Driver Hurt, Tony Stewart Involved

[scottgarrity07]

I am going to say this... I have a friend who told me on FB today that he frequents this track and that it is very poorly lit especially in turn 1 and 2

Sorry Jerry. I've never been to Canandaigua, just was going off the third hand information above. (Closest dirt track I visited up there was Lebanon Valley Speedway and that place had the best food of any track, anywhere! But I digress...) But by the rest of your post I think you know what I was getting at.

On a different note, one thing our sport has an obligation to do is that when a tragedy such as this occurs we need to take a hard look at what we are doing and try to make positive changes to lessen the danger, without overreacting.

I think there is a solution to this that is very simple. Whenever a flagman sees that a driver is out of his or her racecar without safety or security personnel around them, then immediately throw the red flag and turn on the red lights (if the track is so equipped). This almost virtually eliminates the possibility of a tragedy like this from ever occuring again.

[Frasson118]

I choose not to watch someone die before my eyes. In 1971 I witnessed a horrible racing accident in which 4 people died. There was no video, or even any pictures that I'm aware of. 43 years later, I can still vividly replay that event in my head. I'm thankful that no painful reminders even exist.

I wont, willingly, watch someone die before my eyes. Its a morbid concept that I don't understand the fascination about.

Apparently, the video is inconclusive as there are several opinions of what you all are seeing. The only FACT everyone is getting from this, is that Ward did not survive it. I don't need to SEE it to understand that it happened. Everything else is opinion & speculation.

And since I didn't watch it, apparently I shouldn't chime in either, as to something that may, or may not, have anything to contribute to the tragedy.

[JC26]

I think there is a solution to this that is very simple. Whenever a flagman sees that a driver is out of his or her racecar without safety or security personnel around them, then immediately throw the red flag and turn on the red lights (if the track is so equipped). This almost virtually eliminates the possibility of a tragedy like this from ever occuring again.

The problem with that is the show is then immensely slowed down. Imagine a big SLM race, such as the Wescott Memorial. We all know with a purse that big, tempers will be short and there will be a lot of cars torn up and a lot of people being frustrated. Fans won't want to have a show drag out forever because they are continuously throwing the red flag with people getting out of their cars.

Its our job as drivers to police what we do and act responsible and like ADULTS. The track should just enforce what we should all already have set forth in the General rules. They just need to be more consistent and swift with punishments.

[Frasson118]

Scott. .... I can appreciate what you're saying, as that would help prevent a driver from getting hit.

But, then the responsibility falls on the flagman rather than the driver himself. There should be MAJOR penalties to a driver that gets out of his car, and suspended for a while if they make any moves towards another competitor.

Drivers have to be responsible for their own actions, not an official.

[OldSchool+]

"I think there is a solution to this that is very simple. Whenever a flagman sees that a driver is out of his or her racecar without safety or security personnel around them, then immediately throw the red flag and turn on the red lights (if the track is so equipped). This almost virtually eliminates the possibility of a tragedy like this from ever occuring again."--S Garrity

Great idea sir. It should take care of 90% of these situations and leave the guy out of his car standing there alone.

The other 10%...we have all seen angry drivers circling the track under red, looking for someone somehow to "pay" (most recently in Aub.).

[OldSchool+]

"Drivers have to be responsible for their own actions, not an official."--Frasson

Also 100% valid. The red would avoid making a bad deal worse though.

Your statement also applies to both parties in this case.

[egspeedway]

Scott. .... I can appreciate what you're saying, as that would help prevent a driver from getting hit.

But, then the responsibility falls on the flagman rather than the driver himself. There should be MAJOR penalties to a driver that gets out of his car, and suspended for a while if they make any moves towards another competitor.

Drivers have to be responsible for their own actions, not an official.

I completely agree with Frasson on this issue. While the red flag sounds good in theory to often the incident already involves individuals who have chosen to ignore the rules already in place. Unfortunately rules cannot be made that will control people caught up in the "heat of the moment". If there were we could reduce our prisons by one third.

[scottgarrity07]

Scott. .... I can appreciate what you're saying, as that would help prevent a driver from getting hit.

But, then the responsibility falls on the flagman rather than the driver himself. There should be MAJOR penalties to a driver that gets out of his car, and suspended for a while if they make any moves towards another competitor.

Drivers have to be responsible for their own actions, not an official.

I'm not saying that it all should fall on the flagman. Couple this with an automatic 3 race suspension if you exit your vehicle on the racetrack before safety or security personnel arrive (which obviously doesnt apply if your car is on fire or some other safety reason exists to warrant exiting the vehicle). That should make it a once in a blue moon event. If however someone ignores this rule and jumps out looking to confront someone, throw the red and diffuse the situation. Taking the precaution to try and keep someone from getting seriously injured or killed should take precedence over "keeping the show moving". Like I said, making the penalty stiff enough should make this a rare event. We have condoned this type of behavior for far too long and something like this was inevitable. I too am guilty of having done this some years back. I also saw a Late Model driver at Thompson Speedway go over to the window of someone who he had wrecked with and try and grab him. The guy tried to drive away. The guy held onto the car as he sped up to near full speed eventually ejecting the guy from the car by slamming on the brakes and sending him tumbling. Miraculously he wasn't hurt, but we need to end this nonsense. We don't need this kind of drama. It needlessly risks lives. Racing is not the WWE and good racing alone should be entertaining enough.

[OldSchool+]

Just FYI...Many years ago I had a '67 Corvette.

About 4" from the back of the door to the rear tire. Wide tires, dead battery, stick shift--and alcohol was involved.

The thing would not start one night and I decided to push it myself, jump in, pop the clutch, and go.

It worked, but not before I ran over my own heel and achilles tendon.

Could not walk for a week, and I was a young guy then.

Point being, any altercation with a car will be a serious one, gentlemen--it ain't worth it.

It is easy to lose perspective when angry, but if you get an idea in your head when you are calm and repeat it, it helps somewhat.

[zerofor]

I have not seen the video

Nor at this point do I think I want to.So I will say this and leave it up to those of you who have seen it.From my understanding,the yellow had came out after the wreck.And the Ward boys car had came to a stop close to the outside rail/wall correct?So in the entire trip around the track afterward Stewart decided instead of keeping his car low on the track out of the way of track safety workers etc. that he would buzz around the track up in a higher groove to what rubberneck and get a better look at the accident?Has he went into the racecar repair business lately and hands out business cards in the pits?It sounds like to me he's guilty of having shit for brains at the least.It sounds like a huge civil lawsuit ahead even if no criminal charges stem from it.I just hope it doesnt close a racetrack because of an incident they had no control over.

[OldSchool+]

Zero,

Very plausible except:

>The upset Mr. Ward probably would have just walked down to wherever Tony was on the track.

>The car ahead of Tony's was also close to Kevin, indicating that was kind of where the "line" under caution was.

Regarding the content of Tony's brains:

Like most of us, they are fine except when he is upset. Time will tell...

[al_tere_go_05]

Tony really didn't have any reason to be mad at the other driver nor did he have any reason to believe that the other driver was going to get out of his car and come after him. Kevin ward was wearing a black driving suit, the track surface is dark colored, I've never driven a sprint car before but it looks like the right front corner of the wing hangs low enough on some of the cars to have a blind spot. Maybe because of all that and the angle at which Kevin was approaching him Tony Never even saw him until the last second and hit the throttle as an attempt to kick the car away from Kevin but it was already too and clipped him with the right rear tire.

[pkirky33]

Trust me, he as well as most good drivers know when the run someone out of real estate. Not that it doesn't happen all the time. Just curious, does anyone know if Tony ran down to check on him? I know I would have if I hit someone. Then he puts out a statement he is going to race the next day? Changes his mind after he slept on it! SLEPT ON IT! Really! Screw him for many reasons.

[Jimmy McKinley]

There is a slowed-down, zoomed-in version of one of the videos.

It clearly shows that Tony was trying to avoid hitting Ward, as Tony's car is turned down *away* from the direction of him. The kid kept running at Tony's car; jumps up on the nerf bar, hangs on the wing, and falls off between the nerf bar and the right-rear. The car in front of Tony was also clearly trying to avoid hitting Ward. He turned down so quick that Tony probably didn't even realize that someone was ON the race track, until he jumped up on Tony's car.

Dwight Carter posted this view from the cockpit of his winged dirt Sprint car.

"Mind you, this is what your field of view is looking out the helmet. You can only turn your head left and right slightly because of the HANS Device. Maybe 3-4 degrees at most. So what's beside you at the right front down tube is by you in 1 100th of a second at 40-45 mph idling under caution."

[egspeedway]

There is a slowed-down, zoomed-in version of one of the videos.

It clearly shows that Tony was trying to avoid hitting Ward, as Tony's car is turned down *away* from the direction of him. The kid kept running at Tony's car; jumps up on the nerf bar, hangs on the wing, and falls off between the nerf bar and the right-rear. The car in front of Tony was also clearly trying to avoid hitting Ward. He turned down so quick that Tony probably didn't even realize that someone was ON the race track, until he jumped up on Tony's car.

Dwight Carter posted this view from the cockpit of his winged dirt Sprint car.

"Mind you, this is what your field of view is looking out the helmet. You can only turn your head left and right slightly because of the HANS Device. Maybe 3-4 degrees at most. So what's beside you at the right front down tube is by you in 1 100th of a second at 40-45 mph idling under caution."

Assuming this is an accurate portrayal of the video then I would hope this puts an end to all of the bashing of our sport and Tony. It clearly places the blame on the unfortunate young man.