Last night 20-year old sprint car driver Kevin Ward, Jr. was fatally injured when he was struck by another sprint car driven by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart. Our condolences go out to the Ward family, along with everyone else involved. Even with modern safety equipment and safer racing environments, this serves as a reminder of how dangerous racing can be. Here are the facts that we know as of press time.
- Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward’s cars collided on the track, causing Ward to spin out into the outer wall of the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York.
- Ward, apparently angered by the incident, climbs out of his car before safety workers arrive.
- Ward, looking for Stewart’s car to show his displeasure, walks closer to the line of traffic, which is under caution.
- After one car passes by close to Ward, Stewarts car strikes and fatally injures Ward. He’s pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Stewart was questioned by local authorities and was said to be “cooperating fully” with their investigation. According to the LA Times this afternoon, the sheriff of Canadaigua county says there’s no evidence of “criminal intent” and that Stewart will make himself available for additional questioning if necessary.
It was originally reported that Tony Stewart would run in today’s NASCAR Cheez-It 355 race at Watkins Glen, but Stewarts team announced this morning that he would be sitting the race out. Reports also state that Stewart is emotionally devastated by the events. He released this official statement earlier.
“There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at WGI. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Anything beyond that is speculation and conjecture at this point. Stewart has not publicly talked about the incident. It should be noted that sprint cars, with solid rear axels, behave differently than most other types of race cars, and significantly different than street cars. Tony Stewart also owns the Eldora Speedway in Ohio that frequently hosts sprint car races, and Stewart is an experienced sprint car driver. Over the coming days and weeks, blame with placed on both drivers, either rightfully or wrongfully. Some have suggested that his hot headedness lead to this incident, but motivations and criminal charges, if any, are left up to the district attorney to decide.
Be sure to give Ward’s bio on his site a read. He had been racing his entire life and had a promising future in the sport. It is a sad day for the motorsports community.
We will keep you updated as the story develops.
Chad Kirchner is a freelance automotive journalist with a sincere passion for the industry and helping people. He’s a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Texas Auto Writers Association. When not writing about the latest automotive news or vehicles, you can catch him at car shows around the country. Be sure to check him out on social media, including Google+, Twitter, and his website.
