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As for racing this weekend, one has to believe that Stewart’s legal team possibly received a tip that he was unlikely to be charged. Had the information said otherwise, it’s hard to imagine he would place himself in a position for such public scrutiny.
Returning at Atlanta, then, makes sense. His many years driving under the banner of Atlanta-based Home Depot for Joe Gibbs Racing made him a lot of fans, and the atmosphere in Georgia is likely much more comfortable and welcoming than those of Bristol, Michigan, or, for goodness’ sake, Watkins Glen, which is located about an hour’s drive from Canandaigua.
What doesn’t make sense is Stewart’s press conference scheduled for today: Rather than holding one small conference or—even better, from his standpoint—speaking to one reporter and letting that interview stand as the public record, Stewart is holding an open conference at the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center. And it seems likely that TMZ will find the door to that room...
... The bottom line: This won’t be easy for anyone. Regardless of what Stewart does or doesn’t say today, and regardless of what the plodding investigation rules, fans and observers have dug in: Some are sure Stewart did all he could to miss Ward, and some are sure Stewart didn’t intentionally hit Ward but did steer toward him to brush him back, like a big-league pitcher buzzing a batter crowding the plate....
...Even if Stewart faces no criminal charges, a wrongful-death civil suit is not only possible but probable. This story is just beginning, and for most of the media, Tony Stewart is the gift that keeps on giving—an unprecedented tragedy in motorsports that could be in the news for months. There is only one time in the next few days that Stewart will be able to escape the scrutiny: during the three-hour race on Sunday night. Welcome back? We’ll see.