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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis

    Car racing whaaaaa?

    OK, I'm not one to violate presumption of innocence...and I'm a little confused by the media coverage.

    But is Tony Stewart (a known hot-head) really going to race a day after killing a colleague with his car? (Allegedly?) No bond, nothing?

    Can someone who follows this sport closely set me straight? Someone tell me what's going on. ESPN is failing at it.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
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    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  2. #2
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    Feb 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    OK, I'm not one to violate presumption of innocence...and I'm a little confused by the media coverage.

    But is Tony Stewart (a known hot-head) really going to race a day after killing a colleague with his car? (Allegedly?) No bond, nothing?

    Can someone who follows this sport closely set me straight? Someone tell me what's going on. ESPN is failing at it.
    As y'all know, I'm a big fan of Ms Patrick. I don't know why she deigns to get mixed up with these dudes.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  3. #3
    Because of the presumption of innocence. Not much is truly well-known about the incident at this point. Dimly lit track, what video exists right now is not very clear, etc. Plus you have a guy walking around on a track while cars are going at speed around him. Dirt tracks are not known for great traction, so it could have been an accident, albeit one with deadly consequences. So, in the logic of Tony Stewart at the moment, if you didn't do anything wrong, why not race?

  4. #4
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    Feb 2007
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    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis
    Quote Originally Posted by YmoBeThere View Post
    Because of the presumption of innocence. Not much is truly well-known about the incident at this point. Dimly lit track, what video exists right now is not very clear, etc. Plus you have a guy walking around on a track while cars are going at speed around him. Dirt tracks are not known for great traction, so it could have been an accident, albeit one with deadly consequences. So, in the logic of Tony Stewart at the moment, if you didn't do anything wrong, why not race?
    I totally can't tell whether Stewart, a guy with a known anger problem, just committed vehicular homicide, or whether this was a total accident that ESPN is hyping the bejeez out for absolutely no reason. I'm willing to entertain almost anything between those two poles, because ESPN.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Atlanta, GA/Durham, NC
    Looked like Mr. Hot head did something bone headed and the consequences were dire. I think he was trying to kick dirt on the dude like "stay back." Could be some manslaughter charges coming...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    I'd like to see it from another angle, perhaps from behind Stewart's car. Then his intentions would be much more clear. Right now, all I can conclude is that Stewart is behind the blue the car that swerved out of the way, and he might not have even known there was a pedestrian on the race track before it was too late. The fact that he accelerated probably has more to do with the fact the the car in front of him was getting out of the way, clearing a path for him to push forward. Stewart's car DOES appear to try to make a last ditch attempt to turn away right before making contact. However, his reputation does not help case. If that's the only video of the incident, I'm not sure he can really be convicted of anything. But you KNOW someone had their smartphone recording this from the right angle. Only a matter of time before we know the truth.

    I will say this, though: that kid is a complete and utter idiot. What the hell was he thinking, getting out of his car, walking on to the race track on foot in a live racing event, and then getting into the path of oncoming vehicles? I can't even fathom the stupidity. Jesus.
    Last edited by kAzE; 08-10-2014 at 10:34 AM.

  7. #7
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    Feb 2007
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    Deeetroit City
    Quote Originally Posted by kAzE View Post
    ... that kid [was] a complete and utter idiot. What the hell was he thinking, getting out of his car, walking on to the race track on foot in a live racing event, and then getting into the path of oncoming vehicles? I can't even fathom the stupidity. Jesus.
    One driven by Tony Stewart. Really? Ratchet up a confrontation with Tony Stewart by leaving your car and charging his car?

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by BD80 View Post
    One driven by Tony Stewart. Really? Ratchet up a confrontation with Tony Stewart by leaving your car and charging his car?
    As Ricky Craven just pointed out on ESPN, you have a combination of dim lighting, dirt all over the windshield, and NO SPOTTERS in dirt racing. That seems like a bad combination all around.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    SoCal

    Decided to not race today...

    Because sensitivity, and all that. No disrespect meant to the deceased, but I can't get Ricky Bobby out of my head on this one. On either side of it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    I'm not going to conjecture on Stewart's intent, if any. But, man, they need to tell racers at all levels they'll be banned for a year if they get out of their cars on the track before an all clear unless there is a fire or something.

  11. #11
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    Oct 2013
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    Dallas, TX
    Quote Originally Posted by A-Tex Devil View Post
    I'm not going to conjecture on Stewart's intent, if any. But, man, they need to tell racers at all levels they'll be banned for a year if they get out of their cars on the track before an all clear unless there is a fire or something.
    Yeah, absolutely. He could have even endangered other drivers. What if the blue car had swerved to get out of the way and crashed into another car? Apologies to the young man's family, but that kid was an idiot.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis
    I've spent a lot of time watching media poo-poo storms. I think this is the first one where I'm pretty sure I can't even formulate an opinion.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    20 Minutes From The Heaven That Is Cameron Indoor
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    OK, I'm not one to violate presumption of innocence...and I'm a little confused by the media coverage.

    But is Tony Stewart (a known hot-head) really going to race a day after killing a colleague with his car? (Allegedly?) No bond, nothing?

    Can someone who follows this sport closely set me straight? Someone tell me what's going on. ESPN is failing at it.
    He pulled out this morning. Not racing. Regan Smith will drive 14. The media has been terrible with coverage on this. It took all morning for me to learn that the track was pretty dark, the driver that got hit was dressed in all black and walked down onto the track. One car had to swerve at the last minute to miss him and Stewart was right behind that car and evidently did not see him in time to swerve. The backend of Stewart's car swung out on the dirt curve (normal) and hit the guy. Tragic. I am a Dale Jr fan, not a Tony Stewart fan, and he absolutely is a hot head, but I fully believe this was a freak accident and not intentional until shown otherwise.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Lynchburg, VA
    I'm having a hard time getting my mind around this tragedy. After watching the video and reading some of the eyewitness accounts, it's hard to see charges being filed without much more conclusive evidence. Getting out of a car and walking into oncoming traffic at a dirt track is a 10 out of 10 on the stupidity scale. Still, most NASCAR fans have no difficulty imagining Tony Stewart trying to get close to another driver to scare him or prove a point. This might very well be a case of two hotheads creating a tragedy that could have been prevented by either one of them. One thing we can safely say is Kevin Ward had no idea that his temper was walking him to his death - a life lesson for those of us with quick tempers.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by mph View Post
    I'm having a hard time getting my mind around this tragedy. After watching the video and reading some of the eyewitness accounts, it's hard to see charges being filed without much more conclusive evidence. Getting out of a car and walking into oncoming traffic at a dirt track is a 10 out of 10 on the stupidity scale. Still, most NASCAR fans have no difficulty imagining Tony Stewart trying to get close to another driver to scare him or prove a point. This might very well be a case of two hotheads creating a tragedy that could have been prevented by either one of them.
    While I largely agree, after watching the video I'm only sure of one thing: Kevin Ward could have prevented it by not striding into the path of oncoming race cars in a live race to start pointing fingers at other drivers. Whether Tony Stewart could have gotten out of the way, or whether he tried to, or even tried to give Ward a brush-back, I cannot say - I'm not an auto racing fan, I don't know what to look for there or how to evaluate what I see. I would have to defer to experts on that one. But I don't think you need to be any kind of expert to agree that what Ward did was, as mph (ironic handle!) said, a 10 of 10 on the stupid scale. Foolish - fatally foolish - is more like it.

    Stewart not racing today is a good decision for many reasons. Hard to fathom the damage to his image that would have occurred if he had not withdrawn.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Having seen the video too, I agree that Ward was foolish and his death (while sad and tragic) feels a bit like a Darwin Award candidate. There is no question that he is still with us today if he did not wander into the middle of oncoming racing traffic. What was he thinking? I am not a dirt track racing fan so it may be that going out onto the track is a somewhat common thing and it is generally accepted that drivers will be able to control their cars well enough to avoid humans, but failing that, I have a hard time putting too much blame onto Stewart at this time.

    That said, the fact that he even considered racing today is pretty callous. I am also bothered by something I just heard on the radio. Dale Jarrett was interviewed by CBS Sportsradio and said he had spoken to Tony earlier today. He said (in essence), "All of us are just telling Tony how much we support him and love him right now. We want him to know we are all with him in this difficult time." Ummmm, how about a few kind words toward Kevin Ward? I guess it is possible that Tony is torn up about killing a guy and that he is worried about potential criminal charges, but I doubt his angst compares even a tiny bit with what Ward's family is feeling at the moment.

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  17. #17
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    Feb 2007
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    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis
    Okay, consensus seems to be forming here around "tragic accident" rather than "vehicular homicide." So that raises the following question for me. Did ESPN completely fabricate that business about an immediately prior altercation between the two guys?

    This might be the lowest ESPN moment since Terrapin McVanPelt tried to convince everyone there was a vast conspiracy to deprive everyone footage of Hood's charge in the Syracuse game.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    Okay, consensus seems to be forming here around "tragic accident" rather than "vehicular homicide." So that raises the following question for me. Did ESPN completely fabricate that business about an immediately prior altercation between the two guys?

    This might be the lowest ESPN moment since Terrapin McVanPelt tried to convince everyone there was a vast conspiracy to deprive everyone footage of Hood's charge in the Syracuse game.
    Well, in the video, Tony wrecks him into the wall. The guy hops out of the car and charges down to the middle of the track, actually running to avoid a couple cars, waving his fist at Tony the whole time. As they come back around in the next lap, another car right in front of Tony swerves to miss him and Tony nails him. With Kevin wearing a black suit, I doubt Tony saw him more than half a second before he hit him. They said these guys do NOT have spotters. The video is grainy, but people have said that Tony tried to swerve and actually hit him with his back tire, not front. I'm not a dirt track fan, but there was an ex-dirt track driver on the radio earlier that said these tracks get large ruts in them that are VERY hard to get out of. Said it gave a whole new meaning to picking your lane in racing. From the video, I don't think there was any way he could have avoided him given the circumstances, but I'm no expert.

  19. #19
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    Feb 2007
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    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis
    Quote Originally Posted by bjornolf View Post
    Well, in the video, Tony wrecks him into the wall. The guy hops out of the car and charges down to the middle of the track, actually running to avoid a couple cars, waving his fist at Tony the whole time. As they come back around in the next lap, another car right in front of Tony swerves to miss him and Tony nails him. With Kevin wearing a black suit, I doubt Tony saw him more than half a second before he hit him. They said these guys do NOT have spotters. The video is grainy, but people have said that Tony tried to swerve and actually hit him with his back tire, not front. I'm not a dirt track fan, but there was an ex-dirt track driver on the radio earlier that said these tracks get large ruts in them that are VERY hard to get out of. Said it gave a whole new meaning to picking your lane in racing. From the video, I don't think there was any way he could have avoided him given the circumstances, but I'm no expert.
    Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  20. #20
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    Feb 2007
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    Washington, DC
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    Okay, consensus seems to be forming here around "tragic accident" rather than "vehicular homicide." So that raises the following question for me. Did ESPN completely fabricate that business about an immediately prior altercation between the two guys?
    They did not fabricate it. In fact, they were quite late on reporting the whole thing. During my bit of insomnia last night, I learned about the altercation that led to the tragic events on Twitter with several mainstream media and racing blogs/social media outlets quoting eyewitness reports that said there was some sort of altercation. Meanwhile, it took ESPN 47 minutes to even make mention of the story because they were focused on Johnny Manziel's first preseason game. Fox Sports 1 was a little bit better, but even they were late. So no, this isn't a ESPN low point nor are they responsible for the news at first being on the "vehicular homicide" track rather than the tragic accident track. The socialmediaverse was very heavy on "Stewart ran over/killed a kid" and not so much on how it happened or the circumstances that led to this.
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