Posted on 08/10/2014 5:04:09 AM PDT by CaptainK
NASCAR star Tony Stewart hit and killed another driver who was walking on the track in a sprint car race on Saturday night.
The other driver, Kevin Ward Jr., had collided with Stewart on the previous lap, leaving Ward’s car with a flat tire and pushed into the wall. As officials threw a caution, Ward left his car and began walking down the track — gesturing angrily toward Stewart — before being clipped and dragged 50 feet by Stewart’s car.
Several spectators told Bob Pockrass of The Sporting News that Stewart appeared to throttle his car before colliding with Ward.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
he wasn’t just in the middle of the track, he was going after Stewart’s car....it looks like they were playing a game of chicken and the guy lost...
It’s obviously Obama’s fault.
I like Tony but IF there was INTENT in his mind when he hit this kid I don’t like Tony.
This video does not immediately show me anything conclusive. Experts might find something.
Notwithstanding all other considerations, the kid f’d up big time by walking out on that LIVE racetrack.
Tony better watch out for individuals vids that might show something.
He also better watch out for this guys friends and relatives.
Frankly, I don’t see how he can continue in the sport IF He is ultimately found responsible. In that case, he better buck up for prison time.
I agree with your assessment
Stewarts car veered right after he hit the guy...those cars are not very heavy and any bump on a slick dirt track will change the angle of the car...
It looked like he tried to swing away from the guy.
Accusations aren’t cheap either (speaking from a insurance claims adjuster perspective.) Insurance companies usually don’t have the stomach to pay for accusations inside the court room with the professional actors (lawyers) and amateur actors (victims, perps and witnesses)affecting the outcome a great deal. The insurance company board members and stockholders tend to prefer the court house steps as the preferred venue for settlement checks to be issued and not have the responsibility of deciding fault and wealth redistribution left to a jury of ones peers (example-this thread). When there is this much money and notoriety involved very unlikely to see jail, maybe manslaughter charge or reckless endangerment and an enormous wrongful death settlement payment to victim’s survivors ,maybe with details sealed by court. My husband is a fan but has noticed a particular leftward drift of NASCAR, Inc. very like professional football with punitive measures for the deepest pockets at any and every opportunity. In my opinion, if safety were the real issue that EVERYONE cared about then (all) gladiators would not enter (any)coliseum. There is no helmet (and armor) safe enough to stop a brain from pinging around hard enough when “throttled” inside a skull to stop destruction to the little grey cells unless of course you are a woodpecker.
“The speculation Stewart intentionally murdered the guy is nuts.”
I don’t think he intended to hit the guy, maybe just intimidate him.
The fact that he throttled the engine just as the incident happened sure doesn’t look good.
If he turns the wheels to the left, the car spins and hits him for sure.... if he turns them to the right and burps the gas as he did, possibly it spins the opposite direction away from Kevin. It looked to me that is what happened, he made the only evasive move possible, after the front wheels passed Kevin, you could see the wheels twitch to the right.I know its hard to understand, but these cars drive opposite from what you think. When racing at speed, they go around the corner sideways with the front tires turned all the way to the right, but the front tires are not really directing where the whole car goes, just stabilizing the front end... the driver is controlling where the car is on the track with the throttle, the right rear tire is bigger than the left rear and if the car is going around the corner and your not turning sharp enough and headed for the wall, you keep those wheels turned to the right and you hammer the gas pedal... When riding around at the slower speeds under caution it is much harder to aggressively turn the car to avoid anything...
Those cars weigh almost nothing — the jerking to the right is from the impact.
ESPN reporting ts deciding not to race today in light of incident. I got a feeling NASCAR had something to do with that decision.
Right before contact did it look to you like he attempted to jump out of the way?
Authorities are requesting that people who videoed the incident to turn them in. Perhaps from another angle it will appear clearer.
Exactly. Remind me not to ride with some of the “experts” on this thread who don’t understand the basic physics of driving. You turn into the slide. If you stop the video at right before impact, his wheels are turned right in an effort to bring the back end LEFT and away from the idiot standing on the track.
He made the correct move end of story. These tracks are a continuous slide trying to keep the backend from going right. The only chance he had in a slide to avoid hitting him was to steer right and gun it. Unfortunately, it was too late.
stewart gunned his engine just as he hit the guy, that sure doesn’t look good.
Smart move, whoever made the decision.
Judging by this thread, there are plenty of people who have already convicted Stewart of murder and are ready to string him up, without knowing all the facts.
There's always a chance that someone like that would try to be the executioner on the track today.
see my post # 115.
Stewart was rounding the track on a caution (yellow) flag at reduced speed when he hit the deceased. Whether he pushed the kid’s car into the wall intentionally is anyone’s guess. The kid shouldn’t have approached Stewart’s car. But if you listen carefully Stewart guns his engine while approaching the kid. Maybe he was trying to send a message or just scare him. But the rear end kicked out and he hit the kid. Apart from abject stupidity Stewart is guilty of at least manslaughter, without a doubt in my mind - and the video is proof.
More like pressure from Bass Pro Shops and Exxon Mobil, two of the main sponsors of Stewart's #14 car. They saw a potential public relations fiasco from Stewart racing and asked Stewart not to race for the good of the sponsorship companies involved.
totally agree
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