NASCAR fans react
Say decision not to race best course of action
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. The disappointment on Robert Campbell’s face was detectable Sunday at Watkins Glen.
The Bath, N.Y., resident is a big Tony Stewart fan, and he looked forward to seeing the driver compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.
Stewart, however, decided Sunday morning not to race, about 12 hours after the three-time Sprint Cup champion hit and killed driver Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint car race Saturday night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.
Regan Smith drove the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in Stewart’s place.
“It’s up to him. That’s a hard thing to try to do after what happened (Saturday) night,” Campbell said. “I think he’s doing the right thing, and I’m supportive of him either way.”
The consensus among fans at Watkins Glen International was Stewart made the right decision.
Andrea MacTavish of Ottawa, at the race with her husband Bill, believed Stewart’s participation could have created a safety risk.
“His mind wouldn’t be on the race, probably. It might be more dangerous for the other drivers if he got on the track, because he’d be distracted and upset,” she said. “It’s a loss not having Tony in a race, because he’s a great driver and fun to follow.”
Added Bill MacTavish: “I can’t imagine what he’s going through, being in that situation. It’s got to be upsetting. Tony’s a racer, he loves to race every chance he has, and it’s unfortunate that he’s going to miss this one.”
Tim Vogler of Harrisburg, Pa., heard about the incident Sunday morning. Though he didn’t know many details, he figured Stewart would not race.
“I was surprised that he was even considering trying to race (Sunday), but I think he did the classy thing deciding not to drive,” Vogler said. “I know he’s trying to win a championship, but sometimes there are things bigger than a title, and this is obviously one of those times.”
Saturday’s accident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park came almost exactly a year after Stewart broke his leg in a crash while competing in a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
“You wonder if he should think twice about racing at these smaller tracks,” said Harold Joslyn of Amherst, Mass. “He seems to get himself into all kinds of trouble there. ... I wish he could have raced (Sunday), but it would have been a really tough thing to do.”
There were some fans who thought Stewart should have tried to give it a go, among them Brian Schlieper of Horseheads N.Y. “I’m disappointed he’s not racing,” Schlieper said. “I wish he would have raced and dedicated the race to Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a tragedy, and I understand him not racing, but I thought he could have raced for him.”
Ward had climbed from his car to show that he was angry with Stewart about an incident between the drivers during a previous lap, according to a driver in the race and another witness.
“The guy is a local guy, and Tony has all of the money in the world,” Waterloo, N.Y., resident Tim Fratus said. “The race meant nothing to him, he can buy more cars, while (Ward Jr.) could’ve put everything he had into it.”