Has Tony Stewart just committed murder on a race track?

[MickyD]

Dead guy should not have been on the track, but ultimately, under caution, you have to expect Marshall's moving along the track to extinguish fires/help drivers etc..... So the other driver standing on the track wasn't exactly a rare circumstance. It's the drivers responsibility to slow down under caution and allow the movement of foot traffic on the track. He shouldn't have been under throttle and sideways full stop.
Obviously other bloke shouldn't have been acting like a dickhead but if it were a fire marshal that was killed due to someone sliding around under caution we wouldn't be blaming the Marshall.

excellent point.

[CussCuss]

With that footage its impossible to be sure one way of the other but Occams Razor, we heard the throttle stab, he probably did step on it (hell ive done it with idiots in traffic) and the other guy was closer than he thought or it kicked out more than he thought, very unlikely he deliberately hit him. Thats probably all there is too it.

[yohoes]

A marshall wouldnt be running towards a fucken moving sprint car looking to take a swing at the driver?

[Babalouie]

Don't these things handle really weird? If you get right off the gas does it fall into understeer?

[Soopy]

Don't these things handle really weird? If you get right off the gas does it fall into understeer?

Yes, the front wheels basically only work at walking pace...

[leothedrummer]

Just because others do it doesn't make it OK or condonable.

Of course not. But if old mate didn't get run over, everyone would continue on like this kind of conduct is completely acceptable and it would eventually end up being some other poor fellow losing his life. It's all about attitude.

[Bob Vegana.]

Good read..

http://www.motorsport.com/sprint/new...e-whole-story/

Having been involved in speedway in recent times, I'm inclined to agree with article.

They're a cunt of a car to manouvre at such low speeds at the best of times, let alone see out of.

[Soopy]

Having been involved in speedway in recent times, I'm inclined to agree with article.

They're a cunt of a car to manouvre at such low speeds at the best of times, let alone see out of.

Tear off full of mud = near zero visibility.

[Babalouie]

Has Tony Stewart just committed murder on a race track?

Yes, the front wheels basically only work at walking pace...

The front wheels are little and they run a spool, so if you had to tighten your line...you'd have to give it some welly and it's the tyre stagger that turns it in?

[Bob Vegana.]

Depending on what head/restraint a driver uses, quite often they can't see anything that's behind level with them at best.

A lot of it comes down to instinct and being able to hear a car close by.

[Soopy]

The front wheels are little and they run a spool, so if you had to tighten your line...you'd have to give it some welly and it's the tyre stagger that turns it in?

Pretty much exactly this. I've had a little put around in one and ridden speedway sidecars which function in a similar way. Slow = crash into the wall. You need to basically just be rolling along at walking speed to be able to use the front wheels on either vehicle. They go down the track sideways, with a little opposite lock on, then you give it a little turn in some herbs and turn into the slide.

I would not be surprised at all if that blat we hear Stewart give it, was him just trying to turn the thing away from fuckwit mcknobend.

[Bob Vegana.]

The front wheels are little and they run a spool, so if you had to tighten your line...you'd have to give it some welly and it's the tyre stagger that turns it in?

A bit of brake will tighten your line, but you've got to be already sideways for that to work. Stagger helps the turn-in and exit-drive.

Baring in mind, the rear axle is braked, and the left front wheel is braked.

[Bob Vegana.]

Dopple.

[Shane001]

RIP Kevin Ward Jr, what a tragic way to die

Anyone who thinks this was a deliberate act has rocks in their heads!

Looking at the vid (and it's only one very poor angle and doesn't show much of Tony's car before impact), it would appear the engine revving and the swerving happens pretty much a split second before impact. If you were going to gun and lift to scare him you would have done this much earlier!

The cars were circulating slow under yellow's, it's very likely Stewart was looking at gauges, playing with switches, wiping mud from his visor, etc, then suddenly this black figure appears coming at him, he reacts as best he could but sadly too late and possibly the wrong reaction and tragedy strikes.

This is a tragedy for all concerned, one life lost, another possibly destroyed.

Hate to say it but Ward should never have been where he was. If not for this the possibility of this happening would never have existed.

[SteveL]

Here is a sprint car that's licensed for road use,





See the rear tires? They are actually left side tires, as the right side are normally 3+"
larger...