Stewart didn’t complain about the lost opportunity.
As Tony Stewart raced at Watkins Glen on Sunday, word came on Kevin Ward Jr.
This is a far contrast from what is now the norm in NASCAR, where one driver or team manages to run away with the race and is rarely challenged once the green flag drops.
Mark Lanier has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stewart on behalf of the Ward family.
Attorneys for the family of Kevin Ward Jr, 20, who was killed on August 9th, 2014, by the Sprint auto driven by Tony Stewart have filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Friday in the 5th Judicial District for The Supreme Court in Lowville, NY. It’s noted that six other cars were able to pass by Ward without incident, while Kevin was standing on the track. An Ontario County grand jury did not indict Stewart for his involvement in the accident, determining in September there was insufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges.
“Rick” Meadow of The Lanier Law Firm are also representing the Wards, as is Evan Janush of New York.
There was no immediate comment from Stewart.
The lad’s auto reeled out of control during the race and he exited the vehicle and walked down the track in an apparent attempt to confront Stewart.
Some wonder, however, if the death of Ward is not taking a toll emotionally on Stewart, who has a reputation as a mentally strong competitor.
Tony Stewart, with his best start of the season, will go off third in the No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet at 127.481 miles per hour.
“I don’t think how anybody could be exactly back to where they were”, after being involved in a fatal accident, Stewart said then. Ward had marijuana in his system at the time of his death, Tantillo said when announcing the grand jury decision. The vitriol was scathing, the jokes from comedians he enjoyed hurtful. “It pretty much has to be for the money, and I don’t know if I like that”. “He just has to put it all together”. “So again, that can cause a lot of trouble, and it can be hard to overcome that”, he said. He returned a few minutes to continue the conversation before heading toward his auto as pre-race invocations and the performing of national anthems approached.
“I love Watkins Glen“, said Brandon Gdovic, a full-time driver in the Lamborghini Blancpain Trofeo Series, with first place finishes in the AM Division this season on the road courses at Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen. “That is something I’ve been looking forward to and I’m happy about the couple of weeks we’ve got coming up”. He’s hoping for rain Sunday so NASCAR will use rain tires, something he believes would give him an edge. He declined to share his own ideas publicly to respect the process.