CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tony Stewart plans to return to Sprint Cup competition Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending a three-race hiatus after his car struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt-track race.
Stewart, a three-time Nascar champion, has not raced since his car hit the driver, Kevin Ward Jr., at an Aug. 9 sprint car event in Canandaigua, N.Y., near Rochester. Stewart withdrew from the Nascar race at Watkins Glen the next morning and then skipped races at Michigan International Speedway and at Bristol Motor Speedway, in Tennessee.
Stewart, whom the police described as “visibly shaken” the night of Ward’s death, has been in seclusion. His only comment since the incident was a statement the next day in which he said, “There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.”
Ward, 20, climbed from his car after it had spun while racing for position with Stewart’s vehicle. He walked onto the racing surface and waved his arms in an apparent attempt to confront Stewart.
The authorities said the first car to pass Ward had to swerve to avoid hitting him. The front of Stewart’s car then appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. He died of blunt force trauma.
A decision is pending on whether Stewart will be charged in Ward’s death. Shortly after the incident, Sheriff Philip Povero of Ontario County said investigators did not have evidence to support criminal intent by Stewart. Povero said Thursday that the investigation was continuing.
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