Tony Stewart Apparently Hits Walking Driver With Sprint Car

[gohusk]

The view in those cars is tight, but when you are on a straight before getting into the turn itself you can see a good bit of the turn. You just can't see to your immediate left a good bit, all that safety equipment prevents it.

If not being able to see was that bad, then how are they able to drive and dodge wrecks? It's limited, but I don't see how it could be that limited.

What do you think Tony was looking at? The car in the wall or the guy wearing all black during a night race coming out of the shadows? I was as down on Tony as you are right now but I don't see how he could have even known that the guy was there until he was right on top of him. If he had a spotter then it would be a different story but having a spotter on a short dirt track would be nothing but a distraction given how fast they turn laps.

 

[4down20]

What do you think Tony was looking at? The car in the wall or the guy wearing all black during a night race coming out of the shadows? I was as down on Tony as you are right now but I don't see how he could have even known that the guy was there until he was right on top of him. If he had a spotter then it would be a different story but having a spotter on a short dirt track would be nothing but a distraction given how fast they turn laps.

In the end only Tony really knows and will be the only one who knows. All we can do is look at the circumstances around it and form an opinion on it.

I don't think Tony did it on purpose, and I don't think he would do it on purpose. When I first heard about it, it seemed like it was all on purpose and tony was having a fit. After watching the video and thinking on what is more likely, I too have cooled a bit on it.

But, the hitting of the gas part and all is consistent with something drivers often do in these situations. I think BNFL said it best when he mentioned it was all over 2 ego's.

 

[WizardHawk]

No I am not mistaken… with 4-8 inches of stager in the rear tires at pace speed, if you hit the gas the car will pull to the left. I have done this 100's of times HAVE YOU.

Be careful man. 4D20 knows all and will tell you so. Doesn't matter how many times you have driven a sprint car and how many he hasn't, he still knows more than you and that's that. It's a fight you cannot win.

 

[pitman]

So how much difference does being on dirt make versus being on an asphalt track?

really there is not much difference. A dirt track can get very very hard, but with the right moisture it is very tacky and you get a lot of grip. as the night goes on most driver will choose the high line called the cushion, that is where the most moisture is and you will get better grip. The wing on these cars is not just for looks it plays a huge part in down force and with the tall part of the wing on the drivers left side helps to keep the car from spinning out in the corner. It also transfers down force to the left rear tire in the middle of the corner to get forward bite. Most pavement cars you lift off the gas in the corners, on dirt you lift for a half second just to set the car and then you turn the wheel to the right and as you nail the gas. Yes you turn right to go left. and all this happens 1 foot away from the concrete wall. What a rush there is nothing like it.

 

[4down20]

really there is not much difference. A dirt track can get very very hard, but with the right moisture it is very tacky and you get a lot of grip. as the night goes on most driver will choose the high line called the cushion, that is where the most moisture is and you will get better grip. The wing on these cars is not just for looks it plays a huge part in down force and with the tall part of the wing on the drivers left side helps to keep the car from spinning out in the corner. It also transfers down force to the left rear tire in the middle of the corner to get forward bite. Most pavement cars you lift off the gas in the corners, on dirt you lift for a half second just to set the car and then you turn the wheel to the right and as you nail the gas. Yes you turn right to go left. and all this happens 1 foot away from the concrete wall. What a rush there is nothing like it.

Asphalt has moved in that direction with the car setups in recent years. Nascar had to put rules in because they were adding so much stagger the cars looked like they were crab walking going down the straight at Pocono.

 

[pitman]

Be careful man. 4D20 knows all and will tell you so. Doesn't matter how many times you have driven a sprint car and how many he hasn't, he still knows more than you and that's that. It's a fight you cannot win.

I'm not going to argue with him he sees it one way and I see it from the drives seat, there is a lot that goes on under cautions drivers are changing things like brake bias or wing slider and they are hared to drive under caution than at race speeds. He should drive a sprint car some day. it is a real rush.


I hate the fact a young driver died. my heart goes out to the Ward family.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

27 pages?

Did we solve the mystery, gang?

 

[pitman]

Asphalt has moved in that direction with the car setups in recent years. Nascar had to put rules in because they were adding so much stagger the cars looked like they were crab walking going down the straight at Pocono.

yes they did, but that had more to do with trailing arm adjustment than stager.

 

[4down20]

I'm not going to argue with him he sees it one way and I see it from the drives seat, there is a lot that goes on under cautions drivers are changing things like brake bias or wing slider and they are hared to drive under caution than at race speeds. He should drive a sprint car some day. it is a real rush.

I hate the fact a young driver died. my heart goes out to the Ward family.

Scenario A: The kid ran out in front of a moving car on the track and Tony was unable to avoid him.

Or Scenario B: Something caused Tony's car to somehow change the path of its radius around the corner and then managed to run over the kid with only the rear tire.

Is there a C?

 

[pitman]

Scenario A: The kid ran out in front of a moving car on the track and Tony was unable to avoid him.

Or Scenario B: Something caused Tony's car to somehow change the path of its radius around the corner and then managed to run over the kid with only the rear tire.

Is there a C?

C; Ward stays in his car gets towed to the pits, and kicks Tony ass after the race…..

 

[4down20]

C; Ward stays in his car gets towed to the pits, and kicks Tony ass after the race…..

That's what he should have done, no doubt about it.

 

[GNG]

Tony Stewart apparently hits walking driver with sprint car; authorities investigating - Sporting News



Reports are saying Tony Stewart ran over and killed 17 year old Kevin Ward tonight.

It was an unfortunate accident.

 

[gohusk]

Scenario A: The kid ran out in front of a moving car on the track and Tony was unable to avoid him.

Or Scenario B: Something caused Tony's car to somehow change the path of its radius around the corner and then managed to run over the kid with only the rear tire.

Is there a C?

Like I said, I was as down on Stewart because a stunt like that wouldn't be beneath him, but look at the information he had to work with. He pinches a guy and there's a yellow. I'm sure he assumed that the yellow was because he pinched Ward into the wall which was either a nice move or dirty racing, depending what end of it you're on. 20 seconds later Ward is in the middle of the track wearing all black. The video is the side angle of it focusing on Ward. Going out of a corner with a guy wearing all black on what was probably a black backdrop is probably going to look a bit different. Stewart's as douchey as they come but I honestly don't see how he'd have enough information to even contemplate pulling an asshole stunt giving the information he had to work with. He must have been like "WTF is that?" For all he knew that wasn't even the driver of the car he pinched to begin with.

 

[WizardHawk]

Oh god, please don't get 4d20 going again. We all finally got it left where he believes he gave us all the education we were so badly lacking on this and we don't need someone to stir him up again.

Any talk of visibility will open that box again wide.

 

[24seven]

Michael Vick had money on it.

 

[4down20]

Oh god, please don't get 4d20 going again. We all finally got it left where he believes he gave us all the education we were so badly lacking on this and we don't need someone to stir him up again.

Any talk of visibility will open that box again wide.

Fine. The kid ran out in front of Tony Stewart. Tony Stewart obviously couldn't see the guy and hit the gas 10 feet away from him trying to miss him, but the kid had misjudged things so far by that point that even the evasive action Tony had taken and the guy trying to jump out of the way wasn't enough.

And even though drivers doing something like hitting their gas to show a little anger at someone, or doing other such things like it happens all the time, there is no way in the world Tony would have done something like that. And Tony himself would never walk out in the middle of the track to hit another car with his helmet either. I'm crazy and stupid for even considering such a possibility.

I'm sorry to have made your day this much worse wizard. Please forgive me.

 

[4down20]

This sprint car driver who watched it happen - full of shit.

Tyler Graves, a sprint-car racer and friend of Ward's, told Sporting News in a phone interview that he was sitting in the Turn 1 grandstands and saw everything.


"Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing," Graves said. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car. … He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.


"I know Tony could see him. I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him about 50 yards."


Graves said he didn't believe it was intentional.


"You never mean to do something like that," Graves told Sporting News. "Kevin was pissed and he let Tony know. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn't happy either. He went over the line with it."

 

[WizardHawk]

...and friend of Ward's

Jesus dude, get over yourself.

 

[4down20]

Jesus dude, get over yourself.

Ah, so being his friend automatically disqualifies him and means he doesn't actually know what you can see and when you can see it at a track he's probably raced who knows how many times in the past. He is also wrong when he mentions hitting the gas and that it causes the backend to slide out, which was the part of the car that hit him.

Got it. Thanks again wizard for clearing things up for me. I would get over myself, but then you and TF12 wouldn't have anything to cry about.

 

[WizardHawk]

Ah, so being his friend automatically disqualifies him and means he doesn't actually know what you can see and when you can see it at a track he's probably raced who knows how many times in the past. He is also wrong when he mentions hitting the gas and that it causes the backend to slide out, which was the part of the car that hit him.

Got it. Thanks again wizard for clearing things up for me. I would get over myself, but then you and TF12 wouldn't have anything to cry about.

What's funny here is your quote actually agrees with what pitman said to begin with that you argued with so you are all over the map on this one. Pitman says when you gas it the car turns and you said no it doesn't at pace speed. Now all of a sudden the dead mans friend says it and it's "see! I told you so"



His friend making assumptions over what was seen or not and what his intent was or not can't be influenced by just watching his friend die. I mean that NEVER happens right? :rollseyes: