"A race car driver was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Saturday night after two witnesses say the driver was struck on the track by NASCAR star Tony Stewart.
During a sprint car race at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, driver Kevin Ward Jr. was spun out by Stewart, got out of his car to show his displeasure and then was struck by Stewart's car, sending Ward sliding down the track, fellow sprint car racer Tyler Graves and witness Adam Dulski told USA TODAY Sports"
This is crazy, reports suggesting the young driver has passed away, I will ignore that and pray for his safety for the time being.
No official statement from the track yet, you can see the video in the link below
Tyler Graves, a sprint-car racer and friend of Ward's, told Sporting News in a phone interview that he was sitting in the Turn 1 grandstands and saw everything that happened.
"Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing," Graves said. "The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car. … He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.
"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."
[Edited to add: BE WARNED: The video in the Deadspin link is shocking and graphic and shows Ward struck by the car very clearly. - SophieB]
[Edited to add 2:
I would recommend watching the video until 0:33. He gets hit at about 0:35 so you're safe. Another car passes him before he gets hit so that's your safe point.
http://deadspin.com/...ring-1618893708
http://www.usatoday....-park/13855401/
Edited by SophieB, 10 August 2014 - 08:49.