Stewart accident can have major ripple effect on him, sponsors (Update)
CNBC's Brian Sullivan said, "The question is going to be no matter what the outcome is of this investigation … whether Mobil One, Bass Pro Shops, GoDaddy, come back to him." Sullivan noted even if Stewart is "totally cleared in this" and is "exonerated of any criminal charges," questions remain whether sponsors are "going to pay money to put your name on his hood" "Morning Joe," MSNBC
08/10/14 The essence of Tony Stewart is that he touches nearly every part of auto racing. The three-time NASCAR champion owns short tracks, races grassroots series in his spare time and has ownership stakes in a multitiered racing empire with interests in NASCAR and sprint cars (and a partner, Gene Haas, who will enter Formula One).
After his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. in a Saturday night race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, the ripple effects could be enormous across myriad racing series, sponsors and teams.
But aside from replacing Stewart with Regan Smith in the No. 14 Chevrolet for the Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International, Stewart-Haas Racing would not address those ramifications and its future plans beyond Sunday's Cup race.
Experts in handling PR crisis management said it is the right approach while the Ontario County Sheriff's Department continues its investigation. In a statement, NASCAR said it would "continue to respect the process and timeline of the local authorities and will continue to monitor this situation."
"The facts here are critically important," said Ramsey Poston, president of strategic communication firm Tuckahoe Strategies and a former NASCAR executive. "Tony Stewart and SHR should limit what they say publicly to the facts and only the facts as they continue to cooperate with law enforcement.
Speculation on behalf of fans, media and others as to what might have happened and why can quickly take over the public dialogue and incorrectly frame the matter, which is why SHR needs to continue to steer any further comments to the established facts that are known. Law enforcement is driving the process for the time being. What is determined in that process will obviously set the course for any further action. At some point, the Ward family will possibly weigh in from a legal perspective making the facts and Tony's statements even more important."
As the investigation continues, here are the major issues that have been raised by Ward's death:
During ESPN's prerace broadcast Sunday, analyst and former crew chief Andy Petree said Ward's death would be "a watershed moment for racing in general. Even if there's rule changes or procedure changes going forward, it's going to be something every race car driver will think about it. The impact of this tragic event is going to be felt from here forward. I think you'll see a lot of changes."
In NASCAR, drivers are corporate spokesmen expected to deliver a company's message with a clean image. Though Stewart is a pitchman extraordinaire whose blue-collage persona offers appeal, Ward's death is the latest of several on- and off-track incidents that have raised questions about why he always seems caught in a maelstrom of controversy.
During the 2010-11 offseason, Stewart said he was "very embarrassed and ashamed" after being questioned by Australian police (he was not charged) for hitting a track promoter with a helmet over a dispute over track safety while on a five-week racing tour of the country.
In 2002, Stewart nearly lost his ride at Joe Gibbs Racing for shoving a photographer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a 12th-place finish in the Brickyard 400. He sought anger management counseling and was placed on probation for the incident, as he also was for striking Brian Vickers after a 2004 Cup race at Sonoma Raceway.
There have been many other instances in which Stewart's temper has flared without drawing punishment. Two years ago at Bristol Motor Speedway, he was not disciplined for hurling his helmet at Matt Kenseth's car after a crash while racing for the lead. More at Nate Ryan/Star Gazette