Tony has gone on record saying that this incident was his biggest regret in racing. This was before the accident mentioned many times here in the comments.
I remember watching this as a kid with my dad. When Tony spun Irwin out the 2nd time i looked at my dad and said You know what's coming? He said Oh yeeeah i sure do bud. :)
Even in 2010 there were several blunders. 2010 at Dover the track bar broke on the 42 car, then guess what? Same thing breaks on the 1 car. 2012 Daytona 500, JPM's car breaks something in the rear end and hits the jet dryer, later the same thing breaks in Jamie Mac's car and causes another Big One. 2012 Watkins Glen, something breaks in Jamie Mac's car and totals the left side, later something breaks in the left front of JPM's car and take him out of the race.
Haha. Tony and Kenny. They were fighting here. It's funny cause they were actually good friends. Tony was devastated when Kenny died. He said Kenny Irwin's death hit "too close to home". Both raced together for years in USAC. Tony won at New Hampshire the same week Kenny died, wearing one of Kenny Irwin's Bellsouth helmets, and presented both the trophy and helmet to Kenny Irwin Sr.
Another example, when Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya swapped seats in 2003 Jeff was only 1 second off Montoya's pace in the F1 car, granted 1 second is fairly substantial in F1 but for a first time it's pretty respectable.
Three years prior, while racing for the same team, Tony and Kenny took each other out at the Hut Hundred. Kenny did the slide jobs on Tony, taking the lead. When Kenny had to slow down, Tony ran into the back of him, allowing Kevin Olson to win.
Haha, no shit? I was 12-years-old sitting over at the exit of turn 2. We even ran into Benny Parsons and Bob Jenkins as we were leaving the track (walking up the small street towards the main highway) and talked while we were on the way. Apparently, they all had to leave just like we did.
The irony of this today, 2 days after a driver mirrored this move and was killed by the guy throwing his gloves and GRABBING the offending car is deep. You can best believe that Ward Jr and the young drivers have seen their heroes doing this out on the track bratty maneuver time and time again and they think this is what is appropriate - especially when they are rewarded with media attention (interview) and fan cheers (both on display at Martinsville in 1999). Saturday, JJ Yeley got an interview after he waved and gestured outside of his car at Trevor Bayne in the Nationwide race at Watkins Glen. When is the last time anyone saw Yeley get camera time in Sprint Cup? Stewart was not the first driver to ignore track safety so he can express his anger, but he's one of the best known for it. Until all the drivers at all levels of motorsports actually heed the track officials and safety workers, rather than shake them off, tracks and sanctioning bodies start enforcing penalties, media quit giving these clowns interviews, and fans quit cheering these childish displays, Kevin Ward Jr will not be the last person killed. May Kevin Ward Jr rest in peace. Prayers to his family and all involved; including Tony Stewart.
no only did they learn it from him, but i can gaurantee you it doesnt feel good when one of the best race car drivers in the world, deliberately messes with less talented drivers and puts them into the wall without even rubbing up against him, the guy is a prick, and he probably got a kick out of wrecking blue collared kids cars.
Royal tenenbaum There isnt a wall on the back stretch of that track, Tony didnt make contact with Wards car and no matter how much you "gaurantee" you honestly know nothing about how much time and money Tony Stewart puts into the racing world and how much he gives back to those Blue collared kids that you claim he "deliberately messes with." Your hate speech and propaganda hold no weight except with the uneducated, ignorant and easily swayed individuals who know just as little as you do. Its people like you that are ruining the good name of a great man who has done so much to give back to the racing world. You are so misinformed and close minded and every word I said might as well have been held back because they are completely ineffective against those two qualities.
Stewart didnt do a damn thing wrong. That kid got himself killed because of his own temper. Ward's death is a tragedy but if it had been any other driver that he had walked in front of and been hit by that driver wouldn't have ever been accused of hitting him on purpose. The car in front of Tony was just lucky enough not to kill Ward but had it been him that hit Ward this story would be told completely differently. Stewart has been racing under different names for years because his sponsers didn't agree with his dirt track racing. Come on man do a little research if you are going to try and trash a guy. Tony is a race car driver not a homicidal maniac. You are vilifying a man for an unfortunate accident. If tony had walked out on the track and been killed by Ward no one would have said a thing about Ward being a killer. You just hate Tony Stewart for whatever reason.
It actually looks like Kenny got loose the 2nd time because if you look good you'll see the car turn sideways before contact with Tony. But even if it was not intentional I can see how Kenny thought it was.
I'd more or less agree. It seems like NASCAR drivers who try it, Tony Stewart as a good example, do much better in open wheel then open wheel stars do in stock.
Depraved indifference to life or manslaughter. Tony Stewart nudges people, creates aggravation, spun that poor Ward kid out, and then yes Ward made the poor decision to leave the race car. But Stewart was the catalyst. What does Stewart have to prove against this poor kid way up in New York in a sprint car race? If I was the DA I would gather a Grand Jury and consider charges.
I think Tony and Kenny had a good rivalry. It started way before their NASCAR days. It would have been fun to continue watching them for a long time. :(
First, this is the first time I've ever heard a guy with a British-like accent talking about NASCAR. Second, Stewart's antics make me think of Talladega Nights.
They were both rivals back then, when Kenny Irwin Jr. died at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000, Tony Stewart actually donated his trophy to Kenny Irwin Jr's parents
When did the ignorant "racing experts" all of a sudden show up? Hard racing and a little rubbing is just that. Hell I bet most of them don't even follow USAC, WOO, Tudor Sports Car, IndyCar, or Nascar for that matter. In case my ignorant fellows don't know, stock cars have full body panels which enclose the wheels so you are very unlikely to get run over by a car like that. Most other forms of racing such as sprint cars or IndyCars are open wheel and thus, why you don't see people pull what Kevin Ward Jr. did very often because it is dangerous. Caution laps are run at a little faster than big city street speeds so add someone running out at your car and a disaster waiting to happen. These cars also don't turn like your street cars and you don't drive on wet dirt roads. There is no ABS or traction control like a street car, hell they don't even have a windshield and there is a big fat wing obscuring the right side that hangs down for people who haven't noticed. Add a black racing suit and a night race. The guy in the 45 even tweeted that he didn't see Kevin and barely missed hitting him in the first place. Kevin made a very grave decision and paid for it with his life. Let it be and pray for both families without making stupid accusations on baseless facts.
Actually now that i think of it British commentators aren't very biased and usually reliable. Some can be sort of boring, but the one who commentates for F1 isn't bad and not really biased.
What F1 fans don't realize is that if you come to an oval track with only a road course skillset you'll fail miserably. Low-banked ovals and road courses do somewhat translate well with eachother but high banked ovals are completely different.
yep tony got mad and approached cars to. i really think tony was trying to put on a show and spin his tires and throw some dirt on kevin but instead he accidentally ran the guy over. he could have easily passed him on the low part of the track like a lot of the drivers where but he was trying to show off.
It was the 🤬 50 dollar bill earlier in the day Stewart tried to give Earnhardt Sr. That's what is so hilarious about this video because guess who'd first see him after the wreck.
hey man i agree people always say that dale was a cheap racer there was noway that guys a legend he loved to race and he always tried to race as fair as anyone els
Mike Joy and Allen Bestwick are the best commentators currently imo. I don't like always like a lot driver commentators because some don't take it very seriously cough DW cough. Even if they do they don't shut up about driver's performance or a part on the car or the year they've had, so the main commentators can't call the race currently going on. I agree some non-driver commentators are not very good like Adam Alexander, Marty Reid, Bill Weber, but Rusty just as annoying.
That wasn't Tony's fault the second time around. Classic Tony Stewart. 2 Time Nascar Cup Champion 97' IRL Champion USAC Champion Many Wins in ALL Series.
At least Dale knows what he's talking about since he was a driver. I have an idea, only let drivers be in the commentating booth. So Dale Jarrett, Jimmy Spencer, Rusty Wallace, Kenny Wallace, or Darrell Waltrip, those are the choices.
I think they should take higher precautions to ban any recreational drugs on the track property. I think that a less clear head contributed to Ward getting out in the first place, but who knows? Only Stewart truly knows what happened.
Very true. There's nothing wrong about Dale Jarret or Andy Petree, but every time I hear them I feel like taking a nap. Dale also loves to say, "yeah" kind of in a lazy way after someone is done saying something. Nothing wrong, but kind of noticed he does that a lot. I think he's starting to make me do it!
I agree with everyone man. This incident, actually, got me watching NASCAR, and I was a HUGE Tony Stewart fan, because of his, take no shit, attitude. Now he's laid back, and doesn't have the fire he once had. He's boring, just like NASCAR
Tony has problems. He is a very good driver as you can see by his two championships, but he has really bad anger issues. I don't even think Irwin Jr. did it on purpose. He had Brett Bodine behind him, if he checked up he would have been in the fence.
@smallcrowdYEAHhappy Being an owner now, has mellowed him out a little, but he showed us that he's still Tony Stewart at Infienon a few weeks ago, with Brian Vickers.
They make fun of kyle Busch and the get mad at him and call him a baby. Heres the deal. He is the only driver left in NASCAR that is agressive, fast, and fun to watch any more. So, unless you want NASCAR to get boring, shut up.
I don't know what happened with the first wreck but the second one was Kenny was just driveng ahead when Kenny got loose and Tony just happened to be right behind him to hit him
This video marked the golden era of NASCAR..since Dale died..the sport is seeing a slow decline...the loss of tradition..the loss of the stars..the 1 car competitive teams..the loss of cars that looked like stock cars not something out of the fast&furious. Now you have a sanitized made for everybody sport on mostly snoring 1 1/2 tracks..
Rubbing is racing. I get it. Trading paint as they call it. But when a yellow caution flag is out, and everyone else can avoid the guy on foot on the track who just got smashed into the wall, does the guy who slams the throttle down to run a guy over just get away with calling it a tragic accident? What if Irwin in this case (see above video) ran Stewart over? Would he be able to say, "oh, well I didn't see him, I hit the gas to avoid him?" NO! It's ridiculous! Check yourself race fans. A 20 year old kid did exactly what one of his heros would do - he got out of his car to shake a fist at the guy who spun him out. And that night, that 20 year old kid lost his life. Someone explain to me how Stewart is going to get away with this? Watch the eyewitness video. Listen to Stewart hitting the gas to plow him over. Granted, maybe he wanted to fling dirt on him, but couldn't he fling dirt on him after he drove around him?
+John Stefens Spot on comment, unbelievable that he hasn't been held responsible for his actions. I made a few videos about it you should check them out...
I suppose the frequent "yeahs" are annoying and granted I did like him much more as a driver but at least he's still involved with the sport and he is at least neutral toward the drivers. Jimmy Spencer would probably be hands down one of the best commentators because he isn't afraid to voice his opinion, like Kevin Lepage's crash at Talladega, Mr. E would likely have called him a dumbass on live TV if he was commentating. Darrell has gotten better about his bias since Michael isn't full time now
But you have to admit, the sympathy was probably justified because she was running well and Jacque dumped her for no reason. Jacque has torn up more cars than Steven Wallace and Brian Scott combined. In other words he's wrecked everything but the pace car.
Lord forgive you commenters who make these ignorant, shallow, foolish comments. For what little you won't forgive perhaps the Lord will not forgive you. That's that ol' beam in your eye, while picking the mote out of another man's.
Those that choose to comment on Tony's inability to steer a car as nothing to do with Judging that he killed Ward. I judge Tony that he indeed ran over Ward and prior to that he put him in the wall purposely. He should have been brought up on charges and I believe found guilty. I do know how to drive and I also know to slow down when under a Yellow. I would also know to have a heightened awareness coming back around the track after putting someone in the wall. Maybe you should re-read Matt 7:3.
***** 21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5, the words of Christ. My friend, that is a devilish, ungodly! Thing to say, you might just arise from that bed and descend into the roaring conflagration of hell! Will you be smiling then? For what little you wouldn't forgive? What foolishness, to doom your soul over so little, and to reject Jesus Christ, and the free gift of eternal life born on the Cross of Calvary.
rvaughnp Brother what of it? Be ye not a hypocrite, that's the message of Matthew 7:1-5, if it were as the modernist today supposes: 'Judge not at all', then what would we make of Matthew 7:6? Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, nor cast ye your pearls before swine, is our Lord referring to actual dogs, and actual swine? Or is it to us to judge who is a dog, and who is swine, by the word of God? If you believe this man guilty of this sin, then he may be, but you do not have the evidence from what you know, you cannot, I know just as much as you and I'd be a fool to judge on that, have you no sin of your own that you get so worked up over this man's potential sin? I'm not for Tony Stewart any more than the next man, he's passionate about what he does sure, yet I don't believe he's saved from his testimony and he's known to have a temper, why jump in on this issue and point your finger like you've got a cause? Judge righteous judgment - John 7:24.
As you can see the blunders have always been there, they've just gotten more numerous and more ridiculous since 2010. I'm going to assume this is happening because Teresa Earnhardt is running part of the team and we all know she's the reason DEI had to merge with Ganassi.
typical tony. he spun Kenny, TWICE and then when kenny spun him, he got mad!! also, to those who say dale earnhardt had to wreck ppl to win, he could have easily spun gordon right then and there, but he did't now did he
