NASCAR’s Tony Stewart: Kevin Ward Jr. death ‘was 100% an accident’

Tony Stewart said the death of Kevin Ward Jr. after the 20-year-old driver was struck by Stewart’s car in a sprint-car race last month “was 100% an accident.”

“I know 100% in my heart and in my mind that I did not do anything wrong,” Stewart told the Associated Press in an article published online Friday. It was the NASCAR champion’s first interview since a grand jury on Wednesday opted not to indict Stewart on criminal charges stemming from the Aug. 9 incident.

Stewart, 43, also disclosed that he needed professional help to cope with the situation. “You are part of something so tragic and unthinkable, it’s hard to face anybody,” he said.

Stewart, on the advice of lawyers, would not describe what he remembered about the incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, a dirt track in upstate New York.

A video of the event showed that after Stewart and Ward were racing for position, Ward crashed, climbed from his car, walked on the track and seemed intent on confronting Stewart when he was struck by Stewart’s car as Stewart circled back around.

In announcing the grand jury’s decision, Ontario County Dist. Atty. Michael Tantillo also said toxicology evidence showed Ward had marijuana in his system.

Ward’s family then issued a statement hinting that it might file a civil suit against Stewart, saying the family “will pursue all remedies in fairness to Kevin.”

Stewart told AP that he could not imagine how the Ward family is feeling. “I guess the end result is I don’t blame them for anything they say,” Stewart said.

Stewart, who spent three weeks in seclusion at his Indiana home after the tragedy before returning to racing, also described how his grief overwhelmed him.

“You sit there and you wrack your brain, you try to analyze, ‘Why did this happen?’” he said. “I made myself miserable just trying to make sense of it. ... I just couldn’t function.

“It was hard to wrap my arms round this, and it still is,” Stewart said. “I haven’t been a part of society for more than six weeks. You are scared to be around anybody, you are embarrassed to be around anybody because of what happened.

“There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “And it will be like that all your life.”

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