Tony Stewart hits and kills driver

It was really awful. Looked to me like he goosed it going by, maybe to kick up a little mud at the guy or something, and got loose right into him. I don't think he intentionally hit the guy, but I think he should be put away for it.

Today, I walk into work and strike up a conversation with a guy that LOVES nascar and his driver is/was Mr. Stewart.. He immediately started in on how it was an accident and you could tell that by the video it was unintentional.

It's amazing how your likes/dislikes mold your perception around something. He was absolutely convinced that he was trying to avoid the other dude and slid into him.

I think the video clearly shows that Mr. Stewart tried to "fake" the dude out by coming at him and got a little too close and the dude got pulled under the wheel, completely the opposite to what my coworker thinks.

What a bummer, i watched that vid about 5 times, the track was dark as hell, Kevin Ward was dressed completely in black, it looked to me like the car in front of stewart (that almost hit Ward), could have easily blocked Stewart's view, also, as an old motocrosser, i know that dirt track racing is a very slippery business, acceleration steers more than anything else, stewart could have been caught in a racers quandary, if you decelerate you plow straight forward no matter how hard you turn the wheel which would have certainly killed ward, it seems stewart reacted by gassing the car to avoid him, which is a completely logical reaction, but that decision ultimately whipped the rear right into the kid, but ultimately this is a darwinistic suicide on Wards part, it's sad that he was such a dumbass hot head 20 year old, like most 20 year olds, but come on, you could hardly make a worse decision than playing chicken with 3,000lb race cars in a "snot on ice" traction situation!

to be fair, Stewart has a history as a hot head as well.
it'd be interesting to see what Shannon has to say about this, he was a pro motocrosser and really understands the physics of traction on dirt.

Everybody talks about Tonys temper, everybody on every race track has that temper, it's what you want in a driver.
Having met Tony, I m sure he did something stupid, but as our own Tony said Dirt track at night pretty stupid getting out of your car.

Didn't the caution flag come out immediately following the accident?

apparently there is a second video, that would be interesting to see.

I'm betting it hurts his soul. I think people are pretty friggin callous, i feel sorry for Stewart, killing another human being isn't easy for anyone but the lowest of the low.

Tony,
I don't think he killed him, I think Tony being Tony being Tony, he did something he shouldn't have done and if the Kid wasn't so stupid, and he wasn't so stupid the kid might be alive.
Nothing criminal, just stupid. And Smoke has to live with it.
Tony has had a pretty good life, and now he has to live with this.
Growing up on the WI dirt tracks ( Dick Trickle & Dave Marcus were both clients of my dad's and I remember Dave's mom worked the desk at the Hospital my mom worked at) I know that everybody knows some body could get killed at any moment. The rule is always "don't be stupid" and everybody will do something stupid! It's the way it is.

First off all our prayers and thoughts to family and friends. Only with skimming the thread easy on me for the details, Tony mentioned many points that are true, prob all of them are. From racer view. I held a PRO-MOTOCROSS License for over 10 yrs or a costly licencse to get my ass kicked at that level lol.  In 1992 I was AMA Amateur National Champ... AMA Rookie..BLAH BLAH..

The point is that when i returned racing then later forced pro i felt i  had a X on me. Everyone would got to great lengths to beat me, I never never raced with the Number 1 plate on my bike after seeing what happend no way.  At the first few races returning before being forced pro  i felt only like it woud  make me more of a target. Well i seen people that i knew well simply ride over there head, try to triple instead of double and come short. One person which i practiced with, honestly shoved me out of the holeshot and ended up in the woods ( not me him ) it was supposed to be me. I am no way saying that the kid did something intentional.

A racer is a racer, no matter what is. Your brain is programmed different than most our wrist twist and / or foot goes down and really go blank to tunnel vision. just like any us or even me. Getting up in the ranks, then shooting to be in the position of a pro one day or being a local pro.. WOW GUESS WHO IS IN THE SIGN UP LINE....... Well the gate drops filled with determination, we push ourselves to the edge making jumps, taking out side lines. well you get the ideal

At every drop of the gate,  my head down saying my prayers to have a safe race. I been a berm a landing pad center punched. It racing and have to face it.  We taught not to pass at times flag not allowing,  not to walk in front of a triple or get in the way. I think he got clouded and upset and simply forgot of his surroundings after pushing the outside line to hard and being pissed at himself. I am know way sure, but I know i have done similar things. Tony S was in the wrong place at that time and doing something he loves.

It saddening and beyond words racers do what we love to do go fast as hell at all costs and win and sometimes try not to think of the worst so that fear is not a factor, no matter it gets us all at some point at some amount of broken bones and injuries and always pray to walk away.  We as racers know this in a deep dark place, but it never seems to stop us from doing it. 

I was there at this race. A lot of people saw a young kid trying to get his 2 minutes of fame pulling a "Tony Stewart" on Tony, and Tony making a HUGE judgement error in even "engaging". It doesn't surprise me that Tony is laying low.

A grand jury will not indict Stewart, and Ward was under the influence of Marijuana at the time of death. Wow! Smoking and racing!