Welcome home Tony Stewart we missed you

Tony Stewart (Getty Images)
Tony Stewart (Getty Images)
Tony Stewart (Getty Images)

The night of August 9, 2014 was one that ended horribly.  It didn’t start out that way. That Saturday night started out as something that was supposed to be fun. A dirt track in Upstate New York was running its program like many others across America. As an added feature a NASCAR champion was racing; the stands were filled and fans cheered.

It all ended so horribly. Those in attendance witnessed a tragedy as a young man lost his life.  The true circumstances may still be debated but all the evidence seems to indicate that what happened was nothing more than a terrible, awful accident.  It left a family grieving over the loss of a son and the NASCAR champion in a state of shock.  The rest of the NASCAR world too was in a state of shock. Let there be no doubt however that no matter what anyone might think, there can be no argument on one point; Tony Stewart had no intention of bringing any physical harm to anyone. What happened was an accident.  Nothing more that a horrifying, terrible accident.

The emotions were such that Tony Stewart did what many thought unthinkable; he stepped aside and elected not to race the following day.  We can debate the decision all we want, but in the end, we have to respect it, his decision.  Only those who have been part of such a tragic event could ever understand why someone just needs to withdraw, step out of the light for a little bit. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.