There have been deaths on a NASCAR track before, but the dirt track race which resulted in the tragic death of driver Kevin Ward has struck a particularly emotional chord with race fans. Tony Stewart, who killed Ward after the young driver left his vehicle and was hit by Stewart's car. The emotional impact of that incident, as well as the legal investigation looking into whether Stewart was criminally responsible, have likely been the cause of Stewart's absence from the track recently.
Race car owner Kasey Kahne has recently said that he might think twice these days before getting into one of his powerful vehicles (via Sporting News):
"'It definitely makes you think more about it,' Kahne said about the accident. 'From my standpoint, I'd love to go race a sprint car tonight. There are so many other parts to it and pieces to it, so it's not nearly that easy.'"
Not only has Stewart been abstaining from racing in the aftermath of the horrible incident, he has also been MIA for his own team, according to friend Greg Zipadelli (via Washington Post):
"It's just an emotional roller coaster all week, you know what I mean? It is what it is. We do the best we can with what we've got right now. We'll keep praying, keep our fingers crossed that we get the boss back sooner rather than later."
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