When there is a tragic accident in sports, there is a tendency to rush to judgment based on passion, hurt and shock.
Such reaction is heightened in racing. The sport is one big adrenaline rush that is like a drug to competitors and fans.
The racing world, specifically, Sprint Car racing, has been under the national news microscope since the tragic accident involving NASCAR star Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr. during a 360 Sprint Car race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park Saturday night.
There has been speculation swirling about Stewart's role in the incident, in which the right rear of his car clipped Ward and delivered a fatal blunt force trauma blow, according to autopsy results released Monday.
Some believe that Stewart hit the throttle and swerved to scare Ward, who was angry over an move that put him out of the race. Others think Stewart hit the throttle to toss his car left to avoid the angry driver coming towards him.
Both theories have support, but there is another scenario. Put aside Ward's suit and helmet color (black) or the lighting at the track and consider that there is possibility Stewart didn't see the Empire Super Sprint upstart.
Visibility has always been an issue in Sprint Car racing. While the left side of the car is open, the right side is filled with obstacles that obstruct sight lines.
"It's very hard to see to the right in a Sprint Car," said Lance Dewease, winner of 300 feature events in his 410 Sprint Car career. "The seats and the wing panel block the view.
"If someone is standing right next to me in the pit area, next to the nerf bar, the only thing I can see is the belt buckle and the stomach area. Add banking to the track, and it's hard to see a car that is next to you."
Dewease admitted that the only way he can see a person in full on the right side of his car is if they are in front of the right tire. And that is if the car is standing still.
There are other variables.
According to Dewease, visibility can also be compromised when following another competitor on the track.
Dirty air and dust is one thing. There is also the issue of paying attention to what the competitor is doing in front of you.
"I'm concentrating on the other car," Dewease said. "When you are behind another car in the corner, that is your focus.
"When Lincoln went to group time trialing — there are only four cars on the track — I've caught myself watching the car in front of me, and that slows me down. I'm paying attention to him and not my marks."
Trying to see out the right side of a Sprint Car has always been a dicey proposition. It's been that way since the early '80s.
It isn't just the wing sideboards. You also have rock screens that wrap around the front, and although the left side is wide open, you have a higher right side panel that conceals and protects the driver.
The obstructions make green-flag conditions difficult. You are running side-by-side through banked corners and have to rely on sound at times more than sight.
It doesn't get any easier under caution.
According to Brent Marks, 23, who is in his sixth season running a 410 Sprint Car, there is a checklist that a driver goes through that diverts his attention away from the track.
"Under yellow, you are always checking your belts and making sure everything is alright," Marks said. "I'm also looking from advice from my [pit crew] guys, so I'm always looking around the track.
"There are no radios, so you are getting hand signals. I'm not always paying attention to what is going on; it's just the nature of Sprint Car racing."
Follow @jelliott1011Source : http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/08/sprint_car_visibility_issues_c.html
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