Tony Stewart Kills yound sprint car driver

[Fosgate]

Spins a guy out and then runs him over on the return....let the speculations fly
http://www.conservativeoutfitters.com/blogs/news/15074877-video-nascars-tony-stewart-kills-20-year-old-sprint-car-driver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxoX-A3yQJ0

raw video (graphic)

[DoubleDD]

Pedestrian in dark clothing out of the vehicle on a dimly lit race track at speeds over 30 MPH is a disaster waiting to happen. Point of perception, if perceived at all because of the vehicle in front of him (Stewart), and possible reaction time after that perceived object (pedestrian) all factor into the equation of the crash. Sure Stewart spun him out but the death falls on the decedent.

[gigabyte056]

Watched it earlier, I don't want to presume but it does seem like he had enough time to swerve out of the way.

But then again in racing I am assuming the eyes of the driver are pointed on the road ahead and not looking for people on the track.

[Laynard]

It's truly unfortunate. I understand emotions are running high, but to get out of your car and walk into the middle of the track to make a point is not a good decision. I feel bad for all parties involved.

[MIKA27]

It's truly unfortunate. I understand emotions are running high, but to get out of your car and walk into the middle of the track to make a point is not a good decision. I feel bad for all parties involved.

The video shown is but one angle, it is a tragedy for sure that a life is lost, but anyone in motor sport walking out in the middle of a race AND near a turn is asking for trouble. What was the guy thinking!?

[egoo33]

Don't follow motor sports aside from watching the Le Mans a few hours a year when it's on but Stewart has a history of being a hot head Deadspin has an article showcasing his outbursts

[PapaDisco]

The death of Sportsmanship in just about everything has made it acceptable to express a little road rage on the track, cuss out the line judge on the court, take a dive in soccer, punch your opponents teeth out in hockey (more of a tradition this one), and of course flaunt every scored point in any sport from basketball to football to boxing. Being "Bad As I Wanna Be" all seems pretty harmless until something like this, or until soccer hooligans start trampling spectators.

I kind of miss the days of traditional whites in tennis, and even minor infractions of etiquette getting a football player tossed out of the league rather than a fine and small suspension. Guys with bad behavior like Stewart should never have made it this far in the sport. Likewise a guy getting out of his car to cuss out another driver should be permanently banned; but the fact that all of this has become acceptable inevitably leads to something like this.

[brutusthebuckeye]

I'm not saying he did it on purpose but they were reporting he was going to race today.

I bet that prick wanted to run but nascar stepped in and told him to sit it out.

[TheLiquidGator]

What does this have to do with cigars?

[Habana Mike]

What does this have to do with cigars?

It's the Water Hole:

Talk about whatever you like....the water hole is where we gather.

[Ken Gargett]

truly a stupid stupid thing to do - get out and walk into the track. tragic result, not unexpected.

that said, curious that of all the cars whizzing around that track, it is the bloke with whom he had the beef who 'accidently' hits him. hell of a coincidence.

[Habana Mike]

truly a stupid stupid thing to do - get out and walk into the track. tragic result, not unexpected.

that said, curious that of all the cars whizzing around that track, it is the bloke with whom he had the beef who 'accidently' hits him. hell of a coincidence.

Yep, hell of a coincidence......shame for the lad and his family.

[soutso]

Brainsnap from both the driver and the victim

[Smalls]

As dangerous as it is, it isn't all that uncommon for angry drivers to get out of their cars on the track. It also isn't that uncommon for a little intentional bumping while racing.

I know the video isn't all that clear, and I am certainly not accusing Stewart of anything with what I have seen. It just appears to me that Stewart's car swerved towards the driver in the video.

Of course, that could be for a lot of reasons. There might have been an obstruction or something. I also may be misinterpreting what I am seeing. I just think the incident needs to be investigated... If nothing else to help make the track safer for everyone.

And obviously, if he had just stayed in is car it wouldn't have happened.

[Laynard]

And at those speeds, at night, on a dirt track, coming out of a turn...I for one doubt Smoke would have been aiming for the kid. I just don't think he had time to avoid it.

[pbibby]

As dangerous as it is, it isn't all that uncommon for angry drivers to get out of their cars on the track.

This right here is why I am struggling to have sympathy (certainly it is tragic). If it is not uncommon, then we shouldn't really be shocked.

[MrGTO]

It's a race track! Stay in your car buckled in until help comes unless your car is on fire! Dumb move by a rookie driver... You sign a waiver for a reason when you race on a RACE track...

In the drivers safety meeting BEFORE the race that is discussed! I've raced cars & motorcycles and it's standard protocol to stay put especially on a short track!

Anybody claiming Stewart did it on purpose because he is a "hot head" is ignorant.

[MIKA27]

I know the video isn't all that clear, and I am certainly not accusing Stewart of anything with what I have seen. It just appears to me that Stewart's car swerved towards the driver in the video.

And obviously, if he had just stayed in is car it wouldn't have happened.

Prior to the hit, all cars are turning left into the corner.

Like any corner, when heading into a straight at high speed, some drivers need to make minor corrections and perhaps that is the situation as to me, it looked like he was losing the rear end a little (Too much over steer) and he was trying to correct his turn...?

[dubleuhb]

I would have a hard time believing Stewart hit him on purpose. Right before he (Stewarts car) comes into view another passes the by. Being these are fairly short tracks and coming off a corner that car may have blocked Stewarts view of the track and the guy standing and worst yet moving toward the car.. Also nobody is expecting to see a person on the track during a race.

Another thing to think of these type cars are pretty much in a controlled slide all the way around the track, big horsepower and low weight on a dirt track rutted up can be at times a bit unpredictable.

This happened fairly close to me and I have been to the track before, the local news has already beat it to death. By watching the interviews with the local investigators I get the impression they are trying to find a reason to charge him, kinda sad.

[Patric M]

I really thin if you get out of your car and walk on the track your asking for it. It doesn't seem to me like it was deliberate. Tony has way to much to lose for running some nobody over.

[Smalls]

For the record, I would also have a hard time believing he did it on purpose. If anything, I think it would be more plausible that he saw the driver coming at him angrily and tried to brush him back and miscalculated.

Again, that is a worst case type scenario. At the moment, I think it was a tragic accident myself. I do think they should figure out why the card made the sudden movement to the right, however.

[Ken Gargett]

I really thin if you get out of your car and walk on the track your asking for it. It doesn't seem to me like it was deliberate. Tony has way to much to lose for running some nobody over.

not sure i agree that you are 'asking for it' but i think i know what you mean. a really stupid act that is likely to end badly.

but, sadly, jails are full of people 'who have way too much to lose'.

ditto re the post before. "I would have a hard time believing Stewart hit him on purpose." fair enough, but the problem is that all it takes is a momentary act of idiocy (and i suspect most of us are all too capable of it) or a fractional loss of control. if this guy had his time over, or had time to think of the consequences, sure. but in that instant? who hasn't done a dumb thing they've immediately regretted.

how many times have we seen it on a sporting field where someone does something really dumb. then clubs/family/players/friends etc, all describe it as completely out of character. may be. but that is all it takes. and this is most certainly not limited to the sporting field. happens all the time.

too much to lose? with no disrespect to this sport, compare it to the recent soccer world cup - squillions of viewers the world across. and suarez, who everyone says is a gentle nice bloke off the field, has his brainsnap and bites a bloke. puts the 'too much to lose' argument in a perspective.

i know nothing about the 'accused' but i see elsewhere he is described as a hothead. so there is some basis for concern.

i see lots of people here and elsewhere putting forward excuses. BUT every other driver didn't need those excuses. it is just such a monumental coincidence that of all the cars whizzing around, it was this bloke who hit him. that sends up huge red flags for me.

and if, as someone suggests, the local authorities are looking for reasons to charge him, then there is a strong possibility that they believe him culpable. may be hard to get past a jury but that is for way down the track.

his immediate response, or that of his team (and no way would he not have been part of this decision) that he would race today suggests an utter lack of remorse or regret. mindbogglingly stupid. he should have been full of regret, devastated this has happened, standing down for this race as a mark of respect, anything i can do, next prize money goes to the family etc etc. nope. bugger it, i'm racing tomorrow. whether he did it or not, he is no einstein.

if these two turn out to have any past history, i think he might be in some serious strife.

[johndalton44]

There is a huge assumption of risk for a driver on the track. In the video you can see how heated he is. He is pointing out Stewarts car as Stewart nears. The younger driver makes a deeper move onto the track as if to be in line with where he expects Stewart to be on the turn and then even looks like he tries to reach out and smack Stewarts car as it goes by. A monumental tragedy for all involved. And Stewart's record at that track is now a paralyzed 19yo and a deceased 20yo; he's not a stand up guy, but I seriously doubt he intentionally ran over the younger driver in this case. IMO, Stewart looks to be pulling away from him and with the younger driver reaching out, gets caught in the back flap, pulled under and dragged.

I don't think even Tony Stewart wants killing a 20yo kid on his conscience. Once out on the track that younger driver put himself in the way of Tony Stewart's car in a manner that he did not with any other drivers on the track.

[mash]

This was a tragedy, but deaths in auto racing are common. This would not have gotten very much if any press if Tony Stewart hadn't been involved. There is absolutely no way that Tony Stewart hit this kid on purpose. He is a hothead, but you don't get to the top echelon of NASCAR unless you temper aggression with some self control. He had way too much to lose to intentionally hit a kid at a nothing sprint car race. What that kid did was maybe understandible in the heat of the moment but incredibly stupid.

Being an owner/driver, Tony Stewart is free to do as he chooses, and race outside of Sprint Cup, which seems like an awful decision. He ruined his season last year after breaking his leg at one of these events, and now this. Considering the number of people (employees and sponsors especially) that depend on him to race, doing what he does is selfish and dumb.

As for not racing in Sprint Cup yesterday, I bet he never considered it. He wouldn't have been able to concentrate. There would have been a huge amount of pressure to do it, from his sponsors in particular.

[ptrthgr8]

Being a hothead =! being a murderer. The kids got too close to Stewart's car. Reports from the track indicate that Stewart revved the engine as he hit the kid - which almost certainly means he was trying to avoid the guy. These sprint cars are designed to turn left and they do so generally by getting on the throttle. The tire stagger alone is enough to make the car turn more left than anything else, but when Stewart gooses the throttle you can be pretty assured that it's indicative of an evasive maneuver. These aren't Formula 1 cars, eh?

I think this whole mess rests squarely upon the shoulders of the young driver who is now deceased. He never should have gotten out of his car and he most certainly shouldn't have been careless enough to move down the track in an effort to get even closer to Stewart's car. It was a costly decision, but it was his - not Stewart's.