While Tony Stewart continues to grieve in an undisclosed location following the death of Kevin Ward Jr., many of his fellow competitors in NASCAR remain supportive of Stewart and are defending his role in the tragic accident.
Stewart, a three-time champion in NASCAR's premier series, struck and killed Ward during a sprint car race on Aug. 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. Stewart has missed the previous two Sprint Cup Series races. Regan Smith substituted for him this past week at Watkins Glen International, and Jeff Burton filled in over the weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
As of now, there's no timetable on Stewart's return to racing. Representatives from Stewart-Haas Racing said last Friday that "it will be up to Tony when he's ready to get back in the car." Stewart drives the No. 14 Chevrolet in Sprint Cup and is a co-owner of SHR. The series heads to Bristol Motor
Speedway later this week.
There are presently no criminal charges pending against Stewart; however, the investigation regarding Ward's death is ongoing. The investigation could take several more weeks.
