Author’s Note: Everything included in this piece was found online through public posts. I did
not use any type of deceit to get the information. No copyright was intended or
infringed upon. I don’t know any of the parties involved. I don’t have any
agenda. I am curious and I believe in being educated. I want to form my own
opinions when it comes to current events. I looked, and all of this is there
for everyone to find. (Although I do believe that it will be removed posthaste
as soon as word gets out….) I do not intend to disrespect or offend anyone. I
am not belittling the grief anyone is feeling. I don’t believe anyone is a criminal,
and I don’t think anyone is a bad person. This is not meant as threats,
harassment or slander. This is an opinion essay only. No harm is intended.
I have been
following the Ward vs. Stewart case since this racing accident took place a
year ago. It’s sort of like a train wreck—you don’t want to see the carnage,
but you can’t look away. I was curious,
and went in search of answers.
At first
glance, all I saw was war zones. I’m not sure that lashing out on social media
and making an ass of yourself is a healthy form of expression, but who am I to
quibble? It makes for great entertainment.
There are familial
bursts of rage:
There are Ward
supporter’s threatening people with violence:
There are Stewart fans whose ethics, I cannot support:
And there
are creative memes:
Perhaps the
one who seems to have started this trend was Kevin’s Aunt Wendi. God love her.
What a fireball!
Aunt Wendi even
continued her emotional ranting when the investigation was complete by writing
a bitter, open letter. You can read it for yourself here: http://www.9news.com/story/sports/2014/09/28/wendi-ward-open-letter-kevin-racer/16392023/ She hints that Tony was exonerated because
of his celebrity and mishandling of the case by the authorities. Where is the
proof? Why hasn’t the family filed complaints against the authorities or a
lawsuit against the racetrack? I totally disagree with Aunt Wendi’s point of
view, but I have to admire the chutzpah she has to actually let that writing go
public.
People with
a lot more expertise and knowledge than me and Aunt Wendi have completed
investigations on this. In the face of so much forensics proof and evidence, the
Ward family continually vilifies and blames Tony Stewart for the death of their
son. The evidence is overwhelmingly against that allegation, in my opinion. Obviously
the DA’s office, the grand jury, and the authorities that investigated this
accident agree with me, and I’m sure I haven’t seen but a small portion of the
evidence. If anyone would like to allow me to see it, I would be happier than a
nerd hanging out on the set of The Big Bang Theory.
But, I
digress…
EVIDENCE: Kevin Ward Jr. had enough
marijuana in his system to “significantly’ impair his judgment. Mr. Tantillo
says the tests were run 3 different times with the same result.
According to
their taped interview on GMA, the Ward family does not believe Kevin Jr was
impaired. They stop short of saying that they believe he had been using. Did
they know he had smoked? Did they know if it was a habitual thing? Do they know
these things now?
Some members
of the family certainly knew that he drank while under age. And they knew that
he drank a considerable amount during a family wedding. Kevin, Jr looks like he
was a happy drunk to me.
Was Kevin Jr
was so engrossed with that Bud Lite in his hand, that he missed the garter
removal?
Wait! Wha…?
He passed out on a card table?
Aahh! I guess he did...
That red can
certainly looks like a Budweiser to me. This photo was included with several
others. They show the group camping while traveling for Kevin Jr to race at
Oshweken. Were there any on track
incidents that weekend that may have been caused by his alcohol use? How many
other weekends had he been drinking and raced?
According to
this article, http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/zone-life-death-kevin-ward-jr-article-1.1905813, Kevin was known to cut class, and
it states further that, “His mother, Pamela, proved complicit, writing notes to
teachers to offer cover.” So is she or any other member of the family
continuing to cover for more of his misbehavior by claiming that he wasn’t
impaired?
If the Ward
family is in charge of Kevin’s estate and can sue on his behalf, doesn’t it
stand to reason that racetracks and racing leagues could hold them accountable
for their son’s bad choices? Doesn’t it make sense that the drivers who raced
against their son should be able to get some form of recompense because he
placed their lives in further in danger by driving under the influence?
EVIDENCE: Kevin Ward Jr got out of his car
against racing rules.
The Wards
claim that even though their son chose to get out of his car, chose
to walk into the line of traffic, and chose to grab a moving vehicle,
that Tony is to blame for his death.
Just for fun,
let’s use this same thought process. Some guy runs you off the road one night
at a curve in the road. You get out of your car to call him a sack of Siberian
Snodgrass, and you walk into the lane of traffic, hoping he comes back around.
As you’re dodging other cars, the guy approaches the corner again. You grab his
open window, lose your grip, and fall under the car. He runs over you and the
next thing you see is Aunt Mildred smiling at you under her mustache with her
famous Nutella and Sauerkraut Pie at the Pearly Gates.
Using the
Ward’s reasoning, it’s the sack of Siberian Snodgrass’s fault for running over
you because you were standing in the middle of the road, cussing him and
grabbing his moving vehicle. This makes not one iota of sense to me.
No ONE
deserved to die, but the bottom line is, if Kevin Jr had stayed in his car, he
would not have been hit AT ALL. The
remainder of the events would never have happened.
At least one
member of the Ward family claims that Tony (“a professional Nascar driver”) had
“no right to push” Kevin Jr towards the wall “just to get past him”. Tony was
not the only experienced racer on the track that night. Do the Wards think Tony
was there to run parade laps? C’mon. That is a pretty piss-poor statement to
use as an excuse for someone that broke the rules and went headlong into moving
traffic on the racetrack. Do they blame Tony for being a great racer? Are they
blaming Tony for doing what he loves just like Kevin Jr? If so, it’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it?
Tony Stewart
is a racer. He is a hall of fame racer. However, he is not always the best
driver with the best car on the track. The Wards and their expert story telling pastor/attorney, Mark Lanier, (http://www.lanierlawfirm.com/attorneys/w_mark_lanier.htm ) have used words like “the best”,
“professional” and “champion” to describe Tony. After listening to the GMA interview, reading
the complaint that was filed, and reading the drivel online, I'd like to know something. How can he be the best, and yet fail at trying to “throw dirt”
on someone? If he were as good as they claim, he wouldn't have failed at throwing that dirt. So, do they think he is that good, or do they think he screwed up? I don't think they can have it both ways.
During my
ramblings, I came across photographs that had been posted years before the
accident. I can’t help but wonder if there wasn’t some sort of eerie connection
working in the cosmos, or if the Ward family were actually fans of Tony
Stewart. This may explain why their emotions and grief are overriding their
rational thought process. Some photos show the Ward family at the same track as
Tony participating in a race.
They even
took photos in the pits. I wonder if this friend still says Tony is her favorite
man?
I bet Tony
really hates seeing photos of himself with ex-girlfriends...
And well, I
will let you make your own opinions about these…
Conspiracy
theorists might say that the Wards had been watching Tony for a while, looking
for a way to get a payday. Cynics might think Kevin Jr, knowing how much Tony
Stewart does for the sport and its racers, may have gotten out of his vehicle
to gain Tony’s attention. There are plenty of chat rooms and groups online for
people to join if they want to go down either of these routes. Just make sure
to grow thick skin and take cover when the fighting starts…
EVIDENCE: “The videos did not show any aberrational driving by Tony Stewart UNTIL
the point of impact with Kevin Jr, at which point his vehicle veered to the
right UP the track as a result of the collision. Prior to that, the course was
pretty straight.” Experts have shown that Stewart had approximately 1.3 seconds
to react. Experts have shown that the revving motor in the video belongs to a
car on the track closer to the camera.
The family
contends that Tony Stewart was angry, and intended to throw dirt on Kevin Jr to
teach him a lesson, but accidentally hit him instead. This scenario does not match
the video records or the scientific data that was gathered, tested, re-tested,
and proved more than once. I cannot understand why the family refuses to
believe these facts. By all accounts, the Ward family is successful. I don’t
think they could have gotten there if they didn’t have some sort of
intelligence. Why aren’t they using it?
There is no
way anyone will be able to tell what Stewart was thinking as he came around the oval, but why would
he be angry? What reason did he have “to teach Kevin Jr a lesson” like they
claim? He wasn’t the one that got stalled or pinched into the wall. He was
still in the race. Kevin Jr was pointing, and showing his anger the minute he
got out of his car. If anyone was angry, it was him. Their assertions that Tony
revved his engine or that he drove UP the track have already been disproved as
far as the DA’s office and the grand jury are concerned. Continuing to make
these allegations simply does not make any logical sense whatsoever to me.
Supporters
of the “anger” theory point to helmet throwing, fighting, and angry rants by
Tony caught on tape. Have they paid any attention to racing at all? Do they
think Tony is the only racer to get angry? I’ve seen almost every single one of
them throw, punch, push, spit, or cuss someone in the last 25 years. It is
already been written in print that Kevin Jr threw wrenches and flipped people
off to show his displeasure. Anyone remember mild-mannered Matt Kenseth when he
“went all cops” on Brian Keslowski? (No one saw that one coming.) Anyone heard of "Harvicking"?
I recently
came across an essay by an anonymous racer. I believe it gives coherent insight
to this type of racing, how the cars work, what the track must have been like the
night of the accident, and the point of view from an actual racer that knew
Kevin Ward Jr http://web.a-znet.com/~dave1w/ward.htm His personal observations and opinions are
almost directly in line with the evidence that has been reported, and goes
against the claims by the Ward family.
The Racing Community
Alcohol and
drug use is prohibited in every racing league, and by every racetrack. Since
the accident, there have been calls for random drug testing, but because of
costs, it may not become a reality. Racing is a dangerous sport—and even more
so when you factor in any sort of chemical that changes the makeup of someone’s
body and alters the mind. Wouldn’t it be a giant step forward for racing if someone
stepped up and made random drug testing possible for all leagues, and all
tracks?
When I found
this piece, I started to think how the lawsuit would impact the future: http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/08/sprint_car_drivers_disappointe.html
By many
accounts, some of the sprint car racers are not happy about this suit. I
believe it will only get worse if it is settled or makes it to the
courtroom. The only way to stop it is to dismiss the case. Prolonging this
tragedy, which was clearly a racing accident brought on by bad decisions made
by Kevin Ward Jr, will only hurt the racing community that the Ward family has
been a part of for so many years. I agree that it will hurt the reputation of
the sport, which could cause fewer participants and less attendance at small
tracks. Tracks may close, thus laying off individuals and slowing down the
economy in those areas. If this happens, racers may not travel
further to participate, and eventually, racers and racing as we know it could
become endangered species. Is this what the Wards want to happen? Do they want
to do this to their “racing family”? What about Kevin Sr? Does he want this to
happen to his current race team?
As of now,
most media, race fans and the racing world, believe that this is a frivolous
lawsuit brought on by greed. http://frontstretch.com/2015/08/10/kickin-the-tires-ward-family-seeks-jackpot-justice-in-wrongful-death-case/
I don’t believe that. The only reason money comes into this is because the Wards are looking for any legal way to hurt Tony Stewart.
I do believe
that this has turned into a personal vendetta for the Wards. Overwhelming grief
can cause people to do irrational things.
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/aug/10/ingram-lawsuit-against-tony-stewart-not-about-just/#
If Kevin Jr was the person they claim he was, I don't believe that he would support his family in their vengeance. I don't believe that he would want his family, friends, neighbors, or his racing family to continually re-live this tragedy, or drag out their overwhelming sorrow.
**************
Kevin Ward Jr’s family should honor him by leaving a good and lasting legacy in his name--not fodder for tabloids and social media. They need to come to grips with this tragedy, and accept the fact that it was a racing accident. They should admit the mistakes made by their son, and use the respect they will gain by doing so to improve the sport of racing. Promote drug and alcohol testing at racetracks, track safety, or whatever Kevin Jr was fond of doing for other people, they should continue to work for him in his name.
The whole racing world is watching the Ward family. In a few years, this accident will be forgotten, and those that did
not know him, will forget Kevin Ward Jr's name. This is the part where the
Wards can CHOOSE to make things better for the sport that Kevin loved and the
family he left behind. This is the part where the Ward family can CHOOSE to
make sure no one forgets their champion.
Which one will they CHOOSE?
As Dennis
Miller says, “Of course this is just my opinion…. I could be wrong.”