Tony Stewart spoke publicly for the first time since Kevin Ward Jr.’s death.
An obviously emotional and despondent Tony Stewart spoke publicly for the first time since the Aug. 9 death of Kevin Ward Jr. Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Reading a prepared statement his team said was handwritten by Stewart himself, the three-time NASCAR champion spoke for nearly 3 minutes against a plain white backdrop devoid of the customary sponsor logos. He called the circumstances surrounding the death of Ward, 20 and his involvement one of the toughest things he has ever experienced.
"This is been one of the toughest tragedies I've ever had to deal with, both professionally and personally," Stewart said. "This is something that will definitely affect my life forever. This is a sadness and a pain I hope no one ever has to experience in their life."
Ward was killed when Tony Stewart's sprint car struck him during a race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York. Following a run-in between the two, Ward was on foot and approaching Stewart's car under caution when the right-rear wheel of Stewart's car hit him.
Though he did send a card and flowers to the family, Stewart has not spoken directly to the Ward family and otherwise has been mindful of the situation and circumstances.
"(Tony's) been very respectful of them and their time to grieve," Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Brett Frood said. "I do know that it's important for Tony to spend time with the family. I do believe that will happen in the appropriate time."
Because an investigation is still ongoing, Stewart did not take questions Friday, but addressed each member of Ward's family individually.
"This is a sadness and a pain I hope no one ever has to experience in their life," Stewart said. "That being said, I know that the pain and the mourning that Kevin Ward's family and friends are experiencing is something that I can't possibly imagine. I want Kevin's father, Kevin Sr., his mother Pam and his sisters Christi, Kayla and Katelyn to know that every day I'm thinking about and praying for them."
This weekend marks Stewart's return to competition since the incident. Stewart has sat out three consecutive Sprint Cup races dealing with grief and was not emotionally ready to race, according to Stewart-Haas Racing.
"I've taken the last couple weeks off out of respect for Kevin and his family and also to cope with the accident in my own way," Stewart said. "It's given me the time to think about life and how easy it is to take it for granted. I miss my team, my teammates, and I miss being back in the race car. I think that being back in the car this week with my racing family will help me get through this difficult time."
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