hours."

Posts on the social media sites Facebook and Twitter, including photographs, indicate Stewart was involved in an on-track incident with driver Kevin Ward, which left Ward on the track receiving treatment for what were described as serious injuries.

According to the track, all racing activities were halted for the night following the incident and fans were asked to return home.

Canandaigua Motorsports Park is a half-mile dirt track southeast of Rochester, N.Y., and about 50 miles northwest of Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, where Stewart is scheduled to compete in Sunday's Cheez-It 355 at the Glen. In recent weeks, Stewart has returned to dirt track racing after a breaking two bones in his right leg in a wreck at a dirt track in Iowa last summer.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from Stewart's NASCAR public relations representative.

Read more here: http://thatsracinluckydog.blogspot....urce=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#storylink=cpy
 
Tony Stewart apparently hit an opposing driver who walked toward his car after the two had an altercation at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, according to a spectator at the race.

The three-time Cup champion was racing a sprint car in the Empire Super Sprints series at the half-mile dirt track in upstate New York, about an hour from Watkins Glen International, site of this weekend’s Cup race. He is scheduled to start 13th.

The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office confirmed there had been an accident and its investigators are at the scene.

Rich Willis, who was at the track, said he didn’t see exactly what happened but his sister down in Turn 1 did. He saw Stewart and Kevin Ward get into the wreck.

“People (who could see it better) said the guy got out of his car and was gesturing angrily at Tony Stewart when Tony Stewart came by during the next lap under yellow,” Willis said in a phone interview. “He approached him and evidently when he was driving by the guy standing on the track gesturing at him, he gunned his engine.

“What happened was the back end kicked out and clipped the guy and the guy flew across the track.”

The track posted on its Facebook page that the remainder of the night’s events had been canceled because of the accident.
 
According to the most recent eye-witness report, Ward was “wearing all black” and the track was not well-lit, suggesting that the violence may have been accidental.
 
Dark clothing and bad lighting... Bullshit!!!! I hope he doesn't get away with nothing just because he is Tony Stewart.
I feel for the Kevin Ward and his family. And I hope it is not true that he had passed away.
 
Hold off on speculation? Really?! Are you ******* kidding me?!?! Thats like saying Tony doesnt have an attitude! Racing is full of people who think they are better than everyone else regardless if this was an accident or not. I'm sure Tony just wanted to spray Kevin with dirt or something. But with what, 800+ horsepower?! That can get out of control quick!! **** all you scum bag punk *** ****** ******* who think you own the place.
 
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Pictures and video in this story: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m...stewart-hits-driver-reports-article-1.1898395

A dirt-track racer was killed after being struck by champion NASCAR driver Tony Stewart during an upstate New York race Saturday night, authorities said.

Kevin Ward Jr. had left his vehicle after making contact with Stewart's car and crashing, a video of the race showed. Ward walked into the path of oncoming racers and was waving his hands angrily as Stewart approached on the ensuing pass. Stewart’s No. 14 car fish-tailed and smacked into Ward in such a fashion that raised questions about whether it was intentional or whether Stewart was merely trying to avoid hitting him. Ward was pulled underneath Stewart’s car and then thrown about 50 feet down the track. Ward landed on the track and did not move.

Ontario County Sheriff's Department would not identify the driver but said he was pronounced dead on arrival on Saturday night at a hospital in Canadaigua.

Sheriff Philip Povero says the 42-year-old Stewart was “fully cooperative” as he was questioned and released. Povero says the investigation is not criminal.

Ward, a 20-year-old sprint-car driver from Port Leyden, N.Y., regularly competes on the dirt track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Officials at the track, about 25 miles southeast of Rochester, immediately halted the race.

Multiple witnesses said on social media that it appeared Stewart accelerated shortly before he struck Ward, but video footage clearly indicated that Ward was in the middle of the track, posing a danger to himself and to other drivers.

Stewart is scheduled to race in in NASCAR's event Sunday at Watkins Glen. The statement did not address whether Stewart would remain in the race, which is critical for his championship chances.
 
And he is still going to race today? Are you freaking kidding me?!?! No remorse at all for the the Ward family. If a police officer shoots a person and kills someone, they are on administrated leave for further investigation. But not Tony?!?!? I hope the Ward family takes everything thing he has. There was a light stand shining right on that spot too. I hope Nascrap has something to say about this too...
 
Watched video not smart on Wards part to run at Tonys car like that. Tony goosed the throttle it sounds like and slid into the guy,which was wreckless, he def didn't mean to hit him. Neglect on both parts. Stewart may have been trying to swerve to miss him, idk it's hard to tell but I think it's far from over.
 
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VERY FIRST THING ANY DRIVER SHOULD KNOW IS "STAY IN YOUR CAR TILL TOLD OTHERWISE BY A OFFICAL"Bet that will be hammered at us now (and rightly so)at all drivers meetings...
 
Just a few hours after telling USA TODAY Sports that Sunday would be ''business as usual,'' and Stewart would race as scheduled, the team has reversed course.

Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, announced the three-time Sprint Cup champion would not start the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen a day after striking and killing an on-foot driver in a sprint car race.

Regan Smith will start in his place.

Zipadelli, who said the team would not discuss last night's incident, said he met with Stewart this morning and "he feels strongly this is the right thing to do. We at SHR support it and agree with it. It's a difficult time for both parties. This is what we feel is right and we're supporting Tony in it."

Zipadelli originally told USA TODAY Sports that Stewart would start today and ''we're business as usual.''
 
I hope we can all learn something from this and drivers should think about what can happen when they get out of their cars to confront another driver on the track. A few years ago, we all got a good laugh when Steve Sheppard jumped on Dennis Erb, Jr,'s car at Highland but it could have been a tragedy if Erb would have hit the gas and spun the car around. We have all seen dozens of similar incidents. I think Ricky Craven had a good analysis about the situation on ESPN this morning. A lot has been said about how dark the track was but I was also wondering why those cars were moving so fast on the yellow. At least four cars drove by at a high speed before Stewart's car came by. Let's keep Kevin Ward's family in our thoughts and prayers.
 
What about the incident with Dennis Erb and Steve Shappard? Would you feel the same way if Dennis would have gunned his car and Steve would have died?
 
ALCOHOL said:
What about the incident with Dennis Erb and Steve Shappard? Would you feel the same way if Dennis would have gunned his car and Steve would have died?
Click to expand...
Yes. Stay in the car.

Gbert, sprints typically move much faster under caution to avoid stalling.
They weren't moving faster than a typical caution. No reason, that Tony or any other person should expect to see a driver on the track for that wreck. Car before Tony had to swerve as well to miss Kevin.

I ask those that are currently wanting charges against Tony, would you feel the same way if this was reversed, and Tony was killed?
95% of you would be saying, Tony's a hothead and should have stayed in his car.
 
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My sympathies for the Ward family. He was obviously angry at Tony regardless of fault or no. Emotions run hot and we do things we normally wouldn't and in this case it had a tragic end. I would say hopefully we all learn something from this but even if rule changes happen there are sure to be instances in the future because of how passionate drivers and fans are in this sport about their cars and their drivers.
 
obviously this is a tragic situation, but I dont think it was Stewarts fault. I have never driven a sprint car but I hear they arent great to drive under caution, and I would think the wing hanging down on the right side would limit some vision.

I dont think the whole 'staying in your car' is a big deal here either. i think the track crews need to get there faster and need to stop people from going after other cars / drivers under caution. I have seen just this year COUNTLESS times that officials let drivers walk right by them and go after other cars. It is no better in the pit area. 9 out of 10 times when you see something happen on the track you know if there is going to be problems in the pits.
 
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