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Tony Stewart kills 20 year old after running him over on the racetrack

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by Clark Kent, Aug 10, 2014.

  1. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think these drivers have radios in their ears. At one time, spotters could give a hand signal to a driver, (I used to do that), but I could never talk to my driver.
     
  2. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Drivers always "speed up" during a caution. Mainly to clean the tires and put heat back into them. See it all the time. Im sure Tony knew there was a car sitting up by the wall, but I still dont think he ever saw the kid. Even during a caution, there's still a lot on the drivers mind... Checking his gauges for example.

    Feel bad for the Ward family, but there's no excuse for Kevin to come down that far on the track.
     
  3. smahtaz

    smahtaz Pimpin Ain't Easy

    There are no caution flags in this kind of racing. Each heat is usually about 10 laps with the top 2 or 3 moving on the next heat. Each lap takes about 10 seconds and most of the time you're drifting sideways through the corners.

    Last month I was driving on I-95 after dark and the car in front of me swerved suddenly to the right. I was very lucky the thing he was trying to avoid was a empty cardboard box because I never saw it and hit it head on.
     
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  4. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    And this is what most people that are ripping Tony don't understand
     
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  5. McLovin

    McLovin Resident Pats fan.

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    Here is an answer to why he "gunned it"



    http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/local-racers-explain-sprint-cars-and-dangers/27403220

    so, by this description, to make the car pull to the left, you have to gas it, and that's the side that Stewart passed Ward on.
     
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  6. Fin-Omenal

    Fin-Omenal Initiated

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    There is little doubt in my mind he was trying to send a message, and it went incredibly wrong. He certainly didn't mean too kill the kid, but he also certainly wasn't just strolling around the track.
     
  7. Alex44

    Alex44 Boshosaurus Rex

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    If the law says that your two scenarios aren't criminal, the law needs to be looked at.

    However I don't think the scenarios are similar. I'd say a car is a dangerous weapon.
     
  8. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    FYI, Tony withdrew from this weeks sprint car race in Indiana. No word yet if we will run the NASCAR race.
     
  9. 305

    305 Brawndo Club Member

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    Get off my lawn.
    Upstate NY... completely different world haha Spent 6 years there
     
  10. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    My wife was born in Plattsburg NY......way diff then the "bronx" reputation the city has.
     
  11. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    There was a someone that came in here talking a little smack about car racing and a couple posts were deleted. My comment about where the race was kept. Lets just leave it at that....lol

    Another poster on here has stated that there was a "GoPro" camera inside Tony's car. The sheriff today said they have two videos and when asked about a camera inside Tonys car, he said there's not one.
     
  12. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    I've done a 180 on this. I went from thinking Stewart did it intentionally or at the very least trying to scare the kid, to thinking it's just a tragic accident.

    Those sprint cars are supposedly very difficult to handle at low speeds, and the kid was in the middle of the track. Just sad.
     
  13. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    Also, from what I understand, those sprint cars are like jet skis; you have to accelerate to turn. Otherwise you'll just skid
     
  14. sports24/7

    sports24/7 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The reports say otherwise.
    I have seen many of the race fans that are defending Stewart make statements like this one that suggest you have to understand how these types of races are and then you'll know why Tony did this and simply didn't see him. I can accept that I don't know as much as many of you guys about racing, but what gets me is there were other drivers who were right there that seem to feel like Stewart was messing with the kid and it all went wrong. Those guys know more than anyone what it's like and witnessed it first hand. That is what makes me question Stewart the most here. I truly hope that he did not see the kid and it was just a horrible tragedy (which it is regardless), but there are just a few too many reasons to question Stewart's intentions. Hopefully, one way or another the truth comes out.
     
  15. GridIronKing34

    GridIronKing34 Silently Judging You

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    I can't see Stewart being charged. I know plenty of drivers who race on those dirt tracks (because it's Iowa, nothing better to do) that seem to think that this happened because of the conditions and his tires locking up. They seem to feel that Stewart shouldn't be charged and I would listen to their input based on their experience with dirt tracks.
     
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  16. smahtaz

    smahtaz Pimpin Ain't Easy

    I don't know what to tell you. I've attended a few of these dirt track races and cars were bouncing off the walls all night long and I don't recall a single caution lap. I also don't recall seeing a driver walking down the center of the track toward other drivers trying to exit a turn sideways, so I can see how that would be deemed a dire situation.
     
  17. McLovin

    McLovin Resident Pats fan.

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    see article above from a 14 year veteran driver. it says exactly this.
     
  18. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Ive seen plenty of caution flags during heat races.
     
  19. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Cory Sparks, who is a friend of Kevin Ward Jr., tells the media that he was behind Tony when he hit Kevin. Cory goes on and says that Tony did everything he could to avoid Kevin. He also mentions that part of steering a sprint car is by using the rear tires.

    Cory, who is a friend of Kevin's is defending Tony.....fyi
     
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  20. Clark Kent

    Clark Kent Fighter of the Nightman

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    Caution flags: Of course there are caution flags for wrecked vehicles. Let's not be ridiculous. No sport is going to allow drivers, driving an excess of 140 MPH, to race around a wrecked vehicle. Ridiculous. And as far as "speeding up" during a caution... I don't even... The purpose of a caution is to slow down. You may speed up when you see the yellow light driving down the road, but that's not how it works in racing. Drivers clean and warm up the ties by weaving back and forth. On pavement.

    Sprint cars: Yes, they require the throttle to turn. However, at caution speeds, the vehicle would handle differently. Everyone else was at the bottom of the track (one driver, easily avoided him and the rest behind Stewart would have too), perfectly in position to avoid a person... Or a wrecked car, at the top of the track.

    Again, if this is an accident, that kid would of had to be standing directly in front of Stewart's car. I'm still of the opinion that Stewart was trying to scare him off and accidentally ran him over. Certainly, Ward's father seems to agree. At this point, the police are doing their job and will come to the conclusion that makes the most sense to them.
     
  21. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    Curious to see what that second video shows. That must be the "official" video from the track hopefully? I can't believe a driver the likes of Tony Stewart races on a track without an "official" video camera? For just this reason.
     
  22. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    1) Ward Sr. did not see Tony hit Kevin.
    Sr. was on a quad heading over to where Jr was after the crash.
    Sr. thinks Tony wrecked him to began with.
    2) Drivers do speed up during a caution to clean and put heat back in the tires. I don't think this is why Tony speed up at that time, I think he was trying to turn down.
    3) The 45 car almost hit Kevin
    4) The guys ahead on Tony saw Kevin because Kevin was still up by his car and not in the middle of the track.
     
  23. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Most small tracks don't have a official video. Very small budget for these tracks. I'm interested in seeing the second video as well. By the sound of the sheriff, it doesn't show too much difference.
    Everybody I know that knows or follows racing believes didn't see the kid until it was too late.
     
  24. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    I read a article yesterday saying the Kevin Ward Jr has a temper too, maybe those that posted videos about Tony's temper, should find some on Kevin....
    Kevin was 20, been racing sprint cars for 5 years which means he started at the age of 15.

    Bottem line is that a young man lost his life way to early. I can't imagine what his parents and family are going thru. Can't imagine what Tony is going thru. Tony promotes the hell out of sprint cars and short track racing.
     
  25. Two Tacos

    Two Tacos Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Why would they need to find those videos? Kevin's actions aren't disputed. Whether Tony has a temper and has a history of similar actions is relevant. Whether it is reasonable to think he accelerated to spray the kid is absolutely influenced by his history.
     
  26. unluckyluciano

    unluckyluciano For My Hero JetsSuck

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    because **** the victim he can't drive a car in a circle.
     
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  27. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Rumor is the second video shows Kevin may be trying to jump onto the side of Tony's car. Can't comfirm this, being that its only a rumor.

    Maybe that is why the sheriff is not pressing any charges at this time, Neither video shows Tony did anything wrong. The sheriff has had both videos since the weekend.
     
  28. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    No its not
     
  29. Two Tacos

    Two Tacos Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Good argument?


    Yes, it is!
     
  30. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    I can believe that, but I just figured ones that had Tony Stewart racing there might... if nothing but for insurance purposes.
     
  31. Jimmy James

    Jimmy James Ron Swanson

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    I think a lot of this Tony Stewart shows up at your track to race stuff has been viewed very innocently until now. There's a tradition at least of sorts of this stuff because in the old days the old guard drivers like say Lee Petty or Fireball Roberts would probably show up anywhere there was a purse because they really needed to. Even before Tony there were guys like Ken Schrader who ran Winston Cup but also ran lots of other stuff. Even though it's unthinkable that Derek Jeter would go play softball on his off time for liability reasons if nothing else, NASCAR is just different that way.

    There are actually a lot of things that should be handled very differently than they have been handled. My guess is that this may end not only Tony on dirt but the activities outside of NASCAR for a lot of drivers who dip their toe in this or that. My guess is that sponsors and teams are both looking at this and saying as bad as it is, it probably could have been even worse.
     
  32. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Tony is returning to NASCAR Sunday night at Atlanta.
     
  33. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    NO CHARGES

    Great news for Tony Stewart!
     

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