Tony Stewart...hot-head or accident?

[cadaverdog]

He dropped down because he had a clear view of what was unfolding it looks like - saw he shoudl get low to avoid the kid...we need another angle to be certain

I agree but you commented on that post before I finished it. I'm stoned and I hit post by accident. Another angle that shows Tony's car before he hit the kid might make it clearer as to any fault he has in it.

[cadaverdog]

Did he? Just watched it again...just gruesome. His hand was extended...what was he going to do with that hand? How close was he intending? One foot? Two inches? Make contact with the car and Tony? I am certain Tony revved it to kick the rear wheel away from him which he accomplished and not make a point...it extends farther than any other part of the car and so he knew to avoid hitting him with that rear tire that was what needed to happen.

It also kind of appears from that view that he got in front of Tony's car. At some point the deceased has got to take a large share of the blame for what happened. Sorry but it is the truth. Putting yourself in front of a race car is asinine and we are piling on Tony because he was unable to avoid him.

He jumped further and further into the fray of oncoming moving racecars.

Since we can't see what line Tony was taking as he entered the corner we can't see how close the kid was trying to get. If Tony's car was taking a line closer to the inside of the track and the kid stepped a little closer that doesn't prove he intended to grab the car or smack Tony upside the head. I already said the kid should have stayed behind his car and thrown his helmut or a dirt clod at him quite a few posts ago so I don't think the kid is totally blameless in this either.

[DONNIEP]

Look, I'm not a Tony Stewart fan. But even I don't wanna see his life destroyed because of some freak accident.

We can all sit here all day long and talk about how you can't steer a sprint car at low speeds. Well guess what? You sure as shit can steer a sprint car at low speeds. And all this talk of how the rear tires overdrive the fronts and how you can't steer it without throttle is bullshit. We're talking 35 miles an hour here - not 60 or 70 or more. You don't need down force to steer a hopped up go kart at 35 miles an hour. And if the other cars could turn left at 35 miles an hour, how come Tony's car couldn't? Lemme guess, in every sprint car race, every time they have a caution, the cars all just become undriveable and slam into each other?? How do they finish a race? I mean, they gotta slow down at some point and drive off the track, right? What, they just all let off the gas and pile into the fence or into each other and the crews spend an hour pulling them all apart? Every single fucking time? How in the hell do they steer the cars to line back up after a caution?

I don't for a minute think Tony set out to hurt or kill this kid. I think the kid was too goddamn far down on the track. And I think Tony either did not see him or decided to send a little message. And I'm talking about a sling some dirt or make him jump back message - not kill the damn kid. But all this talk of how you can't steer one of those cars unless you're hauling ass is bullshit.

[Nitro Express]

It was a question dumbass...

How long should life go on hold for a tragic death..? What's appropriate..?

As I type this over 88,000 have died today... over 35.6 million this year. How long does the world go on-hold for 1, 20 year old kid?

I say get on with life. Get on with it! You know a pretty good percentage of that 80,000 were assholes. Makes me kind of warm and fuzzy knowing they are no longer with us making people miserable.

[CVH Rulz]

Latest word is he will be holding a presser soon announcing his retirement from racing. Says he can't get back in a car.

[cadaverdog]

I don't for a minute think Tony set out to hurt or kill this kid. I think the kid was too goddamn far down on the track. And I think Tony either did not see him or decided to send a little message. And I'm talking about a sling some dirt or make him jump back message - not kill the damn kid. But all this talk of how you can't steer one of those cars unless you're hauling ass is bullshit.

I think he saw him. I also think he gassed his car and pitched it towards him to send him a message. I wonder if anyone caught anything over the radio that might shed a light on this. If someone told Stewart the kid was out of his car waiting for him the whole he didn't see him story goes out the window. They have radios in most of the late models at the local track here and they're a few steps down from these cars.

[ashstralia]

I believe you are correct c dog. The kid is an idiot for getting on the track though, tough luck. He fucked up big time.

[ashstralia]

Here's one of ours from a few years ago....please compare!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sYZWMBY180A

[ZahZoo]

All the talk about how those cars are impossible to steer at low speeds, yeah what the fuck ever. The other guys weren't having any problem steering.

Come on... watch the video again. The kid spins out... most the field drives by his car which is NOT in the racing groove... while he's unbuckling himself and climbing out of his car.

When he runs down the track into the racing groove... he encounters only two cars... the first car swerved to avoid him... then there was Stewart's car directly behind the 1st car.

The rest of the field was NOT in the area the kid was struck.

[ZahZoo]

I think he saw him. I also think he gassed his car and pitched it towards him to send him a message. I wonder if anyone caught anything over the radio that might shed a light on this. If someone told Stewart the kid was out of his car waiting for him the whole he didn't see him story goes out the window. They have radios in most of the late models at the local track here and they're a few steps down from these cars.

Go watch the video I posted several posts back from FoxSports with Erin Evernham... In Sprint Car racing the drivers only have a 1-Way receiver and the only thing they receive on the radio is from Race Control indicating cautions, position line-ups, etc. There are NO spotters, NO Crew transmissions and no way for the drivers/crews to communicate with anyone.

[ZahZoo]

Latest word is he will be holding a presser soon announcing his retirement from racing. Says he can't get back in a car.

There's nothing in any of the racing media this morning even hinting at this. They're on track in Michigan right now (8:00am CDT) in the first of 2 practice sessions for Sprint Cup. I'd say what you heard is bullshit...

[Kristy]

Love to hear he has been arrested and charged.

[cadaverdog]

There's nothing in any of the racing media this morning even hinting at this. They're on track in Michigan right now (8:00am CDT) in the first of 2 practice sessions for Sprint Cup. I'd say what you heard is bullshit...

I just assumed he (or she) made that up. Possibly an attempt at humor. Nothing wrong with a little humor once in awhile.

[cadaverdog]

Go watch the video I posted several posts back from FoxSports with Erin Evernham... In Sprint Car racing the drivers only have a 1-Way receiver and the only thing they receive on the radio is from Race Control indicating cautions, position line-ups, etc. There are NO spotters, NO Crew transmissions and no way for the drivers/crews to communicate with anyone.

At the local track, Willow Springs Speedway, they only have radios that can communicate from crew to driver and vice versa. Fans with scanners sometimes hear drivers plotting or threatening revenge on other drivers but I can't recall anyone wanting or trying to do more than inflict a little body damage to the car. One time a guy got out and tried to attack another driver in his car but one of the fire marshalls clothes lined the guy before he could get the guys side screen down. He's lucky someone interviened because the driver he attacked was twice his size.

[cadaverdog]

When he runs down the track into the racing groove... he encounters only two cars... the first car swerved to avoid him... then there was Stewart's car directly behind the 1st car.

The rest of the field was NOT in the area the kid was struck.

The car that passed before Tony was on a higher line but not as high as the line Tony took. There's a full two seconds after that car clears the kid and Tony's reachs him. I don't think any of the videos that have been posted so far are conclusive but I still think he gassed it coming around the corner because he saw the kid there and accidently ran him over.