NASCAR champion, Tony Stewart returns briefly at the Atlanta race after slamming a wall on Lap 170 when his right tire blew last Sunday.
Tony Stewart, the famous American stock car racer, returns to a competition on Sunday for the first time since his car struck and killed another driver last August 9.
On Sunday, the fans and the crowd became ecstatic as Tony Stewart was introduced at the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The NASCAR champ was given a standing ovation and the loudest and longest cheers for any drivers.
However, what started as a profoundly emotional race comeback for Tony Stewart ended briefly when a blown tire cut short his return to NASCAR. After just 172 of 325 laps at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart's right tire blew and his car smacked the wall on Turn 2. At the end of the race, Kasey Kahne won and sealed a spot in the "Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup" playoff.
Meanwhile, this is Tony Stewart's first Sprint Cup start after he struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York and the incident remains under investigation.
Tony Stewart was tightlipped after his rumored retirement and declined to speak to a reporter after Sunday's race. Nevertheless, he spoke briefly on Friday about Ward's death to the media. Tony Stewart stated that the incident was one of the toughest tragedies he has ever had to deal with, professionally and personally. He even said that the incident is something that will definitely affect his life forever.
After the tragic incident, the father of the victim blamed Tony Stewart for hitting his son. However, Tony Stewart said that he wanted Kevin Ward's parents and siblings to know that he's thinking and praying for them daily. He also said that he knew that the pain and the mourning that the bereaved family is experiencing was something he can't possibly imagine.
In the interim, NASCAR granted Tony Stewart a waiver on Friday to join in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Despite missing him during the regular season, Tony Stewart will make the 16-driver championship field if he wins next Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
Thirty minutes before the race to start, Tony Stewart was visited by sponsor representatives Johnny Morris of the Bass Pro Shops and Rusty Rush of Rush Enterprises. They also told USA Today Sports that they stand by Tony Stewart.
In spite and despite of the circumstances that Tony Stewart is currently facing, the fans are still eager to welcome one of NASCAR's most famous and diverging champion back to the sport.
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