Last year, Tony Stewart’s season ended prematurely because he broke his leg while racing sprint cars. This is why many car owners won’t allow their drivers to recreationally race, but Stewart is his own owner. You would also think that this was a wake up call for him. If that wasn’t tonight may be. The facts are still a bit unknown at this point, but according to reliable sources on sports (Fox, ESPN, etc), here’s what we know.

• Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward got tangled up on the track and it ended with Kevin Ward’s car being wrecked
• Kevin Ward got out and angrily gestured at Tony Stewart
• The race was under caution
• Tony Stewart’s car hit Kevin Ward
• Kevin Ward passed away this evening due to his injuries

Now, I don’t think there is any doubt that Tony Stewart’s sprint car career is in jeopardy, but I’m not entirely sure his Sprint Cup career isn’t in jeopardy. If it comes out that this occurred either intentionally or due to negligence, I think it’ll be the end of Stewart. In a sport already struggling to generate sponsorship dollars, a person can’t afford to have something hanging over their head. This investigation will turn up a lot, but let’s just all agree that we will only take the facts and judge from there. It’s the only way to be fair to all parties involved.

RIP Kevin Ward Jr