![]() Graves, who described himself as a huge Stewart fan until Saturday night, doesn't think Stewart should be racing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends." "Tony was unhurt, but a fellow competitor lost his life. "A tragic accident took place last night during a sprint car race in which Tony Stewart was participating," an SHR spokesman said in a statement. Stewart-Haas Racing vice president Greg Zipadelli said it was Stewart's decision, and the team did what Stewart feels is right. Stewart made the smart decision to not race Sunday at Watkins Glen. Stewart, who missed the last 15 Cup races last year after breaking his leg in two places in a sprint-car crash, is winless and 19th in the standings this year. The 43-year-old Stewart has 48 Cup wins in 542 career starts. ![]() ![]() The second car, operated by Tony Stewart, struck the driver." "The first car swerved to avoid the driver out on the track. "Two racecars traveling in tandem approached as the driver continued down the track, gesturing to the two approaching cars. "The driver of the car that spun, exited the race car and walked down the track onto the racing surface," the sheriff's news release states. It said the race was on lap 14 of a 25-lap event. The sheriff's department asked for any amateur video be sent to it for use during the investigation. I've been friends with Kevin for the last several years. "The first thing Kevin said to me (last week after the accident) was, 'I'm glad you're OK,'" Graves said. In that race Graves' car broke, he got upside down and Ward hit him. Graves got emotional as he talked about Ward, whom he raced against last week in the Patriot Sprint Tour. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn't happy either. "You never mean to do something like that," Graves said. Graves said it appeared to him that Stewart swerved before gunning the engine but he did not believe it was intentional. “What happened was the back end kicked out and clipped the guy and the guy flew across the track.” “He approached him and evidently when he was driving by the guy standing on the track gesturing at him, he gunned his engine. “People (who could see it better) said the guy got out of his car and was gesturing angrily at Tony Stewart when Tony Stewart came by during the next lap under yellow,” Willis said in a phone interview. His description was similar to that of Graves and video of the tragedy showed Stewart's car hitting Ward. Rich Willis, who was at the track, said he didn’t see exactly what happened but his sister down in Turn 1 did. 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." When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. I know how you can see out of these cars. … He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner. ![]() They threw the caution and everything was toned down. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. ![]() "Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing," Graves said. 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 that happened. He is very upset and confirmed his contiuning cooperation." The case will be handled by the district attorney. Stewart was not arrested and the sheriff told reporters that the driver had returned to Watkins Glen. Stewart has cooperated with the investigation, which is ongoing," the release stated. The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release that the victim, whom it did not name, was declared dead 45 minutes after the accident upon arrival at Thompson Hospital. MORE: Stewart sits out Cup race | No criminal charges pending | Reaction The three-time Cup champion was racing a sprint car in the Empire Super Sprints series at the half-mile dirt track in upstate New York, about an hour from Watkins Glen International, site of the weekend’s Cup race. Tony Stewart hit and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr., who walked toward Stewart's sprint car Saturday night after the two had an altercation at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, according to authorities, witnesses and video of the tragedy. ![]()
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