MOTORSPORT: A black day in America

In a moment of madness a 20-year-old sprintcar driver was dead and the career of one of American racing's greats was thrown under a dark cloud.

Tony Stewart chose to be at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York State rather than nearby Watkins Glen on Saturday and his sprintcar hit and killed Kevin Ward Junior as the youngster, standing on the dirt track, gesticulated with the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion over his tactics the previous lap.

It was reminiscent of the (in)famous Mark Skaife-Russell Ingall incident at Eastern Creek, only this time it had the deadly result Australian officials knew was the worst potential outcome that day in Sydney.

It is hard to think of a blacker day in the world of motorsport since Ayrton Senna's fatal crash at Imola 20 years ago.

The tragedy has overshadowed Marcos Ambrose's victory at Watkins Glen in NASCAR's Nationwide Series and a thrilling race to the finish of the Sprint Cup round early this morning Australian time.

Unfortunately, Ambrose lost out to AJ Allmendinger, who ironically was driving for the team owners who fielded the Australian dual V8 Supercar champion in his early days in America -Tad and Jodi Geschickter and former Cleveland Cavaliers basketballer, now ESPN NASCAR commentator, Brad Daugherty.

Stewart, a 48-time Sprint Cup race winner, scratched himself from this round. He has not been arrested and has co-operated fully with those investigating Ward's death.

Stewart is well known to Australian speedway fans for the summer visits he used to make Down Under and as the mentor of the even more regular visitor, Donny Schatz. His business partner is Gene Haas, who is starting a Formula One team too.

As word and vision of Saturday's incident began circulating yesterday, it was easy to contemplate that the great and hugely popular 'Smoke' Stewart's career and massive racing operation were going up in smoke.

Damning for him is that he appears to have gunned the engine of his sprintcar before hitting Ward. However, Ward's oh so fatal mistake was that, after walking along the track parallel with the outside concrete wall, he turned and took several strides into the middle of the track.

Stewart's car stepped out at the rear, as is usual with these light but brutally powerful machines,  and the right rear tyre collected Ward.

The pair had been angry at each other but, as stated at the outset, this was a fleeting moment of madness - with the most horrendous consequences.

Stewart is the most aggressive of racers but surely, even in anger, he didn't intend to injure, to maim, let alone kill Ward. Frighten or intimidate perhaps.

The law will afford Stewart a presumption of innocence, but this incident could have a hugely detrimental effect on his career and a business that would have sponsorships of $60-$80 million.

Danica Patrick drives one of the team's four NASCARs.

Stewart is in such a different place today to what he was when he stitched Carl Edwards in 2011 for one of the most memorable Cup titles in history.