Yeah if you know anything about driving a sprint car, you know that is about the only way to turn them... I am pretty sure he was trying to spin his car to avoid him (the only way you really stop a sprint car) or by hitting the gas, is the quickest way to get the car to turn left (away from the kid coming at him)
Prayers up for This kids Family and Tony Stewart... He has to feel as bad about killing this kid as his parents do losing him, I sincerely doubt it was anything more than a tragic accident.
First off, in Tony’s Defense, I have to say, in most dirt track racing associations, if the kid had not been hit, he would have been watching for the next couple of weeks no matter what for running at moving sprint cars on the track.
And now some information for those of you that don’t know, This is not your typical car like you drive to the store every day. It is specifically made to race on a dirt track. Depending on the association, 5-600+ horsepower in a 1500# car, that has no gearshift or clutch, if the engine is running, the back tires are under power, period, The driveshaft is connected straight to the flywheel. On a dirt track, you can’t just turn the steering wheel to turn the car, especially under low speed, rolling around the track... Anybody seen the kids movie Cars... it’s true, you point the front tires into a hard right turn to make a left corner with these sprint cars, The right rear tire is bigger than the left rear so these cars turn by stepping on the gas pedal or turn the wrong way by letting off it too quickly when you are at racing speed... the brakes don’t do a whole lot, they will slow you down, but not really stop the car... mostly used to get the car set in the corner. If a sprint car wrecks on the track, the car behind him, hits him unless he happens to spin the car out and avoid the accident, very rarely does one steer out of the way...
I keep reading Tony had to have seen him too, but after seeing the video, I seriously even doubt that, with the safety equipment these drives are required to wear, they cant turn their heads, He came at him from the blind side and stepped out from in front of his car. I know the seat Tony uses in his cup car completely blocks their vision to the right side, not sure what his seat looks like in the sprint car though. Most sprint cars I see running here in Arizona, have a hard solid panel on that side of the car that keeps the driver from getting sprayed with mud though so I am just not sure, there are different variations on the cars.
It doesn't remotely compare.
I certainly appreciate your explanation, it makes more sense than the other crap flying around here........