Tony Stewart will not be charged in driver’s death

Tony Stewart says he did not see Kevin Ward Jr. walking on the track before striking and killing Ward during a sprint car race last year, according to documents filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Ward’s parents, Kevin and Pamela, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month contending Stewart’s “reckless and dangerous actions” took the 20-year-old’s life. Stewart’s attorney, Brian Gwitt, rebuts that Stewart did not see anyone on the track and Ward put himself in danger when he decided to walk on the track and was under the influence of marijuana at the time.

It’s been seven weeks since Tony Stewart struck and killed fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. during a dirt-track race in upstate New York, ending the life of a promising young driver and forever altering the life of a three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. Each day since then has been difficult, Stewart said during a 36-minute press conference Monday morning. Yet each day has gotten a little bit better for him, and he said he hopes it gets a little better for Ward’s family as well.

“I don’t think it’ll ever be normal again, but we’ll find a place to settle into and we’ll do the best that we can,” he said. “Hopefully through this we’ll somehow be a better person.”

When Kevin Harvick heard a New York grand jury would not be charging Tony Stewart for his involvement in the death of Kevin Ward Jr., he was relieved.

As well as a member of Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR team Stewart co-owns, Harvick is also a close friend of Stewart’s. And Harvick had seen firsthand how Ward’s death, and the uncertainty of whether charges would be brought, weighed on Stewart.

In the days and weeks following the death of Kevin Ward Jr., Tony Stewart battled depression, became a recluse and could not get out of bed, he told The Associated Press.

Stewart’s comments mark the first time he’s spoke publicly about Ward’s Aug. 9 death other than a brief statement Aug. 29 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Nearly seven weeks after an unmistakable tragedy that took the life of a promising 20-year-old racer, there is finally an apt descriptor for the events that transpired: an avoidable accident.

There is no longer a cloud of suspicion over the events of Aug. 9, which involved Tony Stewart striking and killing Kevin Ward Jr. An Ontario County (N.Y.) grand jury absolved Stewart of any wrongdoing in Ward’s death Wednesday.

An upstate New York grand jury decided not to bring charges against NASCAR star Tony Stewart, announcing its decision Wednesday afternoon in Ontario County.

Stewart struck and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint car race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9. Video of the incident showed Ward exit his car following a collision with Stewart and walk toward the parade of cars under caution. Driver Chuck Hebing appeared to swerve to avoid striking Ward, but Stewart’s car hit the 20-year-old. Ward was pronounced dead upon arrival at Thompson Hospital later that night. An autopsy later found the cause was massive blunt trauma.

The Ontario County (N.Y.) grand jury that received details of the investigation into NASCAR star Tony Stewart’s involvement in the death of fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. is expected to return a verdict at 3 p.m. (ET) Wednesday.

The grand jury has three options, varying from returning a “No True Bill,” indicating there is no basis to proceed with charges, to finding enough evidence to issue a felony indictment of Stewart. A third option would be to send misdemeanor charges to a lower court.

Grand jury testimony to determine whether charges will be brought against three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart in the Aug. 9 incident that claimed the life of sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. began Tuesday.

According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Chuck Hebing, who was driving in the race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park where Ward was struck and killed by Stewart’s sprint car, was called to testify Tuesday.

Tony Stewart’s fate as to whether he is charged with a crime for his involvement in the death of Kevin Ward Jr. will be determined by a grand jury consisting of 23 members, 16 of whom must be present for all the testimony.

Ward, 20, was killed during a sprint car race Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. Following a racing collision with Stewart, Ward was walking toward the bottom of the track when Stewart struck him with the right rear wheel. An autopsy ruled Ward died of blunt force trauma.

The Tony Stewart case will go before a grand jury, the Ontario County (N.Y.) District Attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

Stewart struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr., 20, during a sprint car race Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.

The investigation into the death of Kevin Ward Jr. has been completed by the Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s office and has been submitted to the district attorney for review. Any course of action will be announced next week by the DA’s office.

Ward, 20, was killed when he was struck by a sprint car driven by Tony Stewart in an Aug. 9 race at a dirt track in upstate New York. Ward was on foot following a wreck involving himself and Stewart. He was approaching Stewart’s car when he was struck and killed.

The NASCAR rule book has always been filled with great ambiguity with plenty of room for interpretation by teams and officials alike. And even when a rule may seem clear-cut, there is a term noted in the fine print that overrides any seemingly absolutes.

That term is “except in rare instances,” which is NASCAR speak for allowing officials to modify a rule on a whim or to best fit a scenario that may not have been envisioned when said rule was created.

Following a three-week absence, Tony Stewart is returning to competition this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Almost universally, his competitors are welcoming him back.

Shortly after reading an emotional statement in his first public appearance since Aug. 9, Stewart received a hug from teammate Kurt Busch and Busch’s girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. Aric Almirola gave Stewart a thumbs up before climbing into his car for the first of two practice sessions Friday.

Tony Stewart will be allowed to participate if he qualifies for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR president Mike Helton said Friday.

“This has been a very unique set of circumstances to Tony and to our sport,” Helton said. “... After evaluating the circumstances around this occurrence, we’ve come to the conclusion that Tony would be eligible to participate in the Chase if he were to earn a spot in it.”

An obviously emotional and despondent Tony Stewart spoke publicly for the first time since the Aug. 9 death of Kevin Ward Jr. on Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Reading a prepared statement his team said was handwritten by Stewart himself, the three-time NASCAR champion spoke for nearly three minutes against a plain white backdrop devoid of the customary sponsor logos. He called the circumstances surrounding the death of Ward, 20, and his involvement one of the toughest things he has ever experienced.

Tony Stewart will return to competition at this weekend’s NASCAR event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing announced Thursday.

A three-time NASCAR champion, Stewart has missed three consecutive races since his involvement in the Aug. 9 death of Kevin Ward Jr. during a sprint car race at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.

Since the day he was involved in an incident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr., Tony Stewart hasn’t competed in a race. He has vanished from the public eye, surrounding himself with close friends and family, and is said to be grieving at an undisclosed location, according to the NASCAR team he co-owns, Stewart-Haas Racing.

As Stewart mourns, an investigation is ongoing into the actions that led to Ward’s Aug. 9 death. Ontario (N.Y.) County Sheriff Philip Povero stated that the initial findings have not indicated any basis to find “criminal intent” by Stewart, whose sprint car struck and killed an on-foot Ward during a race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

Tony Stewart will sit out his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race following his involvement in the Aug. 9 death of driver Kevin Ward Jr.

Stewart-Haas Racing appointed Jeff Burton to drive Stewart’s No. 14 car this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Burton filled in for Stewart last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, while Regan Smith drove Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen International.

Kevin Harvick strongly defended close friend and team owner Tony Stewart following Sunday’s NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway.

Harvick chided the media for what he perceives to be an unfair portrayal of Stewart following his involvement in the death of Kevin Ward Jr. Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. Stewart is the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, which fields Harvick’s No. 4 car in the Sprint Cup Series.

Overwhelmed with grief and emotion, Tony Stewart is not ready to get behind the wheel again, Stewart-Haas Racing officials said Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

Stewart is missing his second consecutive race after being involved in an incident that killed Kevin Ward, Jr., in a sprint car race Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. The decision to sit out this weekend was Stewart’s and it will be his call when to return.

NASCAR has implemented new rules for drivers to follow when they’ve been involved in a wreck, following the death of Kevin Ward Jr., who was struck by Tony Stewart in a sprint car race.

The rule change will go into effect immediately and formalizes guidelines NASCAR already had in place for drivers during a crash, according to vice president of competition Robin Pemberton.

Tony Stewart has elected not race in this weekend’s NASCAR event at Michigan International Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) announced Thursday.

SHR has named Jeff Burton to drive Stewart’s No. 14 car in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. Stewart’s availability going forward has not yet been decided.

One week after an incident involving Tony Stewart took the life of 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr., Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park will resume racing Saturday.

The track made the following announcement on its website Wednesday:

The tragedy occurred in upstate New York on a small dirt track few had heard of before Saturday, but the aftereffects will be felt coast to coast.

An apparently enraged young driver, unhappy with a competitor who may have wrecked him, exited his car and sought out his antagonist. He paid little attention to the consequences of walking onto a track with cars still circling -- though under caution and at greatly reduced speeds. He paid for the decision with his life.

A grieving father wants to know how his son was killed in an accident involving NASCAR champion Tony Stewart.

Kevin Ward Jr. was killed when he climbed out of his sprint car Saturday night and then was struck by the right wheel of Stewart’s car while walking onto the Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park track. Ward, 20, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.