Hip Redux
Very sad, the kid was only 20 years old. Linky.
But here's the thing that got me ... they showed the video of the man getting hit on ESPN this morning. Really? Is everything fair game these days? Why do we need to see a guy get hit by a car?
I saw the story this morning but did not see the video and do not need to based on the descriptions from eye witlessness.
My thing is Tony has a history with beefing on the track, and even though this happened during a sporting event he may face charges based on that history.
Not saying that is wrong or right, juss' saying'....
I heard them talking about it on the radio and his history etc. It's not a sport I ever need to see, but do wonder what Stewart was thinking. I would find it hard to believe that any of these drivers would hit someone out of their car intentionally.
This guy was on the track and was apparently wanting to confront Stewart about an on-track incident. He had walked up into the traffic pattern. The driver in front of Stewart dodged just in time to miss him and Stewart never saw him.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
KillJoyFuckStick
Well I'm glad you've completed the investigation with interviews and a complete analysis of all of the evidence.
You people have issues
Yeah, that's what it looks like. I don't know how common it is for someone to be walking on the track in this spot, but it seemed dangerous.
However, I don't think I had any real need to see his body go flying. A video of a man's death really doesn't need to be broadcasted. Frankly, I don't need to see a replay of horrific injuries either but at least those folks are still alive.
Tragic. Hopefully NASCAR can do something to discourage the practice of drivers lingering on track following incidents.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
B.S. that he never saw him. I don't believe that for a second. I can't wait for the explanation of why the rear of Stewart's car appears to swing out as he got to the other driver. I don't think it was intentional but Stewart better get some good lawyers for at least the civil suit coming his way.
I do think the other driver should not have left his car but the way some of the Stewart defenders I've read this morning are reacting you would would think this guy deserved to die. Below is something else I read this morning. The bolded part is mine and what I believe likely happened:
Tyler Graves, a sprint-car racer and friend of Ward's, told Sporting News in a phone interview that he was sitting in the Turn 1 grandstands and saw everything that happened.
"Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing," Graves said. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car. … He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.
"I know Tony could see him. I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him about 50 yards."
Rich Willis, who was at the track, said he didn’t see exactly what happened but his sister down in Turn 1 did. His description was similar to that of Graves and video of the tragedy showed Stewart's car hitting Ward.
“People (who could see it better) said the guy got out of his car and was gesturing angrily at Tony Stewart when Tony Stewart came by during the next lap under yellow,” Willis said in a phone interview. “He approached him and evidently when he was driving by the guy standing on the track gesturing at him, he gunned his engine.
“What happened was the back end kicked out and clipped the guy and the guy flew across the track.”
Graves said it appeared to him that Stewart swerved before gunning the engine but he did not believe it was intentional.
"You never mean to do something like that," Graves said. "Kevin was pissed and he let Tony know. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn't happy either. He went over the line with it."
Graves got emotional as he talked about Ward, whom he raced against last week in the Patriot Sprint Tour. In that race Graves' car broke, he got upside down and Ward hit him.
"The first thing Kevin said to me (last week after the accident) was, 'I'm glad you're OK,'" Graves said. "He hit me full throttle. I've been friends with Kevin for the last several years. … He's a clean racer."
And in what may be the dumbest headline I have ever seen, we have this:
"Driver in Fatal Stewart Incident Loved Racing"
NOOOOO!! REALLY???? I thought guys were out there in sprint car racing getting paid squat because they are out of other career options.
Horrible. It was a lot more fun being an armchair critic of the Hasay/Grunewald collision.
Stewart clearly gunned it upon approaching the guy, probably as a "fuck you, man" gesture. What's chilling is that he *could* have clipped Ward on purpose and no one will be able to prove that it wasn't accidental.
Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
I had no idea what this was about last night when I was looking for some sports highlights then saw the ESPN folks say they'd keep the viewer abreast of the situation.
Shortly thereafter, watching the Moto GP qualifying, they ran a red banner across the bottom of the screen saying the guy had, in fact, died. I knew right then.......NOT GOOD!
My guess thus far is that Tony's looking at manslaughter of one sort or another and who knows how bad it could get.
Randy