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NASCAR racer Tony Stewart while racing on a dirt track in NY hits another driver who was not happy with Tony. Victim driver WALK onto a RACE track (as if that's a good idea), points angrily at Stewart...and Stewart accidentally hits him. Now I feel badly for both parties. Stewart obviously didn't mean to kill this kid, but what kind of fool walks into the middle of a race track? Come on. Not good.
I've read conflicting reports about the deceased drivers' age - 17-20, anyone?
I've seen drivers do this kind of crap before but this isn't something you do on a dirt track where the cars are sliding around the corners.
I've watched the video a couple of times and this was simply a matter of ego getting in the way of common sense. Sorry this kid is dead but he did it to himself. Rules in racing are cut and dry for a reason. If the car is not on fire or leaking fluids you stay in the car until the safety crew arrives. It's the safest place to be.
If you have to leave the car you get off the track as fast as possible.
I feel sorry for the kid's family, but I have a hard time feeling sorry for the kid. This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. Sorry if that sounds harsh.
This article is pretty well written. Some of the others out there sensationalized the story by neglecting to include the fact that the sheriff isn't treating it as a criminal investigation, and leading with the quote from a member of Stewart's that today's NASCAR race will be "business as usual." An unfortunate choice of words, but I hardly think the Stewart team isn't shaken up by this.
I'm not sure where the 17-year-old business is coming from, every article I've seen says the kid was 20. Even this article says he was 20 in the text, and the timeline of his racing career supports that.
Sounds like Stewart was behind a car that veered to avoid Ward and Stewart really never got a chance to see he was on the track. That and he was wearing a black racing suit and black helmet on a dimly lit track didn't help.
Sounds like the kid wanted to sensationalize his driving career. What better way to do it than be on the news. "Today a young up and coming driver chose off a NASCAR great on a dirt race track." Or "Today Tony Stewart picked on a young new driver" stay tuned for ABC news at 8
I don't care how mad you are if a car is doing 60 on a dirt track you font run out to meet it head on
Other sites people are commenting who watched it at 1/4 speed and Stewart hit gas and his backend slide out and hit the man, I'm not saying he tried to hit the man, but he seems to have caused his car to hit the man if that's true. Others and maybe even some lawyers were commenting on how this could and should be looked at in at least a manslaughter light...just thoughts. I can't believe he's racing today?!?!?
Hard to blame him for hitting the gas.. I mean, he might have thought that the guy was going to try to jump in the car. Why would he think that? He did the same thing to Kenny Irwin years ago.. Martinsville, I think.. Pretty much jumped in the moving car and started punching him.
Long and short.. The guy shouldn't have been on the track.
I remember Daytona a number of years ago.. A member of the rescue crew was in the infield and was hit by a car from the track. That guy at least had business on the track (and wasn't even on the track, was in the infield)
At worst.. The very worst.. This would be negligence resulting in death. Which may be the definition of manslaughter in NY.. Guaranteed that he's getting sued by the family.
Tony can easily argue he never saw the kid due to the car in front of him and the kid is responsible for his own actions, its not like Tony sideswiped the kid as he was sitting on the pit wall.
He's not racing.. Regan Smith will replace him at the Glen today.
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