PORT LEYDEN, N.Y. -- Kevin Ward Jr. was crafting a reputation as a wheelman, the kind of driver who could race vehicles on any track without fear. Hed sit up on his seat, floor it, and zip his way through a maze of cars straight toward the front of the pack. For points. For fun. Often for little money. "He would go to tracks that a lot of other drivers wouldnt go to," Chuck Miller, the race director and president for the Empire Super Sprints circuit, said Monday. "If we had co-sanctioned races with other organizations where we really werent giving points or anything, but it was a deal where you wanted to see how you stacked up against the other competition, the Wards were willing to go and do that and see where they were at." Ward began racing go-karts in 1998 at age 4. In 2010, he moved on to sprint cars and was Empire Super Sprint racing rookie of the year in 2012. The 20-year-old raced mostly on dirt tracks a few hours from his home in Port Leyden, a village of 700 in northern New York. Ward was killed Saturday night about 140 miles away at a clay track in Canandaigua. NASCAR champion Tony Stewart was the big name in the field, racing with the young guys while he was in the area for a Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen the next day. Ward and Stewart tangled, and Ward hit the wall. Ward walked on the track apparently to confront Stewart, and was struck when Stewarts vehicle seemed to fishtail. On Monday, several cars were parked in front of the Ward home in Port Leyden. A police officer stood across the street, politely asking reporters not to park on the roads shoulder. Helen McHale has lived across the street for 30 years and remembers hearing the noise when Ward raced go-carts. Kevin Ward Sr. runs a successful painting business, and locals thought his son might make it big in the racing world. "His dad goes to every race," she said. "Hes a good kid, polite, big smile, and theyre a good family." Stewart and Ward shared a love of racing sprint cars: high-powered, winged cars built for running on short oval or circular dirt and paved tracks. Drivers have to hit the gas to turn, not necessarily use the wheel. After the crash, Ward was standing to the right of Stewarts familiar No. 14 car on the dimly lit track. According to video and witness accounts, Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. Authorities questioned the 43-year-old Stewart once on Saturday night and went to Watkins Glen to talk to him again Sunday. Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said that investigators dont have any evidence at this point to support criminal intent. Povero said Monday there were no plans "at this time" to talk to Stewart again. "At this time, there are no facts that exist that support any criminal behaviour or conduct, or that any probable cause of a criminal act, in this investigation," he said. Povero said the autopsy was completed Monday and found Ward died of blunt force trauma. Stewart said Sunday "there arent words" to describe his sadness over Wards death. Stewart hasnt announced whether hell drive in this weekends NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway, but his short track "hobby" is on hold. He wont appear Saturday in a race in Warsaw, Indiana. "It is still an emotional time for all involved, Tony included. He is grieving, and grief doesnt have a timetable," spokesman Mike Arning said Monday. Canandaigua Speedway promoter Jeremie Corcoran said the track has cancelled Wednesdays event to give "my family, staff, fans, and racing teams time to grieve and process all that has occurred." Driver Matt Tanner, a friend of Wards, was a few cars back from the collision. Ward had been a good friend for years, a member of a small, tight group of drivers who travelled to various races around New York state, parts of Canada and Pennsylvania. "I saw his car sitting there and when the ambulances pulled up I realized what was happening," Tanner said. He hasnt watched the video and doesnt plan to. "Your emotions are running so high. Stewarts known for being competitive, and Kevin was just as competitive," said Tanner. So competitive that hed take his life into his own hands by stepping into traffic in a black firesuit on a dark track? No one will know for sure why Ward made the treacherous decision to stalk Stewart. But perhaps he was inspired by Stewart himself. Known for his volcanic temper, Stewart is among the drivers who made highlight reels by tossing helmets at windshields or throwing punches at competitors. The action captivates fans and is part of NASCARs allure -- and inspires the next generation to mimic the bumping and brawling of their heroes. What better way for a young driver to make a name for himself than being the one that stood up to Smoke? Driver Cory Sparks, a fellow driver in Saturdays race, said he and Ward became friends five years ago. He said Ward was aggressive and competitive and that the two men had "had our feuds" but that he was proud to call him a friend. "I dont want Kevin Ward to be remembered as a victim in a Tony Stewart accident," he said. "He definitely had a future in this sport. He was a very aggressive driver. He was one hell of wheel man." Doug Elkins is a former race announcer who now writes about the sport. He had known Ward and his father for several years. Elkins said he expected rules prohibiting drivers from getting out of their cars during races will be better enforced around the country. He hadnt heard of any bad blood between Stewart and Ward. "Anyone would want to beat him, Elkins said, "hes Tony Stewart." Memorial services will be held Wednesday at the Trainor Funeral Home in Boonville, New York. The funeral is Thursday. Air Max 97 Plus Cheap . 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"Dud is a shooter. http://www.outletairmax97.com/mens-nike-...ah8144-600.html. - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday. Air Max 97 Just Do It White . However, after review it became clear Kadri kicked the puck in. Air Max 97 Neon Seoul For Sale . The attacking midfielder arrives on a free transfer from Spains Malaga. The 28-year-old joins Scottish striker Kenny Miller and Argentine midfielder Matias Laba as designated players on the Whitecaps roster.HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. - Carl Edwards scrolled across a stage at Joe Gibbs Racing and jokingly yelled, Surprise! There was no surprise whatsoever about his formal introduction Tuesday as a fourth driver in the JGR Sprint Cup lineup. The move had been expected since at least May and intensified last month when Roush Fenway Racing said Edwards was not returning in 2015. Edwards, who has driven for Roush for 12 years, will join a new fourth Toyota team for Gibbs next season. The No. 19 will be sponsored by Arris, a telecommunications company, in 17 of the races. JGR has been at three cars since 2005 and has held off expanding to the NASCAR-maximum of four full-time entries. "We felt like if we could get Carl, and we could get another sponsor, that this was the right time," Gibbs said. Edwards had been through a high-profile free agency once before, in 2011 when he was in the thick of the championship hunt. He ultimately spurned JGR in that bidding process to sign an extension with Roush, and although the negotiations were never a distraction, Edwards lost the title that year to Tony Stewart on a tie-breaker. Edwards hasnt been a title threat since. He went winless in 2012 and missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, and although he made two trips to Victory Lane last season, he finished last in the 13-driver Chase field. Edwards is currently ninth in the Cup standings with two wins. The Chase begins next month, and he said hes determined to close out his Roush tenure with a championship for the No. 99 team. But when the season is over, his focus will quickly turn to JGR, where he saw an opportunity for stability and consistency as a teammate to Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth. "Sometimes youve just got to shake things up, youve got to do things differently," Edwards said. "When an opportunity like this comes up and the all the pieces come together this perfectly, for me, I didnt want to look back and wonder what that would have been like. I wanted to take the opportunity and go see what I could make of it." Edwards will be reunited with Kenseth, who was his teammate at Roush for nine seasons and had a frosty relationship that went public in 2007 when Edwards confronted Kenseth after a race at Martinsville. Kenseth moved to JGR last season, won a series-high seven races and finished second in the championship race.dddddddddddd Gibbs said Kenseth is the first person the organization consulted when it entered the bidding for Edwards. "Matt was awesome, he said, this guy, you get him over here, hes going to win races. Hell be a good teammate and hes really, really good with sponsors, " Gibbs said. "So Matt was the first person we talked to, and then we went to Denny and we went to Kyle. Because it is teamwork. This sport is unusual because you have to work together to get better, to get more information, to have more input on the weekend. We think this is the right combination for us." Kenseth said the history between he and Edwards is overblown, and much has changed since 2007. Edwards has gotten married and the two drivers have had five children between them. "Carl and I get along fine," he said. "That relationship has changed a lot through the years. Him having kids the same age as my kids, and playing together, has probably made us more friends and made us do things together. I think it will be a good mix, I really do." Edwards said hes changed as a person since he first entered NASCAR and is focused on being an asset at JGR. "I have learned a lot about how to be a good teammate. Admittedly, I was not the best teammate at the beginning of my career," he said. "I felt I had a lot of the every man for himself attitude, and wanting to prove myself regardless of any damage to the relationships. "I really value my teammates now. Im going to do everything I can to be the best teammate I can be, to contribute to the group so that overall we can be better. When I look around at who does well in the sport, it seems the people who do that well succeed." JGR also announced Tuesday that Daniel Suarez will run a full Nationwide Series program and part-time Truck Series schedule 2015. The truck entry will be fielded by Kyle Busch Motorsports. Suarez becomes the first full-time Mexican driver in NASCAR. JGR is also launching a diversity initiative along with Escuderia Telmex, which is led by Carlos Slim, one of the richest people in the world, to give Mexican and Latin American drivers opportunities in the NASCAR Toyota Series in Mexico. ' ' '