Tony Stewart’s courtroom victory aside, no winners emerged Wednesday.
The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, whom a grand jury decided not to charge in the death of fellow sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr., will never forget striking and killing the 20-year-old Ward on Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.
And nothing will bring Ward back.
Stewart, 43, could have been charged with second-degree manslaughter or criminal negligent homicide, but Ontario County (N.Y.) District Attorney Michael Tantillo announced that Ward was under the influence of marijuana the night of the accident.
“The levels determined were enough to impair judgment,” Tantillo said.
Ward ran on the track to confront Stewart a lap after they made contact in Turn 2. Tantillo said two videos examined by investigators showed “no aberrational driving by Tony Stewart” as his car came around the track under caution.
Video analysis showed Stewart did not change direction in steering until after contact was made with Ward. The district attorney said there was “no basis” for criminal charges.
Ward’s family issued a statement to ESPN saying Stewart is responsible for the tragedy.
“All other vehicles were reducing speed and not accelerating except for Tony Stewart, who intentionally tried to intimidate Kevin by accelerating and sliding his car towards him, causing this tragedy,” the statement read.
One video shot by a spectator has been released to the public; the second, which was filmed by the track, has not.
Motor racing experts aren’t sure how an on-track accident ended up in a courtroom, and what might have happened if Stewart, or any driver in the future, is charged criminally based on his driving. An Associated Press investigation found no similar case in the sport since at least 2003.
Now, a sport facing danger at every corner must figure out where to go from here and how to prepare itself for anything similar.
“I’m afraid this will also have severe impact on short track racing on (a) variety of levels,” veteran motor sports radio broadcaster Pete Pistone wrote Wednesday on Twitter.
That could come in the form of fewer participants, fewer spectators and/or higher insurance premiums, among other changes. All of that threatens short-track racing already facing financial and relevancy challenges.
After Ward’s death, NASCAR announced a rule that prohibits drivers from climbing out of their crashed cars — unless it’s on fire — until rescue workers arrive. Other sanctioning bodies and tracks have adopted similar guidelines.
In the weeks to come, after Stewart regains his stride in NASCAR, the popular driver must decide if racing on short tracks is worth his effort. The former U.S. Auto Club national champion has for years attended such races, often at a moment’s notice, because he loves the challenge of dirt-track racing and the fierce competition that comes with it.
But Stewart is a lightning rod not only in the media but often with the competitors eager to prove their worth in his company. Many saw Ward as one of those drivers hungry for what Stewart has.
Stewart also risks injury every time he climbs into a race car, and that bore out last year when he severely broke his right leg in a tangle with a local sprint car driver at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The fact it took seven weeks to release toxicology findings bothered current Sprint Cup Series leader Brad Keselowski, who suggested the investigation was drawn out because of the national attention that Stewart draws.
“Can’t believe what I’m reading about Tony Stewart’s case,” he wrote on Twitter. “Why didn’t they release this sooner?!?!”
Still, Stewart and the sport he so dearly loves have been deeply impacted by the Ward tragedy and the findings that followed. Seven weeks of intense scrutiny by media outlets small and large have likely changed racing for years to come.
“This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever,” Stewart said in a statement released by the stock car team he co-owns.
After saying he respected the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Office, Stewart put the focus back on Ward.
“It’s important to remember a young man lost his life,” Stewart said in the statement. “Kevin Ward Jr.’s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers.”