Tony Stewart decided not to join the NASCAR Sprint Cup last Sunday in Watkins Glenn, N.Y after he struck fellow race car driver Kevin Ward Jr during last Saturday's race.
Stewart first bumped the victim's car and knocked it out. During his next round at the track, Ward climbed out of his car on the track to confront Stewart but then Stewart then struck the driver right after the victim left him car in order to confront him in the dirt track at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.
The competition director for Stewart-Haas racing Greg Zipadelli announced last Sunday morning that Stewart will not be taking part in the day's competition. He was replaced by Regan Smith.
He said "I support Tony Stewart. I think I have shown that over the last 18 years. "(Stewart) feels strongly this is the right thing to do. We at SHR support it and agree with it. It's a difficult time for both parties. This is what we feel is right and we're supporting Tony in it."
On the other hand, Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said that they are not conducting a criminal investigation and that Stewart was fully cooperative and was clearly upset over the incident. He said "He was visibly shaken by this accident. This is right now being investigated as an on-track crash and I don't want to infer that there are criminal charges pending. When the investigation is completed, we will sit down with the district attorney and review it. But I want to make it very clear: there are no criminal charges pending at this time."
Ward's family issued a statement on Sunday stating that they are still trying to figure out what happened saying "We appreciate the prayers and support we are receiving from the community, but we need time to grieve and wrap our heads around all of this."
Also, NASCAR released a statement with regards to the accident saying "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fellow competitors of Kevin Ward Jr. "
It continues "We support Tony Stewart's decision to miss today's race, and we will continue to respect the process and timeline of the local authorities and will continue to monitor this situation moving forward."
