These days, I'm a half-hearted NASCAR fan but I have never liked hot-headed drivers. They are a danger to everyone on the track (including themselves). At one time, Tony Stewart was one of the worst but he mellowed over time.
As someone who is at best indifferent about Stewart, I agree with your analysis. A professional driver is likely to try to avoid an immediate collision by throttle steering the car. I don't like to blame the dead guy but I think that he was far more in the wrong than Stewart.