I'm a former racer & lifelong fan of the sport. I've watched and read about this since it happened. It seems like in the split second Tony was driving by looking at Kevin's car to check the extent of the damage, Kevin (dressed in black on a dark track) ran down towards the path of Tony's car. Tony looked back to find Kevin in his path, and in a last-second panic turned and gassed to miss him (because that's how you have to turn a sprinter), and struck him by accident. All in the blink of an eye. The rest of the stuff seems irrelevant. A little weed doesn't automatically make someone a lunatic, and having a temper doesn't make someone a murderer. A horrible accident. A horrible tragedy. Pray for peace for all those involved. 🖤
@@robeddy3722 one of many rules Tony Stewart never followed is fat ass made it a trend to get out of your car and walk onto the track and throw helmets go look it up Bob
You aren't wrong but folks tend to forget that Tony spun the tires to screw with the kid and his rear end kicked left a bit. Still the responsibility of the kid that left his car, but you can tell that Tony lives in his own world with the "I" thi a and "I" that. It's all about Tony.
Well if he did talk about this a day after the incident and NOT 10 YEARS LATER maybe it could've meant something. But my guess is he wanted to keep his team alive 10 years more so that's why he never spoke about that!
I remember when this happened. The media really dragged Tony through the mud and he didn't deserve it and he doesn't deserve the hate that he gets to this day. It was a freak accident that ended in casualty. Worst of all hes had to live with it since it happened and will continue to live with it
What was worse was that Ward's family blamed him and tried to sue. Ward was wearing black, got out of the car when he was supposed to stay in it until told to leave, AND stood in a spot where he was hard to see. Plus, if I remember right the autopsy showed he was high on marijuana. So Ward's death was his own fault more than it was Tony's.
Dude Tony gassed it into the kid. It’s not up for debate. Your sprint car turns left automatically. He tried to spay mud on the kid and killed him. It’s not debatable.
@@meangreen99 the car in front of tony almost hit him too. that guy even testified that the car behind him was probably gonna hit him. he gassed it up to try to turn the car away from the little shit.
Tony no doubt didn’t mean for that to happen but he definitely swerve gassed it to tell him he wasn’t pleased either, Kevin ran down towards him and Tony goosed it and they came together, bad deal
Kevin tried to step on the nerf bar and reach under the sideboard to grab Tony. He put himself in the bad situation. And he had no beef with Tony on the pass. Tony clearly had the advantage on the exit of the turn, and it’s the responsibility of the car at a disadvantage to back out to avoid contact. Kevin tried to race Tony from that trailing position and ran himself into the wall.
I can tell Tony is still running that night over and over in his head asking himself so many questions that can't be answered. Such a senseless tragedy for all involved.
He plays it over because he has a guilty countenance about what he did. He know he ran that kid over being a hot headed dick. What he’s not willing to do as admit he did it and go to jail so he will spend his life thinking about it. It’s called karma.
@@homesteadhomie7855 you don't know that at all. Kevin Ward Jr was stoned on pot while driving in that race. The autopsy report proved that. "Driver and passenger arms and hands must remain inside the vehicle at all times unless giving a passing signal. 5. Do not exit the vehicle on track at any time unless instructed to do so by a corner worker, or if the car is on fire."
I remember a lot of the B.S. people were saying on social media. The fact is this, it was a horrible tragedy. It was the worst moment in the racing career of Tony Stewart. Kevin Ward should have never gotten out of his car and on track in harms was when visibility was an issue. And Kevin Ward should have never raced will under the influence (toxicology found marijuana in his system). I am glad that Tony was able to move on with his life. And I also hope the Ward family have found peace since that tragic night.
They could've found that in his system a month after he had last gotten high. That's the biggest non-sequeter in this whole scenario. I'd rather race against a guy who smoked a doob the night before than a hungover alchoholic anyday. Ya'll are barking up the wrong tree here.
Whenever you're involved in a wreck and you get out of your Car to show displeasure to the guy that wrecked you, You run that risk of getting hit on a live race track. These guys are professionals but bad things can still happen. Say what you will about, Tony Stewart, Kevin ward Made that decision and it cost him his life.
Hey, ye of little racing knowledge,😅 Tony Stewart made that a thing in racing and Kevin Ward was only copying him, fat ass couldn't throw dirt on him like he wanted to without killing him but he never admitted that's what he was doing😮
Most sprint car race organizations demand that drivers involved in a race incident, remain in the car until the safety crew is on the scene, Unless of course the car is on fire. Further, they do not accommodate the use of any and all illegal substances. Tony Stewart was not the party at fault in this incident. Is is unfortunate that he had to pay big bucks to make it go away.
You’re spot on. Tony goosed the throttle, which is common in basically every Motorsport when someone is approaching the car to show displeasure, it’s basically a fuck you back. It happens in every Motorsport. NASCAR, Indy, formula 1, motocross, motogp, all of the GT3 cars. Kevin was just too close. He let his emotions get the best of him and put himself in harms way.
Tony hit the throttle to try and avoid hitting him. Sprint car are not made to turn at slow speed. They also have poor visibility when driving at slow speeds. Sprint cars slide sideways through corner and then more or less use counter steering or drifting to get throught the corner so drivers are looking out the side of the car. It is common to see the front only having one tire on the ground. I assume as Tony went into the corner he was watching the car in front of him while going through the corner he would have been looking left. My assumption is as he was approaching the wrecked car he looked right as he said and was completely surprised to see a person approaching his car. In that split second he goosed the throttle to try and turn the car to the left which kind of did if I remember correctly unfortunately he did not clear him with the rear tire. There is no way Tony was acting with malicious intent because he simply did not have enough time his actions were pure reactionary right or wrong. The overarching fact remains that Mr. Ward left the safety of his car and entered an area of danger that he should have been more than aware of. Tempers flare in racing but had he taken a moment to calm down he.would have realized Tony was not there to try and ruin anyone's night but quite the opposite and had he approached Tony in the pits after the race and aired his grievance Tony likely would have made it right. Unfortunately he had a temporary lapse in judgment that ultimately cost him his life.
I remember hearing about it and then seeing the video later that night. To Tony, I'm sorry for what I said that night, it was wrong. The next morning, I started some of my video editing software and started to play the video frame by frame, studying what was going on and then I saw him grab the wing, and it was all over. People who do not know sprint car racing were making comments about him gunning the engine when he stopped, that wasn't celebrating like some said he was just shutting down the engine. When I went through the video and viewed it frame by frame, I knew what happened even the accident I did not see Tony hit anyone or anything. RIP Kevin and best wishes and may God Bless you Tony.
The idea that Kevin "jumped" on Tony's wing was the weirdest line of BS pushed on social media that I had ever heard in my life. I've read bizarre 9/11 theories that were more believable. The whole idea looked really astro-turfed to me.
@@johncalla2151 You didn't read my post very well then. I said he grabbed the wing, in fact it was the front of the wing, he did not jump on the wing. It's hard to see and have to go frame by frame to see the action since you only have maybe 4 or 5 frames at best to see it and it might be wrong by me but that is what I saw after lots of magnification and study. I also believe that he was high on marijuana or had toked up earlier in the day. The THC was in his blood and no matter how the family says otherwise he had been high within hours of his death.
@@johncalla2151 And the whole idea that some people think Kevin Ward was fine for operating a motor vehicle let alone any machinery high is even more ludicrous to me 😂😂😂
I have owned race cars,run race tracks and have been a series and track officially. At every drivers meeting we tell them never get out of the car unless it's on fire. A official in the tower or on track will tell when it's safe.
Do youi tell drivers to NOT hit the throttle when approaching SOMEBODY on the track?? Could have been avoided if TONY didn't blip the throttle when he got near the boy and got a bit sideways and struck him!! IT WAS TONY'S FAULT!! Look and LISTEN to the video. Right before he gets to that kid, he blips the throttle, and the car gets a little loose and THAT is what caused this.
@@nielgregory108 "Do youi tell drivers to NOT hit the throttle when approaching SOMEBODY on the track?? Could have been avoided if TONY didn't blip the throttle when he got near the boy and got a bit sideways and struck him!!" Right there tells anyone with experience, that you have no experience in the cars you're talking about. You're right Tony did hit the throttle, but not for the reasoning you're thinking. These cars are really crappy to drive at slow speeds and they react very slowly at slow speeds. They're not meant to go slow. They do not drive anything like a standard car. On a street car you see something in front of you, you steer to avoid it. The car will then steer very quickly. That's not even close to how these react. If you just turn the steering wheel, the car will push and cover a decent amount of distance, before the car actually turns. To steer a sprint car, you use the throttle. If you want the car to react decently you're going to have to hit the throttle. Yes the rear end might step out/slide up some, but it's your best bet to get the car pointed down the track.
That was a horrible tragedy but i know that Tony never meant for that. The kid made a bad decision. Im glad that Stewart is a strong minded person and wasnt destroyed by this
Getting out of his car is what killed Ward. It wasn't on fire, it was perfectly safe to stay in that car. I never once doubted for a second Stewart would have intentionally hit that kid.
This is precisely why you never cross an active track. It’s why Hamilton was fined last season for crossing the track. That “documentary” framing Tony as doing it on purpose is absolute garbage
I remember the media (not the sports media but the news media) made it seem like he did it on purpose. Theres a CBS report you can find that didn't really describe what actually happened and instead brought up how Smoke was an outspoken aggressive driver, and looking back on it now that's just so unnecessary. I was a kid at that time and I saw that report, it influenced how I viewed him in a negative way. Now I know better.
Tony got his feelings hurt and didn't like that somebody was showing his ass which was Tony specialty so he decided he would throw some dirt on that kid and then fucked it up and killed him Tony's a murderer😊
Yeah and it automatically turns left. Gassing the engine makes a sprint car go wide. Tony was the only car trying to spray mud on the kid and he killed him.
@@TheMikeWaddell Yeah. It's pretty much akin to driving a snowmobile. You have to gas it to make it turn. The front blades are pretty much steering assistance. I remember racing a friend down an icy road on snowmobiles. I pretty much had a brief moment of panic on a turn and let off of the gas. I ended up going straight into a snow bank and flew off of the snowmobile.
I raced with Tony in USAC & WoO. Many times. Let me say was passed by him many times as well. Always Clean passes. I believe him 100% . And pray for peace to all involved.
I watched and rewatched that whole thing several times on video. All the "Tony is a hothead" and "Tony wanted to teach him a lesson" never made any sense. That night Tony had a working racecar. He just passed someone. He had no reason to be upset with anyone. Suddenly someone dressed in black, at night, on a RACE TRACK moved towards him. It's sad, unfortunate, tragic, whatever. But it wasn't Tony's fault at all.
It is and isnt his fault at the same time. I dont think Tony did anything intentionally, i just think he wanted to see how much damage was done, then at the last second he sees Kevin and panics and cut the wheel too hard and gassed it causing his RR to hit Kevin. I used to hate Tony before this accident, well Tony the Driver that is. No one wants the driver they dont like put in this situation.
@Bizz4r2m0ke I thought Tony sideswiped Ward and took him out in the first place, which is what angered Ward and got him out of his car. Then all the other cars avoided Ward except for Tony who hit him (but was probably trying to just scare him). I didn't know Tony was just minding his own business and passing by checking out the damage. I thought his actions played a big role in the circumstances & outcome, as much as Ward's did.
Ok,Ok,Ok but why did Tony ride higher on the track than the other drivers while on caution, fast enough to have to gun his throttle to steer away from the man in black. Two sides to the situation, besides Tony's reputation sure makes it like an accident that had issues to be considered. All said and done, Tony is a hero driver in many fans eyes, he can do no wrong and others think he is a little jerk. He kissed up the the right people and they figured out a way to not condemn him in the sport of his peers.
Ya…right up til point the doofus arbitrarily declared the ‘noose’ was “plainly and simply a hate crime”. Kneejerk reaction that only an idiot would make..or a weak coward bending his knee to the mob
I come at this with a unique perspective not many others have. #1 I've watched motorsports of ALL kinds for 30+ years. #2 I worked on dirt cars at the same tracks in Upstate NY where Kevin raced (I was not at Canandaigua when this happened) #3 I became credentialed Media for 7 years, covering those Upstate NY dirt tracks for multiple regional publications and #4 I've seen Tony race at those tracks before. I understand how a sprint car operates and most importantly, I understand the mindset of a racer. Kevin made a lot of poor decisions that night. He WAS a good KID. But Kids don't belong in full bore race cars if they can't handle the responsibility of operating a land bound missile, which is EXACTLY what a race car is. He was under the influence of marijuana. He made the decision to approach a moving race car that DOES NOT TURN AT ALL without the throttle being applied. The wing causes compromised visibility out the right side of the car. Tony didn't see Kevin until the last second, when Kevin literally JUMPED at his moving car to try and surf his nerf bar on the right side of the car and punch Tony. When he did see Kevin, Tony hit the gas to AVOID KEVIN not run him over. People who don't understand these cars, aren't paying attention to that movie CARS. Remember "Turn right to go left?" Remember that?! Well that's the ONLY way these cars operate. Tony had to kick the backside of his car out with the throttle to have ANY CHANCE of avoiding Kevin. Sadly, the right rear kicking out still caught Kevin. If Tony hadn't done that, Kevin would've been hit by the center of the front end of that car. Tony only did one thing and one thing only wrong. He showed up to race with the Empire Super Sprint Series. After knowing some of the people involved with that series and other series in the area for as long as I have, I'm not shocked that someone high on weed was not only allowed to operate a race car, but was then supported by that entire racing community as if he had no fault in his own demise. Again Kevin Ward Jr. was a good KID, but he was an irresponsible racer, and so was the racing community he raced in. And I'll go to my damn grave having that opinion. And anyone from Upstate NY who wants to challenge that opinion BETTER COME WITH BIG FACTS or just keep quiet.
I live just outside Canandaigua and was there sitting as far into turn 1 as the grandstands allow. It was evident Kevin wanted his 15mins of fame. And sealed his own fate. I also am friends with a couple racers. None in that series. They both run the modifies there. Both those racers say there are more guys on the track high than not. Smoking weed is a common thing in the pits there. As I'm told. I never spent any time in the pits myself to confirm that. But they have no reason to lie to me about it.
This is perfectly explained and plain and simple what happened. 100% hopefully people will take the time to learn something from you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and expertise something that is rarely seen in a comment section.
Wow... " I wouldn't wish what I had to go through on my worst enemy" kinda tells you something. Its about Tony period. Never mind the kids family and what they went through look at what I had to go through is his answer. The whole field made it by but Tony. All turning without throttling up.
As someone whos watched alot of sprint car racing, and who has spoken to many drivers who told me how a sprint car drives, imma shed some light for those who think tony drove up into him, in order to turn one of those cars you have to hit the gas pedal, which is why you hear tony gasing it when he hits him, now the obvious thing is KWJ shouldve never walked down the track the way he did, and hes the reason the rule is so emphasized now, as sorry as i am for the ward family’s loss, A. They handled this absolutely horribly, and B. I hate to say it, but 90% of the blame is on Kevin, but the family will never admit that
Tony Stewart is "Billy Hardass". He doesn't hide his feelings. Period. Watching his eyes, his face, and listening to his voice, this CRUSHED him. In that chair. In that moment, he was still not yet through processing it.....
First mistake was to get out of the car at night in a dark suit. Then jump in front of Tony to make a point that he was pissed off at him. I find Tony to be a bit of an a hole sometimes when you grab another driver half your size by the neck you need to re evaluate you decision and temper process. but there is no way it was his fault that this kid died.
Small world. I raced against Tony and Rick Crawford in iRacing back in 2017. Both in the same race in a rookie masher race. I know for a fact it was the real Tony because he started to cuss against some kid that wrecked him, then the same kid reminded him of Kevin and he went bananas on the chat LMAO
The way Tony described the cause of the accident was similar to my own car accident I also had in that same year, 2014. I was on my way to an appointment in a part of town I wasn't familiar with, and I was trying to look around corners to try to recognize which right turn was the right turn I needed to take. I looked to my right at one intersection and a police Tahoe that was blocking the road caught my attention for a split second more, and then I piled right into the back of a Mazda that ended up getting pushed forward into the bumper of the next car. This was on an incline, and I remember being disoriented and rolling backwards for a second before I realized I needed to 'lock it down,' to borrow a NASCAR term.
@@Stevonoles1 They didn't exactly win, it was settled out of court. The Ward's were losing lawyers and a lot of money trying to fight it. Tony probably wanted done with it and gave them an amount of money just to be done with it and stop having to go to New York for court.
I personally think Tony would have helped the family whether it went to court or not. He’s had a history of doing the right thing & taking care of people. He can afford the monetary price, but the emotional price is something none of us can ever truly “pay”.
I hit someone going 55 mph walking down the middle of the lane on a four lane highway at 11 pm in all black in the rain. Wasn’t my fault but it still fucked me up for a long time
While I'm aware that a criminal court decided in Tony's favor on the charges of 2nd degree homicide and criminally negligent homicide, and while I am not a judge or attorney, I will always disagree with those rulings. And yes...Kevin Ward contributed to his own death by first making the decision to get out of his car before first responders told him to do so and then further contributed to his own death by advancing down the track into the line used by cars under caution. I understand how sprint cars are driven. Their angle of attack and direction is controlled with the accelerator and brake as much as the steering wheel. When you watch the video of the incident. All of the cars in front of Tony came through the area where Ward had crashed and then once the first car saw Ward himself on the track, they dropped down to the lower part of the track (left side) and you can then watch as each car after that also dipped down lower to give Ward plenty of room. When you're in a line like that under caution and you see the guy in front of you move left or right, you follow because there is likely a very good reason to do so. Usually, they are avoiding debris or fluid. But when Tony comes through he does not dip down. And not only does he not dip down to the left, he inexplicably hits the gas, causing his rear end to move to the right and his right rear tire strikes Ward and kills him. Did he intend to strike him? I don't think so, but no one can know someone else's intent unless that person announces their intent prior to doing so. These kinds of post-crash incidents are common in many forms of motorsports. My speculation was that Tony stepped his rear end out like that to scare Ward and misjudged it and struck him. Again, there is just no reason to step on the gas so forcefully there under caution when you admit you saw someone close to you on the track. So, innocent of criminal charges and Tony settled out of court on the wrongful death lawsuit. On the one hand, I would say that he is very, very lucky. Lucky that he can afford the lawyers he can, lucky that the jury found him not guilty and lucky that he could stroke a check to the Ward family and end this. I have no doubt given the person Tony is, he lives with this everyday and he has been forever changed by this. I would also say that while motorsports have rich and specialized traditions all over the world and when it comes to sprint cars, the local amateurs enjoy competing against professionals in the Saturday night feature. But, I just think when you have a sport where death can be the ultimate penalty, amateurs should not be racing against professionals.
You said it perfectly! He could’ve avoided that young man but he was being hot headed and accelerated without turning away from that poor young man . I certainly don’t think Tony meant to cause his death but that was the end result .
This comment summarizes it all. Rules should be set to limit driver's age in ALL divisions. Guess why Gragson and Hocevar are hated? Hot headed young guns, They are lucky the new cars are super safe. But young hot heads have no business with old temperamental dogs, it's a recipe for disaster
I remember the mainstream media dragging Tony though shit over this and I remember watching the replay at the time thinking it was an unfortunate incident but Tony was in no way at fault for the death.
That's guilt at its finest. He knew he could've should've done any other thing but rev up and try to "rattle the cage" of some dumb stoner kid. He never learned his lesson, that's why him and his tempers became a meme thanks to Newman and iRacing.
I dont think he tried to kill him but it looked like Tony wanted to hurt or spray him with mud. Even though I think he is a jerk no way would he want to kill him
@@TheNinjaPickerThe thing no one is picking up on is that Tony And Kevin never made contact during the race. Tony had no clue what the caution was for. As he went by he was looking at Kevin's car, and didn't even see Kevin on the track till it was too late.
He "tried" to brush him back..Cup champion showing his ass in a sprint car race....It would have been cool if he hadn't hit him. Tony has always been a crazy bastard losing his cool all the time. Now his soul is doomed..not for hitting Ward...He didn't mean to kill him...but for the Lie he lives.
@@Groundhog-Jam-BandStill doesn't justify that Kevin Ward shouldn't have even been out there in the first place. It's illegal to operate machinery under the influence of drugs. Kevin was under the influence of weed that night. It was enough to impair his decision making.
It’s a tragedy but it’s not like Tony was out that night to kill Kevin. Kevin made his own conscious decision to go onto a busy track just after crashing and it proved to be fatal. It was really just fate Tony hit him it could have been really anyone racing on that track. It’s a terrible tragedy for everyone involved.
I hate that Tony & Clint have to share this experience, slightly different circumstances but the end result was the same. None of us can know what they’ve dealt with privately, but I believe that as friends they’ve helped each other as best they can. I’d like to think Tony was the first person Clint called that day knowing he had dealt with basically the same thing.
@@nathanstroud2223 it was kept out of the public as best they could. I think Pocky tweeted about it but that’s his job to share the news. Everyone was very respectful & I didn’t see anybody making accusations about Bowyer, not even the mainstream media. The same exact situation Clint dealt with happened in our little down. Dark street, dark clothing & the driver legitimately did not see the person walking. Nothing “legally” ever happened that I’m aware of, but the driver got very shook up, just like any of us would be.
@@joshiles There was also a similar incident involving former Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim. Dwayne Haskins walked out in front of traffic and got killed. This sort of thing happens a lot.
@@joshilesIf I remember correctly we didn't know about it for like two weeks. Clint has a very good inner circle for not leaking anything, allowing Clint/the family to grieve privately, and allowing the police to do their job without the press getting in the way.
Tony most likely never intended to run over the kid, that's just my thoughts anyways, my condolences to his family and i hope they live through this sad tragedy.
Kevins death is sad. But, his death was his fault. He left his vehicle, to dash in front of cars on an ACTIVE track. Kevin had the emotional maturity of a ten year old, and had THC in his system. This was all Kevin's fault. Period.
@@davidwood2205 what does that matter? He wasn't racing stoned. THC has absolutely no connection to what lead to his death... so why bring it up in a discussion about his death?
Something tells me that Tony had already made enemies with the media given how they treated him in the aftermath of that incident. I'm bearing in mind how he would handle reporters while in nascar, and if you've seen that you'll know exactly what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean. If is had been another driver, other than Stewart, I likely would have given that driver the benefit of the doubt. But Tony is a conceited, vindictive prick who has been through anger management programs in NASCAR, and for good reason. Try watching hid actions for the last 20 years.
Kevin Ward Jr. got himself killed by doing something stupid, end story. If he hadn't got out of that car, he'd be alive today. It was HIS choice to get out and throw a tantrum, which got him killed for it.
Night race. Poorly lit track. Young hothead in a black fire suit who’s gonna “give that 3 time NASCAR champion a piece of my mind”. I don’t even care for Tony Stewart that much. Kevin Ward committed suicide.
So you're gonna call ward a hothead, but not the OG hothead himself?? Are you serious? Look at tonys history...its endless with his on & off the track hothead fake tough guy bullshit. Im actually surprised he wasn't involved in something like this numerous times. ....yet the karma caught up to him eventually....ef Stewart!!!
Just watched the crash and I don't really see how Stuart could not have seen him. He was far ahead of the car so if he was looking at the car he would have seen him in the way..
Yea but that doesn't really matter. If you try to scare someone with a gun and end up shooting and killing them, do you honestly think a judge/jury will say, "well he didn't mean to kill him, he was just trying to scare him. Case dismissed."?
I remember seeing it at the time. It was dark outside, he was wearing a black racesuit, and he was walking perpindicular to the racecourse from his car to the inside. Anyone who came near him wasn't going to see him.
What's NOT mentioned, Ward had a quantity of THC in his blood that could ONLY had been at that level from consuming it WHILE AT THE TRACK. Not from hours or days prior to strapping in. From the autopsy report.
@@mikemancini313It's not mentioned because it's not known if it actually had an impact on him getting out. Adrenaline is a drug that might actually cause someone to get out of the car.
@@radioactivetrees9626 Drugs absolutely lead to impairedness. That's a lie. There was an engineer driving a BNSF train in 2006 when he collided head on with another train. The train operators went through their safety procedures and drug tests and one the engineers tested positive for crack cocaine. (There was traces in his system.) Doesn't matter if you feel fine. It's illegal to operate motor vehicles under the influence of drugs no matter how harmless it might seem. This guy also could've waited on the side of the track instead of going on his ego-infested walk to point and get another driver's attention. You do stupid things, you win stupid prizes...
He has a history of doing the right thing quietly. Yes on the track he & AJ have a lot more in common than a car number, but look at Gordon at the end of his career. No not Robbie, that was his entire career. Jeff got fired up a number of times. I Never saw Jimmie Johnson or Mark Martin do it, but those 2 are the exception.
only in the USA can you sue someone because you (or in this case their son) did something ridiculously stupid and got hurt in the process .. Absolutel joke! Especially when it was all on video
@dirtracer64 Okay. How come Tony hit him and nobody else. Watch the incident again. At precisely what time do you hear throttle and see see the ass end of Tony's car slide down 3 ft. The back drop. Tony has had multiple hot head incidents and assaults on and off the track. Only Kevin's family friends and Tony have to live with what happened.
How many times did stewart get out of his car during a caution after he got wrecked? Throwing a helmet or other equipment? So many hypocritical stewart fans here. He killed that kid period.
YES Kevin was influenced by Tony's antics, he though "If the bull can do it, Why I can't" It is easy to make bold decisions while on 3CHI influence, but still, Tony could've should've slowed down and ignore Kevin.
yeah.. didnt know anything about it. you could clearly hear him rev up when he hit the kid. dont think he intended to hit him but tony hothead definitely was playing a game. a dangerous game and got bit. but he walked on it... couldnt stand a young guy challenging him in front of everyone.
Kevin Ward should have never left his car, by leaving the car he instigated the entire situation. I don’t believe Mr. Stewart did anything with malice, but I have always wondered and wanted his thoughts on why in the video does it sound like he goosed the throttle? Was he trying goose it in a desperate last second attempt to avoid hitting him or was he going to mess with him and throw dirt on the kid and just misjudged it.
Did anyone realize he was on drugs. Tony is not the kind of person to do harm to anyone. He’s a hard nose racer and yes Ward should have never gotten out of his car. Stewart was and still is the best wheelman in racing
For real. and obviously Stewart has had some hothead moments and done a lot of stupid thing but never once has he ever tried to intentionally hurt anyone. It's crazy how a drug addict was high, and walked down the darkest part of an already dark track, almost gets hit by the 45 car, and then proceeds to keep going and boom.
Poor old Smoke. He had a really tough time dealing with this. It really tore him up both emotionally and physically. He made an appearence at Basspro Shops in Bristol, TN and he looked awful. He looked like he had not ate or slept in days and you could tell that he didn't want to be there because of this accident. Smoke did settle the lawsuit out of court and he also did pay for Kevin Ward's funeral without telling the family about it.
you are lying , he did not pay for the funeral, im sure if you check with the funeral home they might tell you, but im also sure you made this up so you wouldn't dare check. his family hates tony and i don't blame them and im pretty sure they had control over the funeral, maybe you should ask someone at a funeral home how that works.
Smoke is not a bad guy, but he has bull tempers that have played wrong against him due to his explosiveness. That's why he is happy drag racing with his wife. It is a more peaceful environment were no manhandling is done like in oval and dirt racing. I'm glad he aknowledges his guilt on taking a life and that he made the right choices to keep himself free. But he never should've used the 3CHI as a scapegoat. That's why Karma charged him on him not being able to hire Larson and eventually loosing his team.
Tony ran that kid up the track an into the rail. All the other drivers slowed while passing him while he was out of the car, except Tony. Tony passed by twice an got closer an faster each time till he hit him.
Kevin Ward, the kind of guy to go skydiving without a parachute. Darwin award winner. Doesnt get much dumber than to PURPOSELY DEFY THE RULES IN PLACE, that are there TO PREVENT PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED!
He wasn’t trying to hit but definitely wanted him to know he had the biggest ego at the track. And the lighting at Canandaigua is very good. In original video you could see the leaves in the trees 100 yards off the track moving. Everytime video is copied it looses a little quality.
With the visibility Tony would have had he would have had anywhere from maybe to seconds to react. Which he did he goosed the throttle to attempt to turn left. Unfortunately when he did the rear tires didn't get clear fast enough and a momentary lapse in judgment became a fatal mistake.
There is a better video not released from turn 1 grandstands. Shows even more detail. It was shot near where I was sitting. So i saw that angle live. The police used that video in their investigation. That's why it was never released to the public. It was clear that it was 99% Kevin fault. That's why no charges.
Kid make bad decisions. Tony sees him last second does all he can to a avoid hitting him. Unfortunately it was to late. Looks bad to anyone that does not know how a sprint car operates.
After he stabbed the throttle and wrapped Kevin around his tire he knew he was dead. I sat in the stands and watched it happen. Saw the people at the fence crying. He totally tried to intimidate Ward and misjudged his distance as he stabbed trouble. If was horrible to see.
I laugh when I see it. Darwin award winner. Doesnt get much dumber than to PURPOSELY DEFY THE RULES IN PLACE, that are there TO PREVENT PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED!
@@jdbauer9183 and you obviously know nothing of dirt track racing. and it's sad that I have to explain it to you when you could use common sense. By steering I mean using the throttle and Right rear wheel of the sprint car to turn left..These cars go in circles so they have a way bigger right rear wheel to steer the car. When you're going fast on the dirt you're not gonna be able to turn a 2ton car with the front wheels. Which Is why Tony "gases" it like you said but you're point is completely invalid because you're ignorant to these cars. Kevin ward's problem was being stupid enough to think he could get in front of a 410ci sprint car thinking it'll stop on a dime. Tony ran him up the track and Kevin thought he could get mad and fight Tony because he's a popular driver, and ended up getting ran over because of his anger issues and his pride.
I never liked Tony Stewart due to his arrogant attitude towards racers he had incidents with. He struck me as a bit of a punk. This tragedy seems to have changed him fundamentally for the better, as he has been a much nicer guy since. Sometimes the world teaches harsh lessons.
Here's my unpopular take. Ward and Stewart got in their tangle, Ward got out to scold Stewart, Stewart wanted to give the kid a little scare by punching the gas as he drove by, back end steps out and catches the kid. At that speed, taking the setup of the car (stagger, camber, etc), slightly turning left, slight banking, etc., an experienced driver would NOT hit the gas to turn left. At that speed you turn the wheel to steer the car. At racing speed you throttle it to get the back end around but not at low speed so everybody can drop that argument. Show me one example of a driver steering the car with the throttle at pace car speed. That's not how it works. Mr Grumpypants didn't mean to hit the kid but he did mean to scare him.
If you watch the video you can hear Stewart stomp on the gas pedal just as he passes the guy on the track. I do not think he meant to kill the other driver but his hot head made him try to scare the other driver. But his rear wheels kicked out as he hit the gas and he ran over the other driver. It amazes me he is not in prison. And he should be.
Yes, he used his influence at the time to blame it all on the 3CHI. Newman was always right. I'm glad he was so outspoken agains his former boss and expose all his bull.
I'm sure this won't be popular with all the "Smoke" fans on this page, but these are the classic woe is me musings of a malignant sociopath. It's ALL about Tony.
That's an interesting point. From this interview he gives the impression that all of his sorrow is based on what he's going through. "This is a very unfortunate thing to have happened to me. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."
I will always be on Tony Stewart’s side about what happened that night until I die. Such a tragic situation for both sides. Especially Tony. The fact that he has to live with that is unfortunate. I wish the Ward family can accept that the accident was tragic and his potheaded son was in the wrong. I wish Kevin Ward Jr wasn’t in Tony’s way that night. Kevin would be in the World of Outlaws if he didn’t walk in Tony’s way that night in a black firesuit.
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I'm a former racer & lifelong fan of the sport. I've watched and read about this since it happened. It seems like in the split second Tony was driving by looking at Kevin's car to check the extent of the damage, Kevin (dressed in black on a dark track) ran down towards the path of Tony's car. Tony looked back to find Kevin in his path, and in a last-second panic turned and gassed to miss him (because that's how you have to turn a sprinter), and struck him by accident. All in the blink of an eye. The rest of the stuff seems irrelevant. A little weed doesn't automatically make someone a lunatic, and having a temper doesn't make someone a murderer. A horrible accident. A horrible tragedy. Pray for peace for all those involved. 🖤
I think smoke gases it to intimidate Kevin and ended up hitting him.
Wrong , Tony wrecked ward then came back around and finished him off !!
Do you believe your own bullshit? I think Tony would be thankful for you believing his.
@@dinosshed Tony killed ward plain and simple !! He should be in prison
Here. You dropped your tin foil hat, expert. 😘@@dinosshed
First thing they tell you at the drivers meetings : DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR UNLESS IT'S ON FIRE
That call Kevin ward rule
they won't tow a midget with you in it. also there are video clips of Stweart stepping out in front of cars.
No it's not.
@@JeffWeselyan No, this has been a rule for at least 50 years.
@@robeddy3722 one of many rules Tony Stewart never followed is fat ass made it a trend to get out of your car and walk onto the track and throw helmets go look it up Bob
People caling Stewart murdered act like the kid didn't run out onto a hot racetrack and then ran towards Tony's car like a idiot.
Kevin Ward Jr was also on something.
..and like an idiot, too.
You aren't wrong but folks tend to forget that Tony spun the tires to screw with the kid and his rear end kicked left a bit. Still the responsibility of the kid that left his car, but you can tell that Tony lives in his own world with the "I" thi a and "I" that. It's all about Tony.
Dude ahead of Tony acknowledged that whoever was behind him was likely gonna end up hitting Kevin
I RESPECT Tony for this, this has to be hard to talk about.
Well if he did talk about this a day after the incident and NOT 10 YEARS LATER maybe it could've meant something. But my guess is he wanted to keep his team alive 10 years more so that's why he never spoke about that!
I remember when this happened. The media really dragged Tony through the mud and he didn't deserve it and he doesn't deserve the hate that he gets to this day. It was a freak accident that ended in casualty. Worst of all hes had to live with it since it happened and will continue to live with it
I agree
So why did he speed up to swerve into him? And why did he pay off the lawsuit if he did nothing wrong?
If it had been some random sprint car driver, the incident would have been forgotten. Because it was Smoke, Ward's family went after his money.
What was worse was that Ward's family blamed him and tried to sue. Ward was wearing black, got out of the car when he was supposed to stay in it until told to leave, AND stood in a spot where he was hard to see. Plus, if I remember right the autopsy showed he was high on marijuana. So Ward's death was his own fault more than it was Tony's.
Making a few laps in a sprint car will answer that question for you.
@@TELEVISIONARCHIVES
None of us can know what was going on in Tony's head, but everyone saw Kevin play a stupid game and win a stupid prize.
Dude Tony gassed it into the kid. It’s not up for debate. Your sprint car turns left automatically. He tried to spay mud on the kid and killed him. It’s not debatable.
@@meangreen99 the car in front of tony almost hit him too. that guy even testified that the car behind him was probably gonna hit him. he gassed it up to try to turn the car away from the little shit.
Stewart hit the gas you can hear it. Fatass Stewart is a hothead
Tony no doubt didn’t mean for that to happen but he definitely swerve gassed it to tell him he wasn’t pleased either, Kevin ran down towards him and Tony goosed it and they came together, bad deal
Kevin tried to step on the nerf bar and reach under the sideboard to grab Tony. He put himself in the bad situation. And he had no beef with Tony on the pass. Tony clearly had the advantage on the exit of the turn, and it’s the responsibility of the car at a disadvantage to back out to avoid contact. Kevin tried to race Tony from that trailing position and ran himself into the wall.
I can tell Tony is still running that night over and over in his head asking himself so many questions that can't be answered. Such a senseless tragedy for all involved.
Tony says exactly what Alec Baldwin said after rust shooting. " I never"
@@mikes.1882 Asshole. Don't ever compare Tony to that worthless piece of garbage baldwin.
That's guilt karma still lurking
Next day quote. "Business as usual."
He plays it over because he has a guilty countenance about what he did. He know he ran that kid over being a hot headed dick. What he’s not willing to do as admit he did it and go to jail so he will spend his life thinking about it. It’s called karma.
F Kevin Ward Jr. He acted tough and lunged at the racecar of a famous driver trying to make a name for himself and karma took over.
💯
I forget about this incident because Tony didn't intentionally do it. It was Kevin's fault running on the track like that
After the wreck Kevin should have not went out on track.
Correct, but everyone did it to confront the other driver. Guess what, if Tony wasn't in the race, he'd still be alive!
Nooooo way, really?!….
@@homesteadhomie7855 So what did that have to do with anything? He shouldn't have gotten out of the car. Now he's dead trying to be a hard ass.
@@homesteadhomie7855he should have never gotten out of the car. The end
@@homesteadhomie7855 you don't know that at all. Kevin Ward Jr was stoned on pot while driving in that race. The autopsy report proved that. "Driver and passenger arms and hands must remain inside the vehicle at all times unless giving a passing signal. 5. Do not exit the vehicle on track at any time unless instructed to do so by a corner worker, or if the car is on fire."
I remember a lot of the B.S. people were saying on social media.
The fact is this, it was a horrible tragedy. It was the worst moment in the racing career of Tony Stewart. Kevin Ward should have never gotten out of his car and on track in harms was when visibility was an issue. And Kevin Ward should have never raced will under the influence (toxicology found marijuana in his system).
I am glad that Tony was able to move on with his life. And I also hope the Ward family have found peace since that tragic night.
They could've found that in his system a month after he had last gotten high. That's the biggest non-sequeter in this whole scenario. I'd rather race against a guy who smoked a doob the night before than a hungover alchoholic anyday.
Ya'll are barking up the wrong tree here.
"Under the influence"? Marijuana stays in your system for 30 days. I can guarantee you he was not under the influence while he was racing
@@Ganbarimasu "I can guarantee...", how? Seriously, I want to know how you can do that. I don't know the truth, and neither do you.
Whenever you're involved in a wreck and you get out of your Car to show displeasure to the guy that wrecked you, You run that risk of getting hit on a live race track. These guys are professionals but bad things can still happen. Say what you will about, Tony Stewart, Kevin ward Made that decision and it cost him his life.
Hey, ye of little racing knowledge,😅 Tony Stewart made that a thing in racing and Kevin Ward was only copying him, fat ass couldn't throw dirt on him like he wanted to without killing him but he never admitted that's what he was doing😮
Most sprint car race organizations demand that drivers involved in a race incident, remain in the car until the safety crew is on the scene, Unless of course the car is on fire. Further, they do not accommodate the use of any and all illegal substances. Tony Stewart was not the party at fault in this incident. Is is unfortunate that he had to pay big bucks to make it go away.
You’re spot on. Tony goosed the throttle, which is common in basically every Motorsport when someone is approaching the car to show displeasure, it’s basically a fuck you back. It happens in every Motorsport. NASCAR, Indy, formula 1, motocross, motogp, all of the GT3 cars. Kevin was just too close. He let his emotions get the best of him and put himself in harms way.
@@FalseHope61you dont know… i wouldnt even make a comment like that.
Tony hit the throttle to try and avoid hitting him. Sprint car are not made to turn at slow speed. They also have poor visibility when driving at slow speeds. Sprint cars slide sideways through corner and then more or less use counter steering or drifting to get throught the corner so drivers are looking out the side of the car. It is common to see the front only having one tire on the ground. I assume as Tony went into the corner he was watching the car in front of him while going through the corner he would have been looking left. My assumption is as he was approaching the wrecked car he looked right as he said and was completely surprised to see a person approaching his car. In that split second he goosed the throttle to try and turn the car to the left which kind of did if I remember correctly unfortunately he did not clear him with the rear tire. There is no way Tony was acting with malicious intent because he simply did not have enough time his actions were pure reactionary right or wrong. The overarching fact remains that Mr. Ward left the safety of his car and entered an area of danger that he should have been more than aware of. Tempers flare in racing but had he taken a moment to calm down he.would have realized Tony was not there to try and ruin anyone's night but quite the opposite and had he approached Tony in the pits after the race and aired his grievance Tony likely would have made it right. Unfortunately he had a temporary lapse in judgment that ultimately cost him his life.
Well Said I Certainly Agree With You @gochiefs3609
incorrect. you are not allowed to be in the car when they tow it. so you would have to get out.
I remember hearing about it and then seeing the video later that night. To Tony, I'm sorry for what I said that night, it was wrong. The next morning, I started some of my video editing software and started to play the video frame by frame, studying what was going on and then I saw him grab the wing, and it was all over. People who do not know sprint car racing were making comments about him gunning the engine when he stopped, that wasn't celebrating like some said he was just shutting down the engine. When I went through the video and viewed it frame by frame, I knew what happened even the accident I did not see Tony hit anyone or anything. RIP Kevin and best wishes and may God Bless you Tony.
The idea that Kevin "jumped" on Tony's wing was the weirdest line of BS pushed on social media that I had ever heard in my life. I've read bizarre 9/11 theories that were more believable. The whole idea looked really astro-turfed to me.
@@johncalla2151 You didn't read my post very well then. I said he grabbed the wing, in fact it was the front of the wing, he did not jump on the wing. It's hard to see and have to go frame by frame to see the action since you only have maybe 4 or 5 frames at best to see it and it might be wrong by me but that is what I saw after lots of magnification and study. I also believe that he was high on marijuana or had toked up earlier in the day. The THC was in his blood and no matter how the family says otherwise he had been high within hours of his death.
@@johncalla2151 And the whole idea that some people think Kevin Ward was fine for operating a motor vehicle let alone any machinery high is even more ludicrous to me 😂😂😂
@@mikemancini313 You can't drive one of these cars while "high".
@@johncalla2151 That's what I thought. Yet what did they find in his system? Enough weed to impair his judgement and decision making...
I have owned race cars,run race tracks and have been a series and track officially. At every drivers meeting we tell them never get out of the car unless it's on fire. A official in the tower or on track will tell when it's safe.
Do youi tell drivers to NOT hit the throttle when approaching SOMEBODY on the track?? Could have been avoided if TONY didn't blip the throttle when he got near the boy and got a bit sideways and struck him!! IT WAS TONY'S FAULT!! Look and LISTEN to the video. Right before he gets to that kid, he blips the throttle, and the car gets a little loose and THAT is what caused this.
@@nielgregory108 That wasn't Tony hitting the throttle.
@@nielgregory108 "Do youi tell drivers to NOT hit the throttle when approaching SOMEBODY on the track?? Could
have been avoided if TONY didn't blip the throttle when he got near the boy and got a bit sideways and struck him!!"
Right there tells anyone with experience, that you have no experience in the cars you're talking about. You're right Tony did hit the throttle, but not for the reasoning you're thinking. These cars are really crappy to drive at slow speeds and they react very slowly at slow speeds. They're not meant to go slow. They do not drive anything like a standard car. On a street car you see something in front of you, you steer to avoid it. The car will then steer very quickly. That's not even close to how these react. If you just turn the steering wheel, the car will push and cover a decent amount of distance, before the car actually turns. To steer a sprint car, you use the throttle. If you want the car to react decently you're going to have to hit the throttle. Yes the rear end might step out/slide up some, but it's your best bet to get the car pointed down the track.
@@Corky3D go play on the express at night in dark clothing
@@nielgregory108 your ignorance and inexperience is showing. But you are the self appointed judge, jury and executioner.
Dan Patrick is a G. I'm a huge Stewart fan ever since I was a kid, always wanted to hear his point of view for the incident.
Old guy here. What is a G?
@@skidoorulz4914Gangster, most people call someone a G as a way of showing respect.
That was a horrible tragedy but i know that Tony never meant for that. The kid made a bad decision. Im glad that Stewart is a strong minded person and wasnt destroyed by this
Getting out of his car is what killed Ward. It wasn't on fire, it was perfectly safe to stay in that car. I never once doubted for a second Stewart would have intentionally hit that kid.
This is precisely why you never cross an active track. It’s why Hamilton was fined last season for crossing the track. That “documentary” framing Tony as doing it on purpose is absolute garbage
Ward's death had absolutely nothing to do with Tony Stewart.
@@simplygregsterev you spelled "shitumentary" wrong.
@@TheMikeWaddell Umm, pretty sure Tony hit and killed him. Soooooo?
No the kid high on drugs walked into Tony's path.@@Stevonoles1
I remember the media (not the sports media but the news media) made it seem like he did it on purpose. Theres a CBS report you can find that didn't really describe what actually happened and instead brought up how Smoke was an outspoken aggressive driver, and looking back on it now that's just so unnecessary. I was a kid at that time and I saw that report, it influenced how I viewed him in a negative way. Now I know better.
Tony got his feelings hurt and didn't like that somebody was showing his ass which was Tony specialty so he decided he would throw some dirt on that kid and then fucked it up and killed him Tony's a murderer😊
Driving a dirt car like this is nothing like any street car.
You steer with the gas. At slow speed its very hard to drive straight.
Yeah and it automatically turns left. Gassing the engine makes a sprint car go wide. Tony was the only car trying to spray mud on the kid and he killed him.
Your message is pure BS. @@meangreen99
@@TheMikeWaddell Yeah. It's pretty much akin to driving a snowmobile. You have to gas it to make it turn. The front blades are pretty much steering assistance. I remember racing a friend down an icy road on snowmobiles. I pretty much had a brief moment of panic on a turn and let off of the gas. I ended up going straight into a snow bank and flew off of the snowmobile.
@@meangreen99stop spreading your bullshit on every comment. Tony must have banged your wife.
Under caution they steer just fine.
I raced with Tony in USAC & WoO. Many times. Let me say was passed by him many times as well. Always Clean passes. I believe him 100% . And pray for peace to all involved.
I remember how the media gave him the Richard Jewell treatment afterwards
Now even close 😂
I watched and rewatched that whole thing several times on video. All the "Tony is a hothead" and "Tony wanted to teach him a lesson" never made any sense. That night Tony had a working racecar. He just passed someone. He had no reason to be upset with anyone. Suddenly someone dressed in black, at night, on a RACE TRACK moved towards him. It's sad, unfortunate, tragic, whatever. But it wasn't Tony's fault at all.
yes, it was an accident.
It is and isnt his fault at the same time. I dont think Tony did anything intentionally, i just think he wanted to see how much damage was done, then at the last second he sees Kevin and panics and cut the wheel too hard and gassed it causing his RR to hit Kevin. I used to hate Tony before this accident, well Tony the Driver that is. No one wants the driver they dont like put in this situation.
@Bizz4r2m0ke I thought Tony sideswiped Ward and took him out in the first place, which is what angered Ward and got him out of his car. Then all the other cars avoided Ward except for Tony who hit him (but was probably trying to just scare him).
I didn't know Tony was just minding his own business and passing by checking out the damage. I thought his actions played a big role in the circumstances & outcome, as much as Ward's did.
Ok,Ok,Ok but why did Tony ride higher on the track than the other drivers while on caution, fast enough to have to gun his throttle to steer away from the man in black. Two sides to the situation, besides Tony's reputation sure makes it like an accident that had issues to be considered. All said and done, Tony is a hero driver in many fans eyes, he can do no wrong and others think he is a little jerk. He kissed up the the right people and they figured out a way to not condemn him in the sport of his peers.
@@dekem7137 In the end.....Tony killed Ward
Dan Patrick does great work
Ya…right up til point the doofus arbitrarily declared the ‘noose’ was “plainly and simply a hate crime”. Kneejerk reaction that only an idiot would make..or a weak coward bending his knee to the mob
I come at this with a unique perspective not many others have. #1 I've watched motorsports of ALL kinds for 30+ years. #2 I worked on dirt cars at the same tracks in Upstate NY where Kevin raced (I was not at Canandaigua when this happened) #3 I became credentialed Media for 7 years, covering those Upstate NY dirt tracks for multiple regional publications and #4 I've seen Tony race at those tracks before. I understand how a sprint car operates and most importantly, I understand the mindset of a racer. Kevin made a lot of poor decisions that night. He WAS a good KID. But Kids don't belong in full bore race cars if they can't handle the responsibility of operating a land bound missile, which is EXACTLY what a race car is.
He was under the influence of marijuana. He made the decision to approach a moving race car that DOES NOT TURN AT ALL without the throttle being applied. The wing causes compromised visibility out the right side of the car. Tony didn't see Kevin until the last second, when Kevin literally JUMPED at his moving car to try and surf his nerf bar on the right side of the car and punch Tony. When he did see Kevin, Tony hit the gas to AVOID KEVIN not run him over.
People who don't understand these cars, aren't paying attention to that movie CARS. Remember "Turn right to go left?" Remember that?! Well that's the ONLY way these cars operate. Tony had to kick the backside of his car out with the throttle to have ANY CHANCE of avoiding Kevin. Sadly, the right rear kicking out still caught Kevin. If Tony hadn't done that, Kevin would've been hit by the center of the front end of that car.
Tony only did one thing and one thing only wrong. He showed up to race with the Empire Super Sprint Series. After knowing some of the people involved with that series and other series in the area for as long as I have, I'm not shocked that someone high on weed was not only allowed to operate a race car, but was then supported by that entire racing community as if he had no fault in his own demise. Again Kevin Ward Jr. was a good KID, but he was an irresponsible racer, and so was the racing community he raced in. And I'll go to my damn grave having that opinion. And anyone from Upstate NY who wants to challenge that opinion BETTER COME WITH BIG FACTS or just keep quiet.
I live just outside Canandaigua and was there sitting as far into turn 1 as the grandstands allow.
It was evident Kevin wanted his 15mins of fame. And sealed his own fate.
I also am friends with a couple racers. None in that series. They both run the modifies there.
Both those racers say there are more guys on the track high than not. Smoking weed is a common thing in the pits there. As I'm told. I never spent any time in the pits myself to confirm that. But they have no reason to lie to me about it.
Well said save it for after the race if you want but you endanger yourself and everyone at the track being under the influence driving those cars
Lots of lies in this ....
@@scarecrow_9895 NOT. FUCKING. ONE. If you're gonna call me a liar, then you back it up, or fuck off.
This is perfectly explained and plain and simple what happened. 100% hopefully people will take the time to learn something from you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and expertise something that is rarely seen in a comment section.
The same way you don't get out of your car during a road rage incident, you STAY IN YOUR CAR until the safety crew gets there on the racetrack.
Wow... " I wouldn't wish what I had to go through on my worst enemy" kinda tells you something. Its about Tony period. Never mind the kids family and what they went through look at what I had to go through is his answer. The whole field made it by but Tony. All turning without throttling up.
What an incredible job by Dan Patrick.
I wish he had been doing this type of show for the last twenty years.
As someone whos watched alot of sprint car racing, and who has spoken to many drivers who told me how a sprint car drives, imma shed some light for those who think tony drove up into him, in order to turn one of those cars you have to hit the gas pedal, which is why you hear tony gasing it when he hits him, now the obvious thing is KWJ shouldve never walked down the track the way he did, and hes the reason the rule is so emphasized now, as sorry as i am for the ward family’s loss, A. They handled this absolutely horribly, and B. I hate to say it, but 90% of the blame is on Kevin, but the family will never admit that
I don't think Tony was very comfortable answering these questions. You can clearly tell he's uneasy about it
Regardless of Tony's intentions, the kid went onto a live race track. He put himself in a situation where it was possible to get hit.
Tony is a good guy, and he has done a lot for racing in the US, and especially dirt tracks that would have gone under otherwise.
He's a woman beater
Tony Stewart is "Billy Hardass". He doesn't hide his feelings. Period. Watching his eyes, his face, and listening to his voice, this CRUSHED him. In that chair. In that moment, he was still not yet through processing it.....
What planet are you from?
He never should have been sued. Kevin was to blame 100%
First mistake was to get out of the car at night in a dark suit.
Then jump in front of Tony to make a point that he was pissed off at him.
I find Tony to be a bit of an a hole sometimes when you grab another driver half your size by the neck
you need to re evaluate you decision and temper process. but there is no way it was his fault that
this kid died.
Happened in my small hometown of Canandaigua. Still crazy to think
Small world. I raced against Tony and Rick Crawford in iRacing back in 2017. Both in the same race in a rookie masher race. I know for a fact it was the real Tony because he started to cuss against some kid that wrecked him, then the same kid reminded him of Kevin and he went bananas on the chat LMAO
Kevin should’ve waited for the safety crew to come and then confront Tony
Facts.
The way Tony described the cause of the accident was similar to my own car accident I also had in that same year, 2014. I was on my way to an appointment in a part of town I wasn't familiar with, and I was trying to look around corners to try to recognize which right turn was the right turn I needed to take. I looked to my right at one intersection and a police Tahoe that was blocking the road caught my attention for a split second more, and then I piled right into the back of a Mazda that ended up getting pushed forward into the bumper of the next car. This was on an incline, and I remember being disoriented and rolling backwards for a second before I realized I needed to 'lock it down,' to borrow a NASCAR term.
The other guy screwed up in multiple ways. His parents should have never sued.
But they did, and won. Settlement is said to be in the 8 figure range.
The settlement happened 6 years ago and was never disclosed.@@Stevonoles1
@@Stevonoles1 They didn't exactly win, it was settled out of court. The Ward's were losing lawyers and a lot of money trying to fight it. Tony probably wanted done with it and gave them an amount of money just to be done with it and stop having to go to New York for court.
I personally think Tony would have helped the family whether it went to court or not. He’s had a history of doing the right thing & taking care of people. He can afford the monetary price, but the emotional price is something none of us can ever truly “pay”.
I was a season ticket holder that year but on that night I was not there due to a family emergency
I hit someone going 55 mph walking down the middle of the lane on a four lane highway at 11 pm in all black in the rain. Wasn’t my fault but it still fucked me up for a long time
While I'm aware that a criminal court decided in Tony's favor on the charges of 2nd degree homicide and criminally negligent homicide, and while I am not a judge or attorney, I will always disagree with those rulings. And yes...Kevin Ward contributed to his own death by first making the decision to get out of his car before first responders told him to do so and then further contributed to his own death by advancing down the track into the line used by cars under caution. I understand how sprint cars are driven. Their angle of attack and direction is controlled with the accelerator and brake as much as the steering wheel. When you watch the video of the incident. All of the cars in front of Tony came through the area where Ward had crashed and then once the first car saw Ward himself on the track, they dropped down to the lower part of the track (left side) and you can then watch as each car after that also dipped down lower to give Ward plenty of room. When you're in a line like that under caution and you see the guy in front of you move left or right, you follow because there is likely a very good reason to do so. Usually, they are avoiding debris or fluid. But when Tony comes through he does not dip down. And not only does he not dip down to the left, he inexplicably hits the gas, causing his rear end to move to the right and his right rear tire strikes Ward and kills him. Did he intend to strike him? I don't think so, but no one can know someone else's intent unless that person announces their intent prior to doing so. These kinds of post-crash incidents are common in many forms of motorsports. My speculation was that Tony stepped his rear end out like that to scare Ward and misjudged it and struck him. Again, there is just no reason to step on the gas so forcefully there under caution when you admit you saw someone close to you on the track. So, innocent of criminal charges and Tony settled out of court on the wrongful death lawsuit. On the one hand, I would say that he is very, very lucky. Lucky that he can afford the lawyers he can, lucky that the jury found him not guilty and lucky that he could stroke a check to the Ward family and end this. I have no doubt given the person Tony is, he lives with this everyday and he has been forever changed by this. I would also say that while motorsports have rich and specialized traditions all over the world and when it comes to sprint cars, the local amateurs enjoy competing against professionals in the Saturday night feature. But, I just think when you have a sport where death can be the ultimate penalty, amateurs should not be racing against professionals.
You said it perfectly! He could’ve avoided that young man but he was being hot headed and accelerated without turning away from that poor young man . I certainly don’t think Tony meant to cause his death but that was the end result .
This comment summarizes it all. Rules should be set to limit driver's age in ALL divisions. Guess why Gragson and Hocevar are hated? Hot headed young guns, They are lucky the new cars are super safe. But young hot heads have no business with old temperamental dogs, it's a recipe for disaster
I remember the mainstream media dragging Tony though shit over this and I remember watching the replay at the time thinking it was an unfortunate incident but Tony was in no way at fault for the death.
First rule in racing stay in your car unless your burning alive and on fire
I hated this for Tony. I could not imagine what he went through.
Oh about 10 million since then😊
And don't forget he went through about 40,000 Big Macs and 400,000 dozen donuts😊
Tony actually looks remorseful and really seems genuine
Of course he does. He's trying to keep his money and his freedom 🤔
That's guilt at its finest. He knew he could've should've done any other thing but rev up and try to "rattle the cage" of some dumb stoner kid. He never learned his lesson, that's why him and his tempers became a meme thanks to Newman and iRacing.
If Tony wasnt known as being a hot head driver, especially on dirt, some might believe he didnt try and do that.
I dont think he tried to kill him but it looked like Tony wanted to hurt or spray him with mud. Even though I think he is a jerk no way would he want to kill him
@@TheNinjaPickerThe thing no one is picking up on is that Tony And Kevin never made contact during the race. Tony had no clue what the caution was for. As he went by he was looking at Kevin's car, and didn't even see Kevin on the track till it was too late.
He "tried" to brush him back..Cup champion showing his ass in a sprint car race....It would have been cool if he hadn't hit him. Tony has always been a crazy bastard losing his cool all the time. Now his soul is doomed..not for hitting Ward...He didn't mean to kill him...but for the Lie he lives.
@@Groundhog-Jam-BandStill doesn't justify that Kevin Ward shouldn't have even been out there in the first place. It's illegal to operate machinery under the influence of drugs. Kevin was under the influence of weed that night. It was enough to impair his decision making.
It’s a tragedy but it’s not like Tony was out that night to kill Kevin. Kevin made his own conscious decision to go onto a busy track just after crashing and it proved to be fatal. It was really just fate Tony hit him it could have been really anyone racing on that track. It’s a terrible tragedy for everyone involved.
The last two drivers of the 14 car have hit and killed someone. Stewart and Bowyer. Hopefully all involved have or can find peace.
I hate that Tony & Clint have to share this experience, slightly different circumstances but the end result was the same. None of us can know what they’ve dealt with privately, but I believe that as friends they’ve helped each other as best they can. I’d like to think Tony was the first person Clint called that day knowing he had dealt with basically the same thing.
I had forgotten about Clint's deal.
@@nathanstroud2223 it was kept out of the public as best they could. I think Pocky tweeted about it but that’s his job to share the news. Everyone was very respectful & I didn’t see anybody making accusations about Bowyer, not even the mainstream media. The same exact situation Clint dealt with happened in our little down. Dark street, dark clothing & the driver legitimately did not see the person walking. Nothing “legally” ever happened that I’m aware of, but the driver got very shook up, just like any of us would be.
@@joshiles There was also a similar incident involving former Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim. Dwayne Haskins walked out in front of traffic and got killed. This sort of thing happens a lot.
@@joshilesIf I remember correctly we didn't know about it for like two weeks. Clint has a very good inner circle for not leaking anything, allowing Clint/the family to grieve privately, and allowing the police to do their job without the press getting in the way.
Kevin ward killed himself by walking into oncoming traffic. Never get out of your race car unless it’s on fire.
100
How does he get away with this!?
With all the hate he got from the media for something that mostly isn't really his fault I am glad he was able to at least start racing again shortly.
Tony most likely never intended to run over the kid, that's just my thoughts anyways, my condolences to his family and i hope they live through this sad tragedy.
Kevins death is sad. But, his death was his fault. He left his vehicle, to dash in front of cars on an ACTIVE track. Kevin had the emotional maturity of a ten year old, and had THC in his system. This was all Kevin's fault. Period.
alcohol is what nakes you act irrationally, not THC.
@@2MuckinFuch no this pot is not your dad pot. these black all up with weed doing drive by
@@nunya2779 Can you repeat that in English please? 🤣
In regards to the THC. It is not allowed by the sanctioning body. He lied when asked about drug use. So, he shouldn't have even been racing.
@@davidwood2205 what does that matter? He wasn't racing stoned. THC has absolutely no connection to what lead to his death... so why bring it up in a discussion about his death?
Something tells me that Tony had already made enemies with the media given how they treated him in the aftermath of that incident. I'm bearing in mind how he would handle reporters while in nascar, and if you've seen that you'll know exactly what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean. If is had been another driver, other than Stewart, I likely would have given that driver the benefit of the doubt. But Tony is a conceited, vindictive prick who has been through anger management programs in NASCAR, and for good reason. Try watching hid actions for the last 20 years.
@@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 Newman was always right
Kevin Ward Jr. got himself killed by doing something stupid, end story. If he hadn't got out of that car, he'd be alive today. It was HIS choice to get out and throw a tantrum, which got him killed for it.
DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR unless it is on fire. Drivers rule. If someone jumps in a fire are you going to blame the guy that started it?
Night race. Poorly lit track. Young hothead in a black fire suit who’s gonna “give that 3 time NASCAR champion a piece of my mind”. I don’t even care for Tony Stewart that much. Kevin Ward committed suicide.
So you're gonna call ward a hothead, but not the OG hothead himself?? Are you serious? Look at tonys history...its endless with his on & off the track hothead fake tough guy bullshit. Im actually surprised he wasn't involved in something like this numerous times.
....yet the karma caught up to him eventually....ef Stewart!!!
@@King5150Ed Sit down sally. Acting all tough while sitting at a keyboard. you're a poor excuse for a man
@@King5150Ed Ef you retard.
@@King5150EdYou sound retarded
@@King5150Ed Last time I checked, Stewart never put himself or anyone in harm's over being a "hothead". So cut the shit
There is a lot of emotion in sports,that's what it's about, sometimes it escalates beyond safety,that's how people get hurt 🤕
very sad but should have never got out of that car its even dangerous for the safety workers out there
Very sad event.
Just watched the crash and I don't really see how Stuart could not have seen him. He was far ahead of the car so if he was looking at the car he would have seen him in the way..
Tony Stewart is a goddamn Liar and a Murderer, is how.
Never driven on a dirt track at night have ya
He didn’t mean to hit him just scare him since he was out of the car he can’t go to jail he just had to pay
Yea but that doesn't really matter. If you try to scare someone with a gun and end up shooting and killing them, do you honestly think a judge/jury will say, "well he didn't mean to kill him, he was just trying to scare him. Case dismissed."?
I remember seeing it at the time. It was dark outside, he was wearing a black racesuit, and he was walking perpindicular to the racecourse from his car to the inside. Anyone who came near him wasn't going to see him.
Then how the whole field but Tony passed him?
What's NOT mentioned, Ward had a quantity of THC in his blood that could ONLY had been at that level from consuming it WHILE AT THE TRACK. Not from hours or days prior to strapping in. From the autopsy report.
Weed isn’t going to cause someone to get out of their race car.
@@edwardrichard2561Then why are their rules about no drugs while operating a vehicle bud?
@@mikemancini313 because people randomly get out of their vehicles…
@@mikemancini313It's not mentioned because it's not known if it actually had an impact on him getting out. Adrenaline is a drug that might actually cause someone to get out of the car.
@@radioactivetrees9626 Drugs absolutely lead to impairedness. That's a lie. There was an engineer driving a BNSF train in 2006 when he collided head on with another train. The train operators went through their safety procedures and drug tests and one the engineers tested positive for crack cocaine. (There was traces in his system.) Doesn't matter if you feel fine. It's illegal to operate motor vehicles under the influence of drugs no matter how harmless it might seem. This guy also could've waited on the side of the track instead of going on his ego-infested walk to point and get another driver's attention. You do stupid things, you win stupid prizes...
The minute Kevin left his car the die was cast. Everything that followed was triggered by that mistake..
Wards parents didn't have to sue Tony, he would have contributed in Wards honor. Tony has a big heart.
He has a history of doing the right thing quietly. Yes on the track he & AJ have a lot more in common than a car number, but look at Gordon at the end of his career. No not Robbie, that was his entire career. Jeff got fired up a number of times. I Never saw Jimmie Johnson or Mark Martin do it, but those 2 are the exception.
only in the USA can you sue someone because you (or in this case their son) did something ridiculously stupid and got hurt in the process .. Absolutel joke! Especially when it was all on video
I don't think Tony is as bad a guy as some people make him out to be.
After a crash you get out of your car; if it’s on Fire 🔥 or the race track officials tell you it’s safe to do so.
so if the car is on fire and you get out you don't get killed good to know
I am very sorry this young man died; but the sad fact is His own actions lead to His death 💀.
@dirtracer64
Okay.
How come Tony hit him and nobody else. Watch the incident again. At precisely what time do you hear throttle and see see the ass end of Tony's car slide down 3 ft.
The back drop.
Tony has had multiple hot head incidents and assaults on and off the track.
Only Kevin's family friends and Tony have to live with what happened.
@@mikes.1882 Not Ton'y fault whatsoever.
Comeon... you're smarter than that??? you know what he's saying
@@TheBuba1212
How many times did stewart get out of his car during a caution after he got wrecked? Throwing a helmet or other equipment? So many hypocritical stewart fans here. He killed that kid period.
YES Kevin was influenced by Tony's antics, he though "If the bull can do it, Why I can't" It is easy to make bold decisions while on 3CHI influence, but still, Tony could've should've slowed down and ignore Kevin.
yeah.. didnt know anything about it. you could clearly hear him rev up when he hit the kid. dont think he intended to hit him but tony hothead definitely was playing a game. a dangerous game and got bit. but he walked on it... couldnt stand a young guy challenging him in front of everyone.
Kevin Ward should have never left his car, by leaving the car he instigated the entire situation. I don’t believe Mr. Stewart did anything with malice, but I have always wondered and wanted his thoughts on why in the video does it sound like he goosed the throttle? Was he trying goose it in a desperate last second attempt to avoid hitting him or was he going to mess with him and throw dirt on the kid and just misjudged it.
Did anyone realize he was on drugs. Tony is not the kind of person to do harm to anyone. He’s a hard nose racer and yes Ward should have never gotten out of his car. Stewart was and still is the best wheelman in racing
Not only was he high, but he had a completely black fire suit, black helmet. Plus, it was a night race.
Not a well lighted track to say the least. @@number1musichater430
For real. and obviously Stewart has had some hothead moments and done a lot of stupid thing but never once has he ever tried to intentionally hurt anyone. It's crazy how a drug addict was high, and walked down the darkest part of an already dark track, almost gets hit by the 45 car, and then proceeds to keep going and boom.
He had some thc in his system. You’re reaching
Weed stays in your system for 30 days and it's not going to affect your performance on a racetrack @@number1musichater430
TONY STEWART (TAURUS) (THE BULL)🐂 IS AWESOME JUST LOVE HIM
Poor old Smoke. He had a really tough time dealing with this. It really tore him up both emotionally and physically. He made an appearence at Basspro Shops in Bristol, TN and he looked awful. He looked like he had not ate or slept in days and you could tell that he didn't want to be there because of this accident. Smoke did settle the lawsuit out of court and he also did pay for Kevin Ward's funeral without telling the family about it.
you are lying , he did not pay for the funeral, im sure if you check with the funeral home they might tell you, but im also sure you made this up so you wouldn't dare check. his family hates tony and i don't blame them and im pretty sure they had control over the funeral, maybe you should ask someone at a funeral home how that works.
Smoke is not a bad guy, but he has bull tempers that have played wrong against him due to his explosiveness. That's why he is happy drag racing with his wife. It is a more peaceful environment were no manhandling is done like in oval and dirt racing. I'm glad he aknowledges his guilt on taking a life and that he made the right choices to keep himself free. But he never should've used the 3CHI as a scapegoat. That's why Karma charged him on him not being able to hire Larson and eventually loosing his team.
i feel so bad for tony, hes such an awesome and genuine guy, like he said i wouldnt wish that kind of situation on my worst enemy
Tony ran that kid up the track an into the rail. All the other drivers slowed while passing him while he was out of the car, except Tony. Tony passed by twice an got closer an faster each time till he hit him.
As long as that idiot pothead is no longer with us, thats all that matters.
Are you high too?
Why would you get out of the car while the race is still going on?
Tony has to live with what he did. I would hate to be Tony.
Trust me internet loser, nobody, poor boy, ...Tony would hate to be YOU.
I'd love to be Tony....Millionaire with ahot wife who races? Sign me up!
Rule Number 1 - don't go running on race tracks
Tony is a winner and I like him!
Kevin Ward, the kind of guy to go skydiving without a parachute. Darwin award winner. Doesnt get much dumber than to PURPOSELY DEFY THE RULES IN PLACE, that are there TO PREVENT PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED!
He wasn’t trying to hit but definitely wanted him to know he had the biggest ego at the track. And the lighting at Canandaigua is very good. In original video you could see the leaves in the trees 100 yards off the track moving. Everytime video is copied it looses a little quality.
With the visibility Tony would have had he would have had anywhere from maybe to seconds to react. Which he did he goosed the throttle to attempt to turn left. Unfortunately when he did the rear tires didn't get clear fast enough and a momentary lapse in judgment became a fatal mistake.
Tony killed that kid!
All I'll say is watch the video folks. The camera is the witness that never lies.
Yup, Ward's fault 100%.
There is a better video not released from turn 1 grandstands. Shows even more detail. It was shot near where I was sitting. So i saw that angle live.
The police used that video in their investigation. That's why it was never released to the public.
It was clear that it was 99% Kevin fault. That's why no charges.
Kid make bad decisions. Tony sees him last second does all he can to a avoid hitting him. Unfortunately it was to late. Looks bad to anyone that does not know how a sprint car operates.
People like this commenter are miserable with their own lives, so go on videos like this to comment, bring others down and feel taller.
@@Christoffski You got that right. They wouldn't know the difference between a checkered flag and a holding penalty.
Tony is one of my favorite sportsmen, full stop. Love ya smoke.
After he stabbed the throttle and wrapped Kevin around his tire he knew he was dead. I sat in the stands and watched it happen. Saw the people at the fence crying. He totally tried to intimidate Ward and misjudged his distance as he stabbed trouble. If was horrible to see.
I laugh when I see it. Darwin award winner. Doesnt get much dumber than to PURPOSELY DEFY THE RULES IN PLACE, that are there TO PREVENT PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED!
Smoke is a class guy.
just proves you shouldn't be on a race track under the influence of drugs the kid learned the hard way
Tony absolutely gases it trying to scare Kevin
Odd, but a district attorney and a sheriff called it an ACCIDENT. How much time do you have driving sprint cars?
you have to gas it to steer the car. its called rear steer genius.
@@dalton5903 under cation you don’t steer with the rear
@@stevehicks8944 I agree it was a terrible accident
@@jdbauer9183 and you obviously know nothing of dirt track racing. and it's sad that I have to explain it to you when you could use common sense.
By steering I mean using the throttle and Right rear wheel of the sprint car to turn left..These cars go in circles so they have a way bigger right rear wheel to steer the car.
When you're going fast on the dirt you're not gonna be able to turn a 2ton car with the front wheels. Which Is why Tony "gases" it like you said but you're point is completely invalid because you're ignorant to these cars.
Kevin ward's problem was being stupid enough to think he could get in front of a 410ci sprint car thinking it'll stop on a dime. Tony ran him up the track and Kevin thought he could get mad and fight Tony because he's a popular driver, and ended up getting ran over because of his anger issues and his pride.
I never liked Tony Stewart due to his arrogant attitude towards racers he had incidents with. He struck me as a bit of a punk. This tragedy seems to have changed him fundamentally for the better, as he has been a much nicer guy since. Sometimes the world teaches harsh lessons.
The world still teaching him a lesson, that's why he lost his team.
He freaking hit the gas trying to be cool and spray Kevin!!! You know better Tony!!!!
That's exactly what happened.
Wrong. Try again smoothbrain.
Here's my unpopular take. Ward and Stewart got in their tangle, Ward got out to scold Stewart, Stewart wanted to give the kid a little scare by punching the gas as he drove by, back end steps out and catches the kid. At that speed, taking the setup of the car (stagger, camber, etc), slightly turning left, slight banking, etc., an experienced driver would NOT hit the gas to turn left. At that speed you turn the wheel to steer the car. At racing speed you throttle it to get the back end around but not at low speed so everybody can drop that argument. Show me one example of a driver steering the car with the throttle at pace car speed. That's not how it works. Mr Grumpypants didn't mean to hit the kid but he did mean to scare him.
You have no idea how cars handle differently on dirt and it shows man :/
He meant to rattle his cage, but he sent him to Dael so he could smoke some 3CHI together lmao
Damn.........
If you watch the video you can hear Stewart stomp on the gas pedal just as he passes the guy on the track. I do not think he meant to kill the other driver but his hot head made him try to scare the other driver. But his rear wheels kicked out as he hit the gas and he ran over the other driver. It amazes me he is not in prison. And he should be.
Yes, he used his influence at the time to blame it all on the 3CHI. Newman was always right. I'm glad he was so outspoken agains his former boss and expose all his bull.
I'm sure this won't be popular with all the "Smoke" fans on this page, but these are the classic woe is me musings of a malignant sociopath. It's ALL about Tony.
Wrong.
That's an interesting point. From this interview he gives the impression that all of his sorrow is based on what he's going through. "This is a very unfortunate thing to have happened to me. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."
I feel for this guy! Man, he as thrown head on into this crap over some dumb kid with a temper.
I will always be on Tony Stewart’s side about what happened that night until I die.
Such a tragic situation for both sides. Especially Tony. The fact that he has to live with that is unfortunate.
I wish the Ward family can accept that the accident was tragic and his potheaded son was in the wrong. I wish Kevin Ward Jr wasn’t in Tony’s way that night. Kevin would be in the World of Outlaws if he didn’t walk in Tony’s way that night in a black firesuit.
Why did he pay a settlement if he was never charged. Did he think a jury would have convicted him?