Tony Stewart May Miss Second NASCAR Race After Fatal Incident, Putting Career In Jeopardy

Tony Stewart may sit out a second NASCAR race after his involvement in a fatal wreck on a small dirt track in Upstate New York, putting his season and his entire career in jeopardy.

Stewart was participating in a Sprint Car race on Saturday night in Canandaigua, New York, when one of his competitors ran onto the track to confront Stewart. The driver, 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr., ran into the path of Stewart’s car and was struck, later dying of his injuries.

Local police have investigated the crash, and Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero announced Monday that there were currently no charges leveled against Stewart. But Povero also noted that the investigation was ongoing.

“There are no facts at this point that would support probable cause of any criminal behavior,” Povero told a news conference, adding that “we are continuing to gather all information.”

But others are pointing fingers at Tony Stewart. Tyler Graves, a friend of Kevin Ward Jr., stated that Stewart knowingly ran down the 20-year-old driver.

Graves told The Sporting News:

“I know Tony could see him. I know how you can see out of these cars. When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him about 50 yards.”

While the investigation continues, Tony Stewart is weighing whether to compete in the upcoming NASCAR race, this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Stewart already has missed one NASCAR race after pulling out of Sunday’s event in Watkins Glen, N.Y., in the aftermath of the fatal incident. He is in 21st place in the driver standings and is in danger of missing NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup playoff.

If Stewart misses more NASCAR races, it could mean continuing reduced exposure for his main sponsors, such as Mobil 1 motor oil and the Bass Pro Shops retail chain, which help pay the $20 million or so a year it costs to race his NASCAR car each year.

Tony Stewart has already canceled plans to compete in another sprint car race, which takes place Saturday in Plymouth, Indiana.