Social Media has revolutionized what it means to be a NASCAR fan. Nowadays, fans have unprecedented access to drivers to share real time comments, thoughts, and expressions on the sport they love so dearly. This creates and fosters an atmosphere that further promotes the belief that NASCAR is a family, strong, connected, and supportive. It also helps to fuel the love for the sport, by having the opportunity to express thoughts, comments, and support within the community and to be able to share those thoughts and comments with like-minded individuals. Yes, this is today’s NASCAR, and while it can be a blessing to drivers, fans, and media, it can also be a curse.
Last night’s incident with Tony Stewart and the young driver at Canandiagua Motorsports Park is a prime example of the curses of social media. By now, most of you that share a love for this sport are well aware of the situation. You have read thoughts, comments, unconfirmed and confirmed reports and accounts of what took place on the race track, and off. And what amounts to a tragedy of the worst possible kind now becomes fodder for those fans, drivers, and media “connected” to the sport of racing. Some of what I have seen and read is a horrific display of the tremendous down side of social media. I have chosen not to list the driver’s name, as a media address from the Ontario County Sheriff, Philip Provero, aired on SiriusXM NASCAR radio this morning, stated that the family had asked for his name to be withheld as family members were still being notified.
If you are looking for an article that blasts either side for the incident, I ask at this time that you perform a simple task. Please reach up to the right side of this screen and click the red box with an X. In no way, shape or form will either side be blasted, crucified, or experience trial by social media in the sentences that follow. There are plenty of websites and social media that will provide you with that, if that is what you seek. This site, and our staff, however, will not.
What occurred on the track last night, is still by a large margin, unknown. There are so many facts and pieces of a puzzle that is tremendous in size and scope that are still missing. Even educated guesses at this point would be speculative, given that no facts as to the specifics of the incident gained through evidence collection and interviews have been released by those tasked with seeking the truth, such as the authorities. Sure, you can read interviews with fans and spectators that were reportedly in attendance, however, those seem to vary in specifics, as well.
At best, social media helps to allow us to jump to conclusions. This occurs when those comment or speculate based upon information found in other posts, accounts of spectators that may or may not have actually been present and viewed the incident, and even raw horrific video uploaded to the internet for all to see. Maybe you missed the last sentence of the second paragraph. The family of the driver that died in this incident is still notifying family members. There may be those that are unaware of this young man’s passing. This must be one of the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
Consider for a moment that you are a member of that family. Not through social media or being “connected”, but a blood member of that family. How do you view social media and those that frequent social media at that moment? After all, as previously stated, if you weren’t at the track, weren’t aware of what happened to your family member, you can always pull up the video of the crash that took his life on any major social media site. In fact, I have even seen links for the video prominently displayed at major news outlets, a disgusting display of the human need to promote and sensationalize a tragedy that claimed a young life. In the coming days, will it have its own musical arrangement, as we have seen with so many other long running newsworthy tragedies?
I cannot imagine, even for a moment, learning of the demise of one of my loved ones, through viewing a link provided on a website that captured the last moments of his life before being taken by a tragedy of unfathomable proportions. This type of sensationalism has become the norm, and that is in no way a compliment to the evolution of human nature. It’s something we should all be ashamed of.
For those of you that called for (Tony) Stewart to sit this race out, you received your wish. If you viewed the press conference this morning with Greg Zipadelli, you certainly saw the same thing I witnessed, a man who is obviously emotionally shaken. He spoke slowly, stopped to gain his composure on multiple occasions, and expressed sorrow, grief, and unmitigated emotion throughout the short time he addressed the media to announce that Stewart would indeed not compete today at Watkins Glen. Regan Smith will take the wheel for Stewart today, who obviously experienced one of the most raw, tragic, and shocking racing incidents of his storied career. However, I am sure as soon as I open a social media feed, I will see the exact opposite of what I just stated, and along with Stewart, his entire racing organization will be vilified for their actions, their decisions, and for what takes place from this day forward.
See, the truth is, we get no manual on how to react to tragedy. There is no rulebook that explains to us, as humans, how to think, feel, react, act, say, or do in a situation like this. There will be those that say Stewart needed to sit this race out, to honor the young man whose life was taken last night. There will be those that say that he sat out today’s race because of the guilt of his role in last night’s tragedy. There will be and have already been those that say Tony’s actions on the track last night that led to this young man’s death were done with intent and malice. But I ask, what if it is none of the above? What if, Tony sat today’s race out because he just wasn’t ready to face the onslaught of media attention, crucifixion, and vilification that we have already seen? What if, like Zipadelli, he is shaken to his very core? Is that possible, probable? I guess it depends on what you read in your news feeds and on which side of the fence you sit on this issue.
However, in setting aside one’s own thoughts, maybe we can consider the issue with a little more clarity. Maybe there are no sides. Maybe nobody wins. Maybe, somewhere, a young man’s family is dealing with grief that cannot be explained. Maybe another man is struggling both physically and emotionally with an incident that he was directly involved with just a few short hours ago. Maybe a team of authorities are attempting to figure out what actually happened, rather than just stating facts they read on Facebook or Twitter. Maybe what occurred last night was an accident, plain and simple, an accident that claimed a young man’s life, and mentally wounded another, as well as those that care for him. There are a whole host of people that are suffering from this incident. If you are a member of the racing “family”, surely upon that we can agree. This family needs your thoughts and prayers, support and strength, not accusations, sensationalism, and speculation. There is plenty of time for that to take place, once the facts are known, and by no means are they yet known in their entirety.
As for our “racing family”, our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every individual affected by this incident, and we pray for strength, courage, and healing.
