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Old 2014.08.11, 04:52 PM   #1
imxlr8ed
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Ward/Stewart

First off... obvious condolences to the people involved. Hopefully they all find peace with this eventually.

Ok, I've been floating around on the web and looking at this from all sides but I am more curious as to what you all make of it.

Guess I'll go first...

Ok, Ward got wrecked... maybe it was intentional, maybe not. But to get out of the car and freak out in oncoming traffic and try to be heard cussing someone out over roaring engines and hope you are seen while wearing a dark flame suit on a slick dark dirt track?!?!

There is one word that keeps coming to mind and that word is "professional". To me... that means control of ones actions, finding the most efficient route towards a solution. Why couldn't the kid wait until the race was over, walk up to Stewart and kick him in the nuts or something if he was that pissed? Guaranteed results then, right? Did he think Stewart was gonna stop, get un-strapped, climb his ass out and have a discussion about it? To me it almost looked like he was over-acting road rage as he went running down towards the traffic... like he was playing to the cameras... hoping to show up on a highlight reel or something.

As far as Stewarts side of it, to me it looked like the kid was camoflaged by the car ahead of Stewart until the last second, and then the kid himself was in line of site with his color-matched car behind him which probably made him near invisible at that point. I'm not trying to be morbid here because nobody wants to see a young amazing life cut short but I'd be really interested to see the visual pespectives Stewart had to deal with right before the accident. He had to have a Go-Pro or something hooked up to him or the car, I'd be amazed if he didn't. I'm sure that would answer a ton of questions.

I wish this didn't happen but I can't believe they don't have basic rules like... "Now don't get out of your car unless it's on fire! If you do you're going to be banned for 3 races". But that wouldn't make for good drama or ratings now... would it? But if someone's car would have been running somewhere outside of regulations, the organizations would be all over it! I've always thought since the early 90s that NASCAR was now the pro-wrestling of motorsports, I hope this wasn't a trickle-down effect!

Just my opinion.
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Old 2014.08.11, 06:40 PM   #2
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the kid knowingly got out of his vehicle and walked himself into extremely dangerous territory, an absolutely reckless course of action that cost him his life. we won't know what stewart saw until the investigation and there is PLENTY of opinion and speculation. the fact remains, the kid put himself in a situation that resulted in his own death. it's hard to say he doesn't bare the lions share of fault when it was entirely preventable by waiting to fight in the pits. i hope the tragedy serves an important lesson in maintaining some reasonable manner of safety in what is otherwise a very dangerous sport.
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Old 2014.08.11, 07:34 PM   #3
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Drivers have been climbing out of wrecked cars to show there backsides for as long as there has been racing. I've done it myself. However. Not until the pace car had the field circulating at a much reduced rate. Sprint cars don't usually send a pace car out since their caution laps don't count. Another thing to note about these 1,000 lb 800hp monsters is that unless the are traveling at full chat they are little more than a dart without feathers. At idle you couldn't turn one around in a forty acre field without hitting the throttle. At caution speeds they are using the ruts in the track to turn. Add to this the extremely limited visibility out the right side due to the side plate on the wing protruding downward to right at cowl level. Outlaw rules ban two way communications. I wouldn't bet that Tony ever even saw the guy let alone knew that he had even interacted with him in a way that elicited the unfortunate result.
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Old 2014.08.12, 08:07 AM   #4
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That is a whole other side as well and very accurate. A car lot I used to work at used to sponsor a local sprinter amd the boss wanted to tool around the track a bit with the thing. He could only get in two laps before he pulled it in because he was taking such a beating with all the ruts. Those cars are built to skip across the high spots and steer with the throttle. Maybe that is why he blipped it right before the collision. Of course, that looks horrible to an outsider.
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Old 2014.08.12, 09:18 AM   #5
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Another aspect to be examined that makes this whole thing no less tragic is the part that is drummed into you from the beginning. If pushed. Push back. If you do not you might as well be sponsored by Target because you have one on your back. If you do not stand your ground or even try to take some you will soon get the reputation of a push over and will spend your entire race advancing to the rear as others with less equipment and talent take advantage of the fact that you will give up in a turf war.

None of this changes anything. it does not make it more wrong or more right. It just makes it more tragic. For all involved.
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Old 2014.08.12, 07:14 PM   #6
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The kid never should have got out of the car and approach the moving race car of Stewart. With that said, I've heard reports that Tony's car revved just before the collision. I've seen drivers in similar situations that get on the gas to try and speed past the situation. Some drivers do this to avoid the situation and some do it to show up the other guy who is pointing the finger. Either way, its unfortunate someone loss their life, but I think the kid overreacted over a little bump into the wall. It cost him his life. Very sad.
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Old 2014.08.15, 10:35 AM   #7
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He could've hit the throttle to try to get the car pointed away from him too... that'd be tough to explain to anyone unfamiliar with these cars.

Anyways... Nascar just magically inserted the new "now don't get out of your car and play on the high-speed track" rule! It is now listed as Section 9-16, On-Track Incident Procedure in the 2014 NASCAR rule book. It reads:

During an Event, if a race car is involved in an on-track incident and/or is stopped on or near the racing surface and unable to continue to make forward progress, unless extenuating emergency conditions exist with the race car (i.e. fire, smoke in ****pit, etc.) the driver should take the following steps:

•Shut off electrical power and, if driver is uninjured, lower window net
•Do not loosen, disconnect or remove any driver personal safety equipment until directed to do so by safety personnel or a NASCAR/Track Official
•After being directed to exit the racecar, the driver should proceed to either the ambulance, other vehicle, or as otherwise directed by safety personnel or a NASCAR/Track Official
•At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach any portion of the racing surface or apron
•At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach another moving vehicle
All vehicles not involved in the incident or that are able to continue afterwards should slow down to a cautious speed as outlined in Section 10-4 (Yellow Flag), use extreme care as they approach an incident scene, and follow any directions given by safety personnel or NASCAR/Track Officials. Cars in line behind the safety car should not weave or otherwise stray from the line in the vicinity of the incident.


Hmmm... sounds like a rule that could have existed for quite some time! Telling you guys, I think the only reason it didn't exist prior was because guys jumping out of their cars and having hissy fits makes for good ratings! My proof?... this rule was injected into there with lightning speed, almost like a team of lawyers had it in their pocket for a long while. Or maybe kept in a glass case marked "IN CASE OF STUPID, INSERT RULE".
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Last edited by imxlr8ed; 2014.08.15 at 10:38 AM.
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Old 2014.08.16, 09:41 AM   #8
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Yes, this rule, although not officially has always been around and the drivers understood what they should do in case of an accident or their cars become disabled. My question is what will be the penalty now that the this rule has been instated? If the penalty is not harsh enough, than I think the"ratings" factor comes into play. If you get a slap on the hand, then it's not going to prevent other drivers from getting out of their cars and approaching the guy that just took him out. Getting out of the car is 100% on the driver. If they suspended drivers for the remaining of the season, that would definitely put a stop to it, but that won't happen. It will probably be a 1 race suspension or a fine, which will not change anything. Especially with how the Nascar points and race for the chase is set up. Just need to win a race and your pretty much in the chase. So a driver is suspended a race, he can just try the next week to make the chase.

I think this is going to stay with Tony Stewart the rest of his racing life. He will be thinking of the death every time he gets in the car. Hard to focus 100% with that on your mind.
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Old 2014.08.16, 04:08 PM   #9
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The attention that has been focused on the sport will make the rule self policing if for no other reason than they are on TV. On the thousands of short tracks around the country it will be a somewhat different story. That is where the severe penalties will need to be levied and probably will be a time or two. Then you will start running into the old time practice of changing your name so you aren't the person that was suspended or banned.
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