NASCAR shocked by driver death in New York

Three-time NASCAR sprint champion Tony Stewart said there were no words to describe the sadness he felt over the death of a fellow racer whom he struck and killed on the track during a race in New York.

Stewart issued the statement after deciding not to race on Sunday at another race in the state.

“It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in [Sunday’s] race at Watkins Glen,” he said in the statement.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.” A NASCAR statement identified the dead driver as 20-year-old Kevin Ward Junior.

The accident horrified fans attending the race and shook the sport, which is extremely popular in the United States.

Former NASCAR champions Dale Earnhardt Junior and Marco Andretti, nephew of the Formula 1 world champion Mario Andretti, expressed their sadness over the incident on Twitter.

Ontario County Sheriff Philip C Povero said Stewart and track officials were “cooperating fully” with an investigation of the incident, which occurred Saturday night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York.

No charges are pending, NASCAR said in a statement quoting Povero.

The incident was recorded by a fan in a video that has been posted on YouTube and has since gone viral.

It happened after Stewart’s car made contact with Ward’s, sending Ward into a wall of the dirt track.

The video shows Ward exiting his car and storming onto the track as cars speed by him.

The video shows Ward pointing at the veteran driver’s car, which “revved and fishtailed” before striking Ward and “sending him a sizable distance from the crash site,” NASCAR said.

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