BEHIND THE WHEEL

Tony Stewart in ‘Sadness and Pain’

After killing Kevin Ward Jr. in crash.

Tony Stewart, whose struck and killed fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. in a sprint-car race in New York this month, will return to the track Sunday. In a statement delivered from Atlanta Motor Speedway, Stewart said: “This is been of the toughest tragedies I’ve ever had to deal with, both professionally and personally. This is something that will definitely affect my life forever." Stewart has missed the past three Sprint Cup races after Ward's death on August 9. "This is a sadness and a pain that I hope no one has to experience in their life. That being said, I know that the pain and the mourning that Kevin Ward's family and friends are experiencing is something that I can't possibly imagine.” He added that “being back in the car this week with my racing family will help me get through this difficult time.”