The 44-year-old driver hasn't won in 62 races, a streak that dates to Dover in June 2013, before he broke his leg.īut Watkins Glen is a specialty race and Stewart has won five previous times on the road course. The easiest way to move forward and not linger on the tragedy is to put together a strong weekend on the track. "Unfortunately, I have a feeling that's going to get brought up a lot this week, but it doesn't help you continue to move forward with it." You guys (reporters) are the first ones to bring it up this week," he said. He's hoping to go to Watkins Glen and avoid the reminders of the last two years. Stewart has people who monitor the narrative and they've always been smart enough to keep it away from him. The vitriol was scathing, the jokes from comedians he enjoyed hurtful. He never read any of the articles that vilified him for his role in the death of a young, aspiring race car driver. I think there's always positives that come out of every scenario."ĭespite the gruff exterior and the growl he's known for throughout a decorated NASCAR career, Stewart is actually sensitive and tries hard to avoid situations that can set him off. "But not being back exactly the same that I was doesn't mean that I haven't become better in some way. "I don't know how you could be, I don't know how anybody ever could be back to exactly the way they were. "I don't think I'll ever be the same from what happened the last two years," Stewart said Wednesday in Texas. ![]() He's acknowledged several times the past few months that his confidence has been shattered, his comfort level in a race car is questionable and it's a struggle to find much joy in his profession. He's not the same person he was before Ward's death, and he's not the same driver, either. Stewart gives rides in a stock car to the participants but skipped his appearance last year as it fell during a three-week mourning period in which Stewart was in seclusion dealing with the trauma of Ward's death. Only twice had he broadly discussed the accident until Wednesday when he answered a few questions about the anniversary during a Speedway Children's Charities event at Texas Motor Speedway. Ward was struck and killed by Stewart, who called it "100 percent an accident." A grand jury declined to indict Stewart. Nothing has been the same for Stewart since the 20-year-old was killed when he climbed from his wrecked race car and walked down the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park to confront the NASCAR star. ![]() Sunday, the day Stewart is scheduled to run NASCAR's road course race, is the anniversary of Ward's death. ![]() He missed the 2013 race with a broken leg, then skipped the race last season following the accident in which his sprint car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. ![]() He takes what he get on the race track these days, which are often bleak and embarrassing for the three-time NASCAR champion.īut that's the way the past two years have gone for Stewart, who will race Sunday at Watkins Glen International Raceway for the first time since 2012. Stewart didn't complain about the lost opportunity. It was a curiously calm reaction considering only minutes before Stewart had been poised for a top-five finish. As he ran out of gas on the final lap Sunday at Pocono Raceway, Tony Stewart wearily asked his team where he finished.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |