Tony Stewart will not compete this weekend at Michigan International
Speedway.
Stewart Haas Racing announced today that the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series champion will sit out his second consecutive race after being involved
in an incident last Saturday night at New York’s Canandaigua Motorsports Park
that resulted in the death of driver Kevin Ward, Jr.
Veteran Jeff Burton will replace Stewart on a one-race basis in the No. 14
Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet at MIS this weekend. Stewart’s plans for
upcoming races have yet to be determined. Barring an exemption from NASCAR, skipping the MIS race weekend will eliminate Stewart from eligibility for the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The sanctioning body has not commented on whether such an exemption will be granted.
I'm glad Tony is taking the time he needs to grieve. His fans will support whatever decisions he makes. In the meantime, go Mr. Mayor!
ReplyDeleteI posted this 24 hours ago...still believe that it is true....
ReplyDelete"It doesn't matter what I believe, it only matters what I can prove".......I've listened and read non-stop commentary on what happened last weekend, and there is very spirited dialogue on this tragic situation. Here is my $.02, in case nobody asked, well that's okay.....
The law is what matters right now. Of course, I say this in what matters most is that this young driver is remembered and honored. But, for Tony Stewart, the law is all that matters right now, and we're not talking, tweeting, facebooking, Sirius-XM'ing or having a in depth discussion about the law from where I sit.
Tony did not have to hit this young man on purpose in order to be charged with a crime, only a reasonable amount of neglect.
I read a comment from a Nascar media person yesterday after the press conference by the investigating Sheriff, and I think it was by you Dave, (sorry if I'm incorrect), that said you think the Sheriff just likes to hear his own voice, as there was nothing new in the investigation. I disagree....
It was not what he said in the press conference, it's what he DID NOT say, that's right, what he did not say, is what he has said in previous statements, which is that Tony Steward has not done anything criminally wrong, this was not echoed in what was said yesterday. Another caveat, was that there would be no questions.
This comes on the heels of the "new" video that was aquired by the police, which no one has seen, except the police.
Tony Stewart has hired a team of expert lawyers, which is exactly what anyone would do in this situation, and this action proves nothing, and I would not imply that, however, he will need them.
In my opinion, and I'm not flaming here, not my intent.....Tony will not only sit the race out this weekend, he will not race the remainder of the year. He will be charged with negligence, which is the least that the DA can charge him with in this case.
I DO NOT believe that Tony Stewart intended to hurt Kevin, but the additional video, and the law will cause this to be tried.
One final note, I am a huge race fan, and a Tony Stewart fan, this is my objective opinion. The last opinion is that I keep hearing about limited visibility inside these race cars...I've raced, it is limited, but the main stream media, and non racing fans around this country that hear everyone in racing talk about the limited visibility sits there and wonders, if you can't see anything out of these cars, how in the world do you race with 25 of them around you going 100 mph? What I'm saying is that argument is not helping, although it may end up being true to an extent, no one knows.
Again, just my $.02, back to your regularly scheduled program....JUA
.I can understand. He is not ready yet, and I'm guessing the Chase is the furthest thing from his mind right now. Things will sort out, and when he decides to come back (if he comes back) he will.
ReplyDeleteI hope Stewart can recover and return to racing soon!
ReplyDeleteI think eligibility for this year's Chase is the last thing on Tony's mind now. I stand with Smoke.
ReplyDeleteSad to hear but fully understand and wish Smoke the best from an unfortunate event.
ReplyDeleteMuch respect for Tony Stewart as a driver, team owner and competitor. His presence and importance in auto racing cannot be overstated. I will wait for a complete investigation into the tragic accident that occurred with Kevin Ward Jr., and will be satisfied with whatever conclusion that will be reached by unbiased people who have the facts in the case. A conclusion based on emotion or prejudice would not be fair to anyone involved. Thoughts and prayers for EVERYONE affected by this tragedy, many lives changed forever.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctioning body has not commented on whether such an exemption will be granted. top news
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