Thoughts on the Tony Stewart Situation

As most of the world knows by now on Saturday night Tony Stewart participated in a sprint car race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park & during the race he collided with Kevin Ward Jr. Following the crash Ward got out of his car to approach Stewart, who was still running. Stewart's car hit Ward causing injuries which lead to his death. Racers know that they should stay in or near their car following a wreck and stay out of the racing groove, however Ward was doing something that he has seen Stewart do a few times during his Sprint Cup career. In his younger years it was not uncommon to see Stewart loose his temper and approach a fellow driver following a wreck. This behavior is not just limited to Stewart or NASCAR, it is something that can be seen among all levels of motorsports.

Neither Stewart or Ward are solely responsible for the circumstances that lead to Wards death, it was a bunch of split second decisions made by all drivers on the track, its just racing.

Many drivers offered their thoughts in the hours following the news, however Dale Earnhardt Jr put it best. "We will all loose someone in our time. When a loss is sudden and unexpected, the pain & sadness is suffocating. Prayers for the Ward family." - +Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Moving forward from this situation Stewart has four more races, starting this weekend at Michigan International Speedway to win a race to put himself in the Chase. Tony & SHR are staying quiet, as they should until the media firestorm & investigation blows over. Stewart decided it was best that he did not race Sunday at Watkins Glen, a place where he has five career victories. Stewart has also pulled out of a sprint race at Plymouth Speedway planned for Saturday. He also has canceled any non-NASCAR racing events he planned to participate in until further notice. SHR officials state that at this point a decision has not been made as far as Stewart's participation in this weekends race at MIS. Many times people do not think about the drivers feelings & thoughts, but Stewart demonstrated that these drivers are human too and he needs his time away.