Tony Stewart speaks at Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 29, 2014.
UPDATE: We saw the Tony Stewart press conference at Atlanta Motor Speedway this afternoon, and we now know . . . pretty much nothing more we didn't know this morning. A clearly shaken Stewart, appearing to be near tears, read a brief statement he wrote, and it was what you'd expect: He has suffered substantially but nothing compared to what Kevin Ward, Jr.'s family must be going through after he was killed in a sprint-car accident earlier this month. Stewart said he expects to be able to answer questions about the incident, but he declined to do so today, out of respect for the ongoing investigation by the Ontario County, New York, Sheriff.
Stewart left the conference room, but Brett Frood, who has handled the racer's business interests since 2004, remained to answer some questions from hand-picked reporters: Stewart has not spoken to the Ward family, but he did send flowers and a card to the funeral. Also, Stewart's second family at the racetrack will now help him continue the grieving process, and "putting on his helmet" should help Stewart deal with it all. The decision to return to racing was "100 percent" Stewart's.
In retrospect, it may have been wise for Stewart to make a statement now, since the ongoing investigation gives him an out for having to answer the tough questions.
Still unanswered, then: Where has Stewart been? Did he see Kevin Ward on the track before the contact? Has he had professional therapy? Will he ever race sprint cars—or at any short track—again?
In the end, it was the saddest, most uncomfortable we've ever seen Tony Stewart. And like him or not—and I do—he gave a very good impression of a man going through absolute hell right now.
- Tony Stewart's NASCAR Return Confirmed for this Weekend [Analysis]
- Yes, Tony Stewart Hit and Killed a Fellow Driver, But You Need to Know the Whole Story
- Investigation Into Kevin Ward, Jr.'s Death Hinges on Shaky 65-second Video
NASCAR president Mike Helton spoke not long after Stewart's press conference. He said that if Stewart wins this week or next—the final chances to qualify for NASCAR's "postseason" Chase for the Championship by winning a race—Stewart would be eligible, even though he missed the past three races. The rules say that drivers must try to qualify for each event, but NASCAR made a provision for "special circumstances;" Helton said that this was one of them.
Stewart was tenth fastest in practice today for Sunday's race.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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