What a difference a few seconds make

This morning I awoke to headlines telling that Tony Stewart, Nascar driver and owner of Stewart Haas racing, hit and killed 20-year old driver Kevin Ward, who was walking on the track at Canandaigua Motorsports Park (New York). (And, yes - I am a bit of a motorhead - something I haven’t yet mentioned. More on that later.)

Instantly, everyone has questions and comments on this tragic event. What was the young driver thinking when he walked into racing traffic? Why couldn’t Stewart go low on the track and miss him? Evidently he and Stewart were involved in an altercation that put Ward into the wall - or at least that is how Ward perceived it. Ward was obviously trying to show his displeasure to Stewart who may have been doing the same. Did the combination of a black driver’s suit and poor lighting contribute to the incident? Did the track have inadequate lighting?

Beyond all the race talk, this tragic incident once again highlights how life can dramatically change in seconds. Kevin Ward lost his life. Kevin’s family lost a son, brother, cousin, etc. It’s likely many lost a friend. And, of course, there is the what could have been. Tony Stewart will be forever impacted. Who knows how this will play out. Will it affect Stewart-Haas and all of the employees? Will it affect the Canandaigua track?

Nothing is going to change what happened. Lives will change - they have already started; over time, people will adjust. Most importantly, however, it that people learn from this event and are perhaps better prepared to handle the next life-changing event. Chances are there will be many more.