Clearly, something was up. Every single weekend because the tragic sprint-car incident that took Kevin Ward, Jr.’s life, Tony Stewart’s PR representative, Mike Arning of Correct Speed Communication—Tony Stewart owns Correct Speed, by the way, and the organization also does PR for numerous NHRA and IMSA teams—has declined to reveal to any individual in advance regardless of whether Stewart would return to NASCAR competitors.
2 weeks ago, Arning announced that Stewart wouldn’t race at Michigan at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. This week, these of us waiting for an announcement waited and waited—practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway begins these days at 2:30 p.m., and we nonetheless hadn’t heard a peep at 4 p.m. yesterday. Who would be in the number 14 Chevrolet? Small rumors floated about. It was mentioned that Stewart’s name was on the vehicle when it was loaded into the hauler, not Regan Smith’s, who took his spot at Watkins Glen, or Jeff Burton’s, who drove the 14 at Michigan and Bristol. Another source stated that Stewart’s personalized seat had accompanied the vehicle.
Then, just after 4:30 p.m., Arning made the announcement: Stewart was racing, his 1st time out in public considering that his sprint vehicle hit and killed 20-year-old Ward, Jr., at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York. Ward was upset following Stewart crowded him into the wall. Ward had leapt from his wrecked vehicle to confront Stewart on the track, who was driving under the caution flag at about 40 mph. The Ontario County Sheriff’s Division stated the investigation could take 2 weeks or longer we’ve passed that time frame, even so, and nevertheless have however to hear the benefits. Stewart has been in seclusion considering that. Even TMZ couldn’t find him, and they can discover anybody.
As for racing this weekend, a single has to think that Stewart’s legal group possibly received a tip that he was unlikely to be charged. Had the info stated otherwise, it is difficult to think about he would spot himself in a position for such public scrutiny.
Returning at Atlanta, then, tends to make sense. His several years driving under the banner of Atlanta-based House Depot for Joe Gibbs Racing produced him a lot of fans, and the atmosphere in Georgia is most likely a lot much more comfy and welcoming than those of Bristol, Michigan, or, for goodness’ sake, Watkins Glen, which is positioned about an hour’s drive from Canandaigua.
What does not make sense is Stewart’s press conference scheduled for today: Rather than holding one little conference or—even much better, from his standpoint—speaking to 1 reporter and letting that interview stand as the public record, Stewart is holding an open conference at the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center. And it appears likely that TMZ will uncover the door to that area.
Right away right after the conference, NASCAR president Mike Helton will speak, most likely to address regardless of whether Stewart will be eligible for the Chase for the Championship if he wins at Atlanta or Richmond, a situation so unlikely that even die-hard NASCAR grassy-knoll conspiracy theorists would be challenged to predict it. (Generally, NASCAR drivers who win 1 of the first 26 races clinch a spot in the 10-race Chase as long as they also finish amongst the top 30 in the “regular-season” driver standings.)
The guidelines specify that only NASCAR regulars who try to qualify for every race are eligible for the Chase, to avoid a “guest” driver from popping into the sport, winning a race, and then disappearing until the championship run. A clause in the guidelines says that the final choice on eligibility belongs to NASCAR, but addressing the situation before—and if—Stewart manages a win appears like self-flagellation.
The bottom line: This will not be straightforward for any individual. Regardless of what Stewart does or doesn’t say today, and regardless of what the plodding investigation guidelines, fans and observers have dug in: Some are certain Stewart did all he could to miss Ward, and some are confident Stewart didn’t intentionally hit Ward but did steer toward him to brush him back, like a big-league pitcher buzzing a batter crowding the plate.
Nevertheless other people are particular that Stewart purposefully tried to hit Ward, and there are far more of these folks than you may feel. At Motorsport.com, where I am editor-in-chief, our story announcing that Stewart would race drew much more than 300 comments in 3 hours. They variety from “WOO HOO! Glad you are back, Smoke!” to “Beyond OUTRAGED! Revenge for Kevin Ward, Jr. RIP!”
Even if Stewart faces no criminal charges, a wrongful-death civil suit is not only attainable but probable. This story is just beginning, and for most of the media, Tony Stewart is the present that keeps on giving—an unprecedented tragedy in motorsports that could be in the news for months. There is only a single time in the subsequent handful of days that Stewart will be able to escape the scrutiny: during the 3-hour race on Sunday night. Welcome back? We’ll see.
Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Return Confirmed for this Weekend: Yeah, That Sort of Makes Sense [Analysis]
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