THIS FROM 2001:

Sammy was on the second of his time trial laps and was looking at the scoreboard in the infield,to see his times. At Lernerville when a car completes his first lap we push the next car out so we have a car continuously on the clock. I believe it was Tim Shaffer that was being pushed off and his car wouldn't fire till about 1/2-2/3 of the way down the front straight. The pushtruck didn't have time to get off the track and since Sammy wasn't watching where he was going he plowed directly into the rear of the truck. He never left off the throttle and said he never saw the truck. It was a 1/2 ton Ford and on inpact the rear bumper was over the steering wheel. The bumper went right over the top of the engine and took off the injecters, bent the down tubes back into the cockpit and pretty much destoyed the front of his car. The pushtruck is junk! The bed is buckled the rear end was torn loose and the frame must have twisted pretty bad because the radiator blew. The passenger in the truck is supposedly 5-6 months pregnant. Sammy's car stopped dead on impact and the pushtruck probably slid about 75 yards. I can't believe Sammy walked away from it. I really thought he was dead.

This led to many pushtruck operators putting flashing lights down low. That enabled winged sprint pilots to see them as soon as possible under the front edge of the wing.

My guess is that TS never saw the guy until it was too late to avoid him. Thoughts and prayers to all involved. 

PS I really get frosted when I see all of the media hacks throwing up the temper and intentional assault charges when all you have is an inconclusive video clip and "eyewitness" accounts from across the track. Let the powers to be do a through investigation and get all of the cards on the table before ripping into somebody. 

My happy place is in a dirt tornado generated by winged sprint cars!!!

Found on Twitter/Facebook the interview between Marty Smith and Kasey Kahne

For those interested in reading @KaseyKahne's comments to me Sunday morning re: Tony Stewart/Kevin Ward, Jr. story ->

MS: What was your reaction when you saw the wreck involving Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward, Jr?

"My reaction to that wreck was I was sick to my stomach. To hear what was going on, and not knowing exactly what happened, that's the hardest part, to not understand the situation and not really know. I'm thinking about the Ward family and friends, and Stewart's family and friends. This isn't easy on anybody."

MS: What's your reaction to Stewart sitting out?

KAHNE: "I think that's the right decision. With it happening just last night, I think it's the right decision and the only decision."

MS: As a sprint car owner, what does this mean for that brand of motorsports?

KAHNE: "The part I want to get out there is, I'm an owner, and I've raced these cars. And I've raced stock cars. By watching that video, I truly don't understand how (the wreck) happened, and what exactly went on there. There are only a few people who would. There's no media person that knows and no fans that know. There's too much you can't see. For one, Tony has no clue that (Ward( wrecks. Tony didnt wreck him. It's only a caution, not a read flag. So you come back around and see what happened. I've raced these cars, Marty, and none of it makes any sense to me. I think Tony, and a couple of drivers around him are the only ones that could tell you exactly what happened."

Very well put....

Very well said, Kasey Kahne. 

My happy place is in a dirt tornado generated by winged sprint cars!!!

actually it looks like tony was never "involved" in the original accident where the kid hit the wall. tony never touched him. the kid lost it on the cushion trying to stay on the outside.

i agree tony can be a hot head but i have to also agree with others that it is possible tony never saw the kid till the last instant. tony might have been just cleaning out the motor or hit the gas and tried to swerve to miss the kid. the car in front of tony had to swerve to miss the kid and tony was up higher on the track then the first car that almost hit the kid. the video i saw doesn't show everything, but it doesn't in any way show tony swerving towards the kid or trying to scare him.

from all official accounts the authorities at this time are not forseeing and charges and calling it an accident.

if that is the end result i doubt there will be any legal issues for tony. civil or otherwise. puplic opionion issues and PR issues will alway rise up because of people who just want to try to make more of the unfortunate sitution.

to indy and beyond!!

Really unsettles me that so many took a stance with out knowing or seeing ANY OF THE FACTS.

Even after seeing it multiple times. I see no malice,  Two cars tried to miss Ward,  Ward put himself in a very dangerous possition.  A car, train, any piece of machinery has no feelings, respect or mercy on a human body.

Prayers to all involved on both Ward's family and Stewarts.

I'll let the investigators figure out what and how it happened,  The only ones really that know are a very few at the sceen and on the track.

Chuck, saying you can like or dislike a driver all you want too,  But throwing accusations on HEARSAY?  Theres a old saying  ASS-U-ME

damn i just hate it when i hit the wrong keys and get a bunch of typos and then post it and you can't edit on this forum without losing everything

to indy and beyond!!

Copy the text and then re-paste when you go to edit. You'll have your original text, plus the opportunity to rework.

Looks like cooler heads have prevailed. It's pretty clear this was a tragic, unfortunate accident; period.

I shared these links on the previous page, but we've seen these types of accidents before.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=99&id=2489141

http://www.indianaopenwheel.com/showthread.php?t=66842

Ontario County Sheriff Press Conference

http://youtu.be/mrdEdjcQCtI

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com

Seems like we've seen Tony do that a few times and even throw his helmet at a car.

What's your point? I'm not suggesting otherwise...

Had Tony drove in to the pits and intentionally mowed someone down, this would be an entirely different story. Instead, we have an angry driver, running down the embankment, towards oncoming traffic.

All this talk about the end of TSR and criminal charges is such nonsense.

If you ran out on the interstate, in to the path of oncoming traffic and were struck down, would the driver be charged? The answer is absolutely not.

I agree the investigation will determine a verdict. There are multiple videos of the race. Especially with Stewart being there. Even a gopro on his own car. There is plenty of evidence to exonerate him.

What We Don't Know About Tony Stewart And Last Night's Crash

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com