Tony Stewart commences busy schedule racing sprint cars
Tony Stewart may be through driving in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but he’s not finished racing — not by a long shot.
Last month the three-time NASCAR champion said he planned to run 80 races this season, mostly in sprint cars and late models, and he briefly tried to put together deals to drive in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Thursday night in Ocala, Florida, Stewart ran his first race of 2017, finishing 17th in a 26-car field at Bubba Raceway Park. Friday night at the Florida track, Stewart finished 21st, and he is scheduled to race again Saturday night.
Thursday night was Stewart’s first time in a sprint car race since August 2014, when he accidently struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. in Upstate New York. Stewart was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident, although Ward’s family filed a wrongful death civil suit that’s stull pending.
The three-time NASCAR champion, who retired after last season, declined comment after the dirt-track event out of respect for the Ward family and later told The Associated Press he didn't want his racing to even appear like he's "rubbing it in the Wards' faces."
Ward's mother, Pamela, told the AP on Thursday that the family could not comment on Stewart until the civil suit they've filed is over. She said a date for the trial, which will be held this year in Utica, New York, has not yet been set. The Wards are seeking unspecified damages.
Ward also said she was unaware Stewart was returning to sprint car racing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
