NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski is skeptical about any attempts at creating rules to prevent drivers from getting out of their cars during races.
The death of 20-year-old sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. on Saturday in upstate New York was shocking, but angry drivers exiting their cars to approach others driver -- even while cars are moving on the track -- has been part of the sport since its early days.
Ward left his car after a crash and walked toward Stewart's moving car on the dirt track. Ward was struck and killed at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Saturday night.
"I don't know how you can enforce a rule like that unless you had a robot on the track to grab the person and put them back in the car," Keselowski told reporters Tuesday. "The only way you can enforce it is with a penalty system afterward. Really at that point, it's not effective. It's a difficult rule to try to make work."
An investigation remains open in the case, but Stewart is not suspected of criminal conduct, Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said Monday.
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"Whether it's racing or society, I'm not aware of any rule or law that works without the ability to enforce it," Keselowski said. "I hate to put myself in NASCAR's shoes. I think sometimes we put so many rules in place, it's almost impossible to enforce them all. I don't know what the line is or if there should be a line or an area that needs a rule. Man, I'm glad I don't have to make that decision."
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, said drivers get caught up in the heat of the moment. Even Keselowski has run across a track during caution period to confront another driver.
Several short tracks have rules in place to stop similar actions by drivers, but Keselowski suggested the debate should wait until after Ward's funeral on Thursday.
"Let the dust settle for a little bit and let some cooler heads prevail," Keselowski said. "Certainly, a lot of emotion charged on this topic, which is good in the sense that people care. I don't want to understate that. But it's obviously still very, very tragic and still very, very fresh. A raw wound.
"I don't even think everybody has all the facts. I think we have to get to that level first. For me personally, have some respect to the family, get through their process, then kind of dig into the hows, whys, whats (and) how we can possibly prevent something like that happening in the future."
