Auto Racing
A grand jury absolves Stewart of any wrongdoing
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – After more than six weeks in limbo, NASCAR star Tony Stewart finally got the news he had been hoping for.
A grand jury that heard testimony from more than two dozen witnesses, including accident reconstruction experts and drivers, and looked at photographs and video decided against bringing criminal charges against Stewart for the death of 20-year-old sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. during an Aug. 9 race.
That doesn’t mean it’s over.
A few hours after Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo announced the grand jury’s decision in this upstate New York hamlet, the Ward family indicated in a statement read over the telephone by sister Kayla Herring that they will seek civil damages in the young driver’s death.
The family might have a difficult task: Tantillo disclosed Ward was under the influence of marijuana the night he died and said two different videos were enhanced, frames were isolated and viewed at at least three different speeds and finally overlaid with grids and data. Both showed Stewart had done nothing wrong.
David Weinstein, a former state and federal prosecutor in Miami who is not involved in the case, said the toxicology evidence will make it difficult for the Wards to win a lawsuit against Stewart.
Ski Racing
Stelvio course in Bormio goes down hill in 2014
BORMIO, Italy – Organizers of the Bormio downhill said the World Cup race won’t be contested this season unless it can be held outside the New Year holiday period.
Regularly on the World Cup calendar in late December since 1993, the Stelvio course has been the site of memorable wins by Americans Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves, along with Austrian greats Hermann Maier and Michael Walchhofer.
In a statement Wednesday, organizers said they are open to holding the race outside the Dec. 26 to Jan. 8 period but that the Italian Winter Sports Federation wanted to keep the race at its usual date when the town is full of holiday visitors.
Bormio is known as the most physically demanding downhill on the men’s circuit.
Soccer
Solo asserts her innocence in domestic assault
United States’ national team goalkeeper Hope Solo is again asserting her innocence in a domestic violence assault case that she faces in Washington state.
Solo is charged with two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault stemming from a June 21 altercation with her sister and 17-year-old nephew at a family gathering in Kirkland, Washington.
Solo pleaded not guilty, and the case is scheduled for trial Nov. 4. She faces up to six months in jail if convicted.
Orlando City gets a leg up on New York City FC
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City will pick first in the MLS expansion draft, as well as the SuperDraft, after winning Wednesday’s draw.
The new club beat New York City FC to get first choice from various MLS player-acquisition mechanisms. Orlando won the first pick from among players left unprotected by current MLS clubs, as well as the first choice of U.S. college players.
New York City FC chose to get the first allocation ranking, meaning it gets priority for a member of the U.S. men’s national team who signs with MLS after playing abroad. The teams alternated choosing priority in eight mechanisms in total.
Orlando also picked priority for players coming from two other U.S. pro leagues, and in weighting in lottery for undrafted players. New York City FC gets a leg up on Orlando in the Discovery ranking and the Designated Player ranking.
Associated Press
