“I’m very supportive”: When Jeff Gordon candidly revealed his stance on Tony Stewart’s NASCAR comeback amid 2014 controversy

Former Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon once publicly defended Tony Stewart after a tragic on-track incident in which Stewart struck Sprint Car driver Kevin Ward Jr. at a New York dirt track, leading to the latter's death. The case underwent a thorough investigation, and a Grand Jury ultimately decided not to charge Stewart for Ward's death.

Just after the incident, Tony Stewart missed a few race weeks before he returned to the track for the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hearing of Stewart's return after the dirt track controversy, Jeff Gordon shared some words of encouragement for the former SHR driver (via USA Today).

"I sent him a text as soon as I found out he was coming back," Gordon, a four-time titlist, said. "I'm very supportive of having him back. I know based on watching the press conference (Friday afternoon) how emotional this has been for him. I do think that the best thing for him is to be in that race car."

Moreover, Gordon also expressed his views on NASCAR allowing Stewart to be chase-eligible for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

"I think the whole intent of eligibility for the Chase is so that somebody just doesn't go take a vacation after winning a few races," Gordon said. "That's the way I look at it. It's not for unforeseen circumstances to prevent you from going out and competing in the Chase. They want the teams and the drivers who've earned their way in it and deserve to be in it. And if they win a race, then I believe they should be in it."

The same year, Tony Stewart's SHR teammate, Kevin Harvick, was historically crowned the Cup Series champion, securing the first and only Cup Series title for Stewart Haas Racing.

---

"You can't change it": Tony Stewart reflects on tragic night on the dirt in upstate New York

Tony Stewart and the family of the late Kevin Ward Jr. struck a deal to settle the lawsuit against the former driver, for the death of Ward Jr.

Kevin Ward Jr.'s tragic incident occurred after Tony Stewart nudged him into the wall during a dirt track race. Frustrated, Ward exited his vehicle and walked onto the track to confront Stewart. According to Stewart, he was focused on assessing any damage to Ward’s stopped car and had minimal time to react as Ward approached his car on foot. The sequence of events led to Ward being struck, resulting in his death.

Stewart shared his thoughts on the entire controversy in an interview with Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick Show in 2018.

"You can't change it, that was the worst part about it. There was nothing I could do to change what happened and it's like you sit there and you try to rerun it in your mind over and over and then you see the media get a hold of it, and then you read comments on social media that people are writing, and then you start questioning what you saw," Stewart said.

Meanwhile, the parents of Ward Jr. have maintained their stance that Stewart sped up in front of Ward Jr. in an attempt to intimidate him, before taking the life of the latter.