Kevin Ward’s father wants answers from Tony Stewart
He also wants people to remember his son for his smile rather than the way he died.
An investigation is ongoing and is expected to take at least two more weeks. As of Monday, the Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff Philip Povero said no facts have emerged that would show probable cause for criminal charges.
Kevin Ward Sr. told The (Syracuse) Post-Standard that he was told that all racers in the event would be interviewed. Stewart has talked to investigators, but his statement has not been made public.
"Apparently, Tony Stewart was the only one driving out there who didn't see him," Ward Sr. said.
Povero has made a public plea for video of the incident, and as of Monday, investigators had two videos in their possession.
"The one person that knows what happened that night is possibly facing 10 years in prison," Ward Sr. said, according to the report. “Is he going to say what he done?"
The father also was angry over the accident that preceded the tragedy.
"Tony Stewart was the best damn driver by far on the track that night," Ward Sr. told the newspaper. “Why he had to go up as high as he did and hog my son, there's no reason for it."
The young driver had never previously gotten out of his car and approached other cars following a wreck, his father said, and likely did so because he knew who put him in the wall during the Empire Super Sprints event.
His son, an aspiring World of Outlaws racer, had won four races since joining the Empire tour in 2010 and had finished in the top 10 in points in three of his four seasons. He was sixth in the standings at the time of his death.
Visitation for Ward Jr. is Wednesday and the funeral will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at South Lewis Senior High School in Turin, N.Y., 55 miles northeast of Syracuse. Ward was a 2012 graduate of the school.
Fellow racers have described him as a fierce competitor, but one who could joke after a race.
"Friends all talk about how he can bring a smile to their face," his father said. "His heart, I don't know how he fit it in his chest." SportingNews