WATKINS GLEN — Tony Stewart may not have been at Watkins Glen on Sunday, but his fans were, and they had nothing but support for the world-class driver who a night earlier hit and killed another driver on a tiny dirt track an hour away.  Some fans attending the race expressed their sympathies for Kevin Ward Jr., the driver who was killed, and his family, but did not believe Stewart was at fault. Ward had exited his car and appeared angry with Stewart when the NASCAR driver’s car hit Ward, killing him.  “He thought he was still racing from what I see, basically. The kid was right there, he shouldn’t have been out of his car to begin with," James Snyder, 43, from Canandaigua, said. “You’re not supposed to do that.”  Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero announced at a press conference Sunday afternoon that there are currently no criminal charges pending.  “It’s a tragedy and it’s not good for anybody involved. The kid and his parents of course, sympathies to them,” J.D. Barton, 27, of Elmira said. “And Tony, it’s not good for him either, even if there’s no criminal charges ... it’s going to follow him for the rest of his career.”  Stewart initially was planning on racing at the Cheez-It 355 Sunday, but in the hours leading up to the race ultimately pulled out. Of the fans the Daily News spoke to, opinions were mixed on whether Stewart should have raced Sunday.  Barton said he should have sat out the race because he would have had to face questions from reporters had he driven.  “Depending on what his statement was or how he handled the question, it might have reflected poorly upon him,” Barton said. “I think it was a smart move.”  Brad Liles of Byron said, “I think if he feels confident enough to race he should be able to race.”  Snyder thought Stewart should have returned to the track Sunday but suspected this might not be the only race he misses.  “It’s mostly his choice but it’s like falling off the horse — get right back on it. If you don’t, you’re never gonna get back behind the wheel,” Snyder said. “Yeah I think he’s probably going to sit a few races out on this one. So I don’t believe he’s going to be (in the Chase).”
A day after NASCAR star Tony Stewart killed a fellow sprint car driver on a dirt track in Canandaigua, some of his fans expressed support for the driver.