Tony Stewart hits, kills on-foot driver
- Thread starter spliff45
- Start date
Absolutely not, IMHO. I just watched the video (linked below if you have the stomach for it) - the guy should have never, ever been out of his car in that circumstance. Unless there is a fire, you need to stay where you are - safely buckled into a highly engineered survival cell (the only safe place to be on a race track) - until the safety crew gets to you. To get out of the car like that is big mistake #1...big mistake #2 was putting on the WWE act, which is likely what got him killed (experienced drivers say 1 mistake is rarely enough to cause you problems - it's generally several mistakes compounded into a disaster). If Stewart came around that corner and saw the guy coming towards him, he likely tried to swerve to avoid him, lost control, & clipped the guy.
If Tony had an onboard camera, then you could try to evaluate his steering inputs & ascertain if he make an aggressive move towards the guy on foot - but even then, intent would still be difficult to prove I think (and even if it DID look like he swerved towards him on purpose or something - which personally I kind of doubt - you would have to go back to this guy REALLY asking for problems by (1) getting out and (2) putting on the WWE act).
(Warning - following video shows the guy getting rag dolled & then laying unresponsive on the track)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qILmIyG6qno
That sums it up really well, I think. This guy was probably trying to get some face time on YouTube or race highlights - very stupid move and very sad he didn't survive it but you have to hope with the publicity this is getting it will serve as a warning to other drivers - you're told to STAY IN THE CAR for a reason.
Stewart is the type to say exactly what he's thinking which has ruffled feathers over the years, but the fact is - on the track - he is a total pro. He knows what's in and out of bounds racing and no way in hell (IMO) he does something like this on purpose in some rinky-dink sprint car series to jeopardize his multi million dollar racing career.
This guy was WAY down the track by the time Stewart exited that corner.
WildTurkey
Well-Known Member
Just a sad deal all around. That's life. Prayers for the Ward family and the Stewarts. I'm sure Tony is full of gut rot right now.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
Tony's not racing today per ESPN.
Eda
Well-Known Member
Prolly best to not race. I must admit to thinking it was weird when his crew chief (I believe that's who was quoted) said he would race, and that it'd be "business" as usual. I know TS needs a win/points to make the chase, but just take the wkend off and get right in the head.
tksirius
HN's Love Doctor
[h=1]Survival of the fittest[/h]
NCHawker
Well-Known Member
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
i think the fishtailing people are seeing is from Ward hitting the cars' wing and not from him gunning the engine.
in no way is stewart at fault here. who gets out of the car and walks into traffic on a racetrack?
the original accident. i don't think this accident was stewarts fault either - i think he was in the lead, had the line, and the other guy was out-of-place. but i'm not a race guy like i'm sure some of you on here are. thoughts?
(1) Very doubtful Stewart gave it any gas. The sound of acceleration you hear at the :34 mark is likely a car on the front straight (nearer to the camera) rather than from Stewart's car over on the back straight.
(2) As far as the car fishtailing as result of the impact with the guy, that's not possible. Physics-wise, the amount of weight/forward inertia being carried by the race car vs a 160-170 lb guy standing flat-footed would be a complete non-contest. The fishtailing almost certainly resulted from Stewart coming around that last turn and realizing he was about 3 tenths of a second away from impact with the guy - he tried to correct by slowing way down and steering a lot at once (resulting in the back end coming loose as all the weight shifted to the front tires).
(3) Lastly, not being a sprint car expert but being someone who watches a lot of racing, I think Imported's assessment of the original accident is spot on. Stewart exited that turn in the better position, so it's on the trailing driver to look the hell out because he should know as well as anybody that Stewart probably doesn't even know he's still there.
(2) As far as the car fishtailing as result of the impact with the guy, that's not possible. Physics-wise, the amount of weight/forward inertia being carried by the race car vs a 160-170 lb guy standing flat-footed would be a complete non-contest. The fishtailing almost certainly resulted from Stewart coming around that last turn and realizing he was about 3 tenths of a second away from impact with the guy - he tried to correct by slowing way down and steering a lot at once (resulting in the back end coming loose as all the weight shifted to the front tires).
(3) Lastly, not being a sprint car expert but being someone who watches a lot of racing, I think Imported's assessment of the original accident is spot on. Stewart exited that turn in the better position, so it's on the trailing driver to look the hell out because he should know as well as anybody that Stewart probably doesn't even know he's still there.
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Sparky
Well-Known Member
(1) You're right, Stewart didn't give it any gas. He was way to far from the camera for the sound to get there that fast.
(2) If you look frame by frame it doesn't look like Tony turns his front wheel, making me believe he didn't see him until the last minute or the guy jumped towards his car in the few frames we miss. Growing up in Knoxville and watching racing for most of my life it's not unbelievable that hitting something would cause the car to fishtail. Since the video is so grainy it's hard to tell but I think the car fishtails because his right rear tire is on top of the guy.
(3) You and Imported are right on. I'm not sure what place that Tony or the guy were in but Tony was sliding up the track to cut him off. In dirt racing the ground is like ice to the cars and they simply slide up the track towards the wall. A lot of the time the guy on the outside gets hit and run into the wall, which is what happened here.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
yeah, hitting the guy would not cause the fishtail. i agree with you - my initial reax was incorrect. i do agree with your assessment of the fishtail. i can not believe that he hit the gas to 'breeze' the guy. i think he probably didn't expect him (why would he). it was dark, the track is black and the guy is dressed in black. but stewart is taking a lot of flack from people on this. i don't see it myself.
did the back tail piece hit the guy? my initial reax was that that fin clipped his head, breaking his neck.
i just rewatched it. the guy looks to be right in front of stewarts car. the fishtail is to try to swerve/brake to avoid, not to go after. i also think he got hit by the front of the car first, and then got spun up into the tail piece.
i can't imagine there is anyway they will find fault with stewart. imo.
has anyone ever seen a guy get out of a car and swerve thru traffic on foot to confront a guy? i'm not a race fan, but i can't imagine this happens - this stuff is handled in the pits, gotta assume.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
and i don't think that motor rev is stewart - the camera is in the stands, so audio will be the loudest by the stands - it's a car that is passing by the stands, not across the track.
LG210
Well-Known Member
Completely disagree with "(1)" above.
(a) The camera guy is not at all far from the location of impact.
(b) Sound travels at roughly 1,125 feet per second. At the distance that the camera guy is at, there would be little to no perceptible distortion between sound/light.
(c) You can hear the blue car ahead of him throttle down.
(d) Notice how the camera shakes at the exact moment that each car passes in front of the camera.
(e) You can hear the squeal of Stewart's tire regaining traction on the pavement.
I don't think you can rule out that it was Stewart's car throttling up that is heard on the video.
The fish tailing appears to me to be a result of the accident--perhaps because, for a moment, only three wheels had traction on the pavement?
Tragic. So sad. The on-track confrontation stuff is too dangerous and needs to end.
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JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
"(e) You can hear the squeal of Stewart's tire regaining traction on the pavement. "
Pavement? It's a dirt track.
I dont think Stewart saw the guy until it was too late...the guy looks like he started to try to get out of the way as the car was coming at him.
Honestly, don't get out of your car and walk towards moving race cars. That's never a good idea
Pavement? It's a dirt track.
I dont think Stewart saw the guy until it was too late...the guy looks like he started to try to get out of the way as the car was coming at him.
Honestly, don't get out of your car and walk towards moving race cars. That's never a good idea
LG210
Well-Known Member
Sorry about misnaming the surface. Squeal nonetheless. Listen.
