GM Supported Stewart Pulling Out of Race After Crash That Killed Fellow Driver

By Sharon Terlep And Jeff Bennett 

General Motors Co., a prominent sponsor of three-time Nascar champion Tony Stewart, weighed in on the driver's decision to pull out of a race after his vehicle hit and killed a fellow competitor who was on foot, people familiar with the matter said.

Stewart's team was in touch with GM officials as the driver rethought his plan to race in a Nascar event on Sunday in Watkins Glen, N.Y., the people said. The auto maker, which sponsors Stewart through its Chevrolet brand, didn't demand that Stewart pull out of the event but supported his decision to do so.

Brett Frood, executive vice president of Stewart-Haas Racing, Stewart's racing team, spoke with GM officials the morning of the event and notified them he wouldn't race, team spokesman Mike Arning said. "No corporate entity played a role in Tony's decision to sit out Saturday's race," he said.

Initially, Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, was quoted by USA Today on Sunday saying that "we're business as usual" and that Stewart would race at Watkins Glen after the Saturday incident that killed 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint-car race at a nearby dirt track in upstate New York. Hours later on Sunday, the team changed positions and announced Stewart wouldn't race.

Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero said Monday there is no evidence suggesting criminal intent in the crash. The sheriff's office said Tuesday that there would be an update regarding the investigation in the afternoon.

The incident occurred as the cars were under caution to slow down and coming out of a turn at Canandaigua Motorsports Park, officials said. An autopsy found that Ward died of "massive blunt force trauma," Ontario County Coroner Kevin Henderson said. A video taken by a fan shows that Stewart's and Ward's cars previously tangled and that Ward's car hit the wall. Ward then got out of his vehicle and was standing in the middle of the track shaking his fist as Stewart came around the one-half-mile oval.

GM has a big presence in racing and Nascar in particular, and has deep ties to Stewart-Haas Racing. The auto maker is a sponsor of the team, and Stewart drives a Chevy in Nascar races. GM teamed with Stewart last year to design a Chevrolet Silverado pickup concept, which bore Stewart's name and his signature embroidered into the headrests.

The auto maker, in the midst of a safety crisis over deadly ignition switches, was pleased Stewart decided not to participate.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Kevin Ward Jr. This is a sad and tragic event," Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motor sports, said in a statement, declining further comment.

Stewart-Haas's Frood said the team has been in "close contact" with its many sponsors since the incident. "They are very supportive of him during this difficult time," Frood said in a statement.

Stewart pulled out of a dirt-track race at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Ind., set for Saturday, according to the speedway's website. As for Sunday's Nascar race at Michigan International Speedway, Stewart on Tuesday hadn't yet decided whether he would race, Arning said.

"He will have as much time as he needs to make that decision," he said. "It is still an emotional time for all involved."

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