Beech Tree News Network

Obviously if you read my columns, listen to me on the radio, or are ever around me at all you already figured I would have an opinion about the tragic racing accident last week in New York state that involved NASCAR’s Tony Stewart.

I should preface all my comments by saying that Stewart is by far my favorite driver of all time, and I’ve followed his career since he was a youngster in USAC sprint cars and midgets. However I’m not going to apologize for Stewart’s role in the death of Kevin Ward, Jr.

If you’ve missed this story—and I find it hard to believe that you could—Ward was struck and killed by Stewart’s car after the two were involved in an on-track incident at Canandaiqua Speedway in New York last Saturday night.  On the lap following the incident, Ward exited his sprint car and walked into the center of the track to express his displeasure at Stewart for his part in the wreck. Ward was struck by Stewart’s car, and later pronounced dead from blunt force trauma.

In the wake of the accident a routine investigation was opened by the Ontario (NY) County Sheriff’s Department, and no evidence justifying criminal charges has been found as of this writing. People have also lined up on both sides of the issue. Some claim that Stewart hit Ward on purpose. Others point the finger of blame on Ward for putting himself in the way of Stewart’s car.

I see both sides of this argument, but I have a different take. It was an accident. Period. It’s that simple.

Motorsports are dangerous. People die racing, it’s uncommon but not unprecedented. If you race or work at a race track you watch drivers, crew members, and even fans sign liability waivers every time they come in the gate. They do this because it’s not hard to get killed when you mix high-horsepower machines and the human body.

What happened in New York is tragic, but let’s not rush to judgment and say that Stewart hit Ward on purpose.  It might sound callous to say this, but if Kevin Ward, Jr. had stayed in his car he would be alive right now. More than most, he knew the danger he put himself in when he got in the way of the racecars on the track.

Sprint cars are built to slide through corners, and seldom run a straight line. The cars are direct drive, with one gear and no clutch. The cars have to idle around the track at close to 40 mph just to keep the car from stalling. Adding to the danger if you step in front of a sprint car, they don’t really have brakes. The brakes on the cars are less for slowing or stopping than for making the car turn. On top of all that, the geometry of the cars makes them throw the rear end of the car sideways when the steering wheel is turned hard to the left. I could go on and on, but my point is these cars are fast, tricky, and certainly dangerous to be around if you happen to be on foot on a racetrack.

If you see the video of the incident you will notice that quarters were cramped on the track. The car running in front of Stewart narrowly missed Ward—who was also hard to see in a black firesuit. Sadly, if the first car had of hit Ward, this wouldn’t be nearly as big a story. Instead of headlines proclaiming DRIVER DIES AFTER BEING HIT BY NASCAR’S TONY STEWART it would be in much smaller newsprint and say DRIVER DIES IN RACE FEATURING NASCAR CHAMPION.

Now the healing must start for Ward’s family, and for Stewart. Tony Stewart didn’t race last Sunday at Watkins Glen in New York, and no word has been given about when he plans to return to the track. Ward’s funeral was Thursday. He was just 20-years-old.

Maybe some good can still come of this. As North America’s largest and most visible sanctioning body for motorsports many tracks follow NASCAR’s lead when it comes to rules regarding conduct and safety. Let’s hope NASCAR works out rules barring drivers from leaving their cars—except in instances of fire—and strictly enforces the rules, so that the precedent is set that actions like Ward’s won’t be tolerated.

In the meantime let’s let this story fade so that healing can begin to happen for everyone involved. And even if no rules are made, maybe some other racers will learn a lesson from this tragedy, and in so doing make the sport a little bit safer, and better.
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