Local racers agree: Don’t leave your car

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

There’s an old racing term called “Red Mist,” where testosterone surges to a driver’s brain and his common sense shuts off.

“It’s a very old term,” said local race car driver Bill Pintaric. “It’s also called stupidity, but ‘Red Mist’ sounds better.”

That’s what happened to driver Kevin Ward Jr. at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York late Saturday night, Pintaric said.

After Ward’s car spun into a wall following contact with Stewart’s car, Ward got out of his vehicle and tried to confront Stewart, whose car then struck Ward and killed him.

“When I saw the video, I thought, ‘What in God’s name is going on? Why are you [Ward] getting out of your car?’” said Pintaric, a Liberty resident who spent Sunday racing in a Sports Car Club of America double regional at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington. “He’s on a dirt track and those sprint cars are basically motors and tires. They’re always going sideways.

“You just don’t get out of your car. He was way too hot [angry] to do that. If we ever tried to do that, we’d be out of the organization [SCCA] so fast your head would spin. Because things happen. I’ve seen people killed in races.”

Although Stewart has a reputation for being temperamental, Pintaric doesn’t think he hit Ward on purpose.

“You’re pretty much always going sideways — that’s how you drive those things on those short tracks — and you’re getting dirt thrown up all the time, so it’s really hard to see,” Pintaric said. “Plus the guy was in a dark suit and it was dark outside.

“Tony’s a bit of a hothead, but I don’t think he would try to kill somebody. I don’t see the rationale in that. His career would be over and he’d be in jail.”

Carl Bowser, a sprint cup driver who races in Ohio and Pennsylvania, was shocked by the incident.

“It is very sad for the kid and his family and for Tony,” said Bowser, a native of Sarvar, Pa. “Only Tony and the people that were there are going to know what exactly took place.

“It’s hard to say if it was intentional. Racing is an emotional sport and sometimes these things happen.”

Caleb Griffith, a driver from Castalia, Ohio, was upset about more than Ward’s death.

“I’m not sure why the video had to make national television,” Griffith said. “You have Stephen A. Smith get suspended for two days by ESPN talking about Ray Rice’s domestic violence issue but they show a video of someone getting killed. I think it’s completely ridiculous.”

Griffith said the incident has exploded for the wrong reasons.

“It’s all over social media,” Griffith said. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But because it’s Tony Stewart involved everyone becomes a racing expert overnight. Social media could be the biggest evil in this whole thing.”

Griffith has raced at Sharon Speedway and said there is an unwritten rule about not leaving your vehicle.

“Usually after a wreck, if you are able to keep going, then you’re sent to the back of the field,” he said. “In between then, they can’t punish you much more [placement wise].”

Griffith said sprint cars are difficult to drive.

“Your visibility is worse out of the right side than the left side,” Griffith said. “You also have no rearview mirror or spotters like they have in NASCAR. Your vision is very limited.”

Griffith said he couldn’t blame Ward for leaving his car because he’s done it himself.

“You want to let the other driver know you were displeased with what just happened but the situation did get the better of him,” he said.

Griffith doesn’t believe Stewart hit Ward intentionally.

“No one in spirit cup racing would do this on purpose,” Griffith said. “Tony Stewart did not aim to kill this kid. The racing community needs to come together.

“As a race driver of the same discipline, it is not a fault issue. The way it played out, the blame can not be leveled at anyone. It was a tragic event.”