Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

One of the most disappointing things about the Kevin Ward tragedy is that a complete ignorance of sprint car racing has not stopped the national media from pontificating about it. Suddenly people who have never been to a sprint car race are experts on the sport. Attention you pompous asses. Sprint cars are not Sprint Cup cars. Sprint cars do not downshift. There are no spotters telling the driver where to go while racing sprint cars. NASCAR had nothing to do with the sanction of the race. Every driver in the ESS race is not 20 and under. Sprint cars are not similar to go karts. The walls are not made of hay bales. That big thing on top is not called a toboggan. Sprint cars are much lighter than Sprint Cup cars, and at Bristol the sprint cars timed in quicker than the Sprint Cup cars. There is already a rule stating drivers are not to get out of their car. Bunch of flicking idiots! I actually a guy call me hoping I could make a statement supporting his theory Tony Stewart intentionally ran over Kevin Ward. What I told him was not suitable for on air broadcast, nor did it confirm his theory.

Sure looks to me like a couple of Lawyers and an AG trying to make a name for themselves from a tragedy!

the sound you here is probably not stewarts car,it's probably a car on the front strait. the camera is on the front grandstands

Ted Sanderson

Does anyone know what lap of the feature they were on? What I would like to know is if Stewart  & Ward were banging wheels in laps prior to cause Kevin to come unglued like he did after a fairly harmless slider with minimal to no contact. It appeared if he had stayed in his car they could have changed the right rear and he could have restarted the race. 

Cubes, I've jokingly chided you about your post quality going down, but this is pretty bad. Stands on it? Unbelievable. 

I think you better watch the video again...maybe even in slow motion, The kid was not right in front of Tony, If anything he was near the right front tire.
There is no proof what so ever that Tony stood on it, That could have been any car on the track that you heard in the audio. Tony's car didn't change direction until after there was contact.
 
I'm sure they stopped all the cars on the track as soon as it happened and at that point no driver (even Tony) would have been allowed near the scene.

The team said he was going to race... Not Tony.  Tony is the one who said he was not going to race and considering he was probably being questioned half the night I doubt he had anything to do with what the team released to the media.

You are an blind

I too refuse to drink the Sprint Car appologist coolaide until all of the facts are on the table.  This is front page national news so I don't want to go speculating to friends and family until this whole thing shakes out.  There are valid arguements on all sides that could lead to a variety of conclusions but the only one who really knows is Tony.

Right now the foremost thing on my mind is that short track racing has got to put an end to this WWE type grandstanding and enforce strict penalties that will (a) stop drivers from confronting moving cars and (b) stop drivers from gunning their engines in order to show their displeasure.  I don't know for certain what happened with Stewart and Ward but as a racing photographer I have taken the brunt of pissed off drivers far too many times.  A couple years ago a B Modified driver got spun out and whipped a 360 right next to me kicking up a 4" rock that hit me on the shin.  The next day I could barely walk, it turned black and blue and bothered me for months so it was probably a fracture.  If that thing would have gotten some altitude and hit me in the head I would not be typing this post.  A few weeks ago several of us photographers were lined up for victory lane photos and a pissed off Late Model driver gunned it (must have been PO'd at the winner) and showered us with rocks and clay.  Ironically he was the one with the Jesus wrap on the side of his car.  You'd think a holy roller would know how to keep his temper in check.

I'm not saying that this was the case with Steward and Ward but I see that kind of thing far too often from my vantage point in the infield.  If anything good comes out of this it's that these theatrics need to stop before anyone else gets hurt.  Photographers, corner workers and tow truck drivers included.

Stan Meissner

cubic is just an inbred pot stirrer. he will say anything to keep the drama going.

to indy and beyond!!

StanM, You are right, Until all the evidence is presented nobody can say what happened and even then you are going to have people still disagree.  I just don't see why everyone thinks Tony would have a reason to be mad in the first place, I've raced (not full size sprint, Micro sprints) and have my fair share of contact with other drivers and don't see any reason Tony would be mad about anything. Watching the video in slow motion it looks like Tony's car is pointed straight until contact is made. There are likely other videos out there taken at a different angle and showing Tony's car all the way around the corner that may shed more light on it. If that was Tony's engine heard in the video I'd expect to see the car at an angle when it came into view but you can't see the car the whole time so only Tony knows if he hit the gas or not.
PS, I also understand your point about pissed of drivers, I had a driver gas it as we crossed the infield and got hit with his roost and had to stop because I couldn't see. Really wished I hadn't pushed my visor up before he did it lol.

I should make it clear that I respect Tony's accomplishments and love for the sport.  Actually I have had a couple of close encounters and brief conversations.  He wouldn't remember me but a friend of mine used to supply his transporters when he was driving for Gibbs.  Tony was a guest in their booth at Cedar Lake and I stopped by to take a photo and they introduced me to him.  One other time while he had Lasoski driving for him he popped in unexpectedly to watch the Outlaws.  I was standing down in the infield with the camera and some guy pulls up on a four wheeler and parks next to me to watch hot laps.  I look at the four wheeler and there's Smoke driving the thing.  He turns to me and gives me a wink and a smile and I nod back at him and that was the extent of it.  My cousins ran Sprint Cars back in the 60's and 70's and had a couple of HOF drivers in their cars so I'm not star struck by drivers.  Stewart was there to watch his car, I was there to take photos. 

Like I said, I don't know what went down from his vantage point in the driver's seat but deep down in my soul I am confident that he will man up and deal with this in whatever way is necessary.  Tony the NASCAR driver aside I hope that Tony the person can deal with this and find a way to move forward with his life. 

Stan Meissner

you see only one car moving at the time and your mind tells you the rev noise came from that car. But your are right it as vary likely it came from a car on the front stretch right in front on the camera.

i wish more people would of figured this out sooner. because I bet that rev noise has created many of these senerios of bad intent that have spead like wild fire.

exactly what negligence would that be you fRkwit?

How do you know he did not get out and check the sitauation? Were you there or are you just going off the video? How do you know that he knew that he hit him, and how are we to know what was going through his mind after that. I would imagine if I hit someone with a car I would need a moment to get my heart settled and my thoughts collected. Not to mention the Sheriff has stated that he has been fully cooperative and was emotionally distraught. He never said he wanted to race, Zipadelli said that it was business as usual. Who said he wanted to race the next morning. Its been reported that he did not even go back to Watkins Glen. Quit trying to stirr the pot and being a coward behind a keyboard. Everyone knows that you hate Tony and TSR and your doing nothing but getting off on a terrible tragedy. Tony does not owe you an explaniation, he just owes the Ward Family an explanation and maybe his sponsors. Not to mention I don't think he is in any state of mind to give any type of explanation and he is still probably coming to grips with the situation just two days after it happened. It will take time. Get your facts straight before you go spewing your fingers off. I believe it was you who said that he needed to pony up and serve a jail sentence in another post before a video came out or a police report. Today it came out that a second video is out that the sheriff's office is looking at and they still have not found any evidence of criminal behavior. Mario Andretti, someone I would like to call an expert on the situation, called it a fluke accident and the perfect storm. It is ok that you hate Tony as a racecar driver or maybe as a person , heck I do not like Sammy Swindell or Donny Schatz but if you take Stewart out of the car and put them in this situation, I still would not want them to go to jail or pay for something that was a legitimate accident.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-tony-stewart-facing-possible-charges-20140811-story.html

It appears the authorities have a second video and are in no hurry to make any announcements.

the sheriff says there is no "timeline"...and he takes a few questions at the end.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GX9WlB4Smxw&feature=youtu.be

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

I just watched a slow motion version of the Video. It clearly shows (in my opinion) Ward jr. jumping on Stewarts Nerf Bar and trying to grab his Top Wing. I believe his own actions are what caused his Death.

We can speculate and pick apart the most miniscule elements of this Tragedy. 

But if Ward jr. would have taken the walk to his Pit he would have lived to race another day.

That being said I would like to express my Condolences to Kevins Family.

And I hope Tony will somehow be able to continue on.

-

Are you kidding me? Watch it in slow motion again. You can see clear as day that Kevin changes direction and tries to dive out of the way just before Tony's car gets to him. As he tries to dive, he loses his footing  and is unable to get clear.

Still stupid I see......

feese 11 You have said exactly what I've been thinking.Thank You.