iNSIDE SCOOP: Tragic Night

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Saturday night at Canandaigua Speedway in New York, NASCAR champion Tony Stewart struck and killed a 20-year-old sprint car driver named Kevin Ward Jr.

Having seen the video, there’s a preponderance of evidence that Stewart never expected to see the young driver standing in the middle of the track, leaning in and pointing a finger at him, until he struck him.

The video, which is up on Deadspin.com and may or may not have been removed already, also has audio of people in the grandstands screaming, “Tony Stewart hit that guy! Tony Stewart hit him!”

Hunker down, y’all. Here comes wall-to-wall media coverage. And it won’t be mild. It will be as sensational as it can be. When the story was under a breaking-news banner on CNN at 2 a.m. Sunday, it can’t be anything less.

It is sad and tragic and all sorts of other adjectives that a young man died during a sprint car race. That he was struck and killed by a three-time NASCAR champion makes it big news.

The details, from what is available on the video, are that Ward and Stewart were racing off Turn 2 at Canandaigua and Ward’s car was forced up and over the cushion. His car spun and flipped, and came to rest halfway down the straightaway.

Ward then unbuckled, got out and walked straight to the center of the track, with the other cars buzzing around him. He was pointing his finger and gesturing at Stewart, and at the last moment leaned in to emphasize his point. 

He was struck then, went under the right rear tire and was thrown some 50 feet down the track.

He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.

It is sad, tragic and unnecessary, but it is a part of the sport. That’s hard to say, but true nonetheless.

Stewart made the decision not to race today at Watkins Glen. It was the right call, despite the fact that by doing so, he misses the Chase for the second straight season. It was right because this circus, fueled by social media, know-nothing network news people and general commentary, is not going anywhere soon.

Regan Smith took over the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet. 

The question you have to ask yourself today is, if he had raced and won, what then? He’s won here five times, so he knows how. But winning a race the night after being involved in the above?

That would have been worse, by far.

In the end, Stewart withdrew and it was the right thing to do.

“There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.,” Stewart said in a statement issued before the race started. “It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at Watkins Glen. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”

Though criminal charges won’t be filed, according to law enforcement in Canandaigua, the specter of civil suits remains, and there is no way to redress a family for the loss of a son. This is not over, and we’ll be hearing more about it daily for the foreseeable future.

Here’s hoping the healing begins immediately, and whatever we can learn from this, let us hope we learn it quickly.