Speaking at length for the first time since a grand jury determined last week that he has no criminal case to answer concerning the accident, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion said that although he has no plans to quit driving altogether, he is re-evaluating the kinds of events he will contest in the future.

“Even with the [grand jury] decision right now, I don’t know if and when I’ll ever get back in a sprint car,” said Stewart, who had continued contesting sprint car and grassroots events as a sideline throughout his NASCAR career, despite badly breaking his leg in a crash in one in mid-2013.

“I’ve had drivers I’ve raced with every week and drivers that I haven’t raced with for months that said, ‘don’t let this keep you from doing what you love’.

“This is what I’ve done all my life. This is what I’ve done for 36 years, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

“I love what I do. I love driving race cars, but I think it might change right now as far as how much of it and what I do.

“I’m not going to say I’m never going to get in one [a sprint car].

“But when I got hurt [in 2013], it was as soon as I got healed and as soon as things got settled in with the Cup car I was set that I was wanting to get in one.

“But right now I wouldn’t even be able to give you a small idea of if and when I’ll ever get back in a [sprint] car.

“At this point, I won’t be in one for a while.”

‘WORTHLESS TO PICK SIDES’

Fellow driver Ward was killed when he approached Stewart’s car on foot during a caution in an event at Canandaigua Motorsports Park and was struck by the NASCAR star’s rear wheel.

Stewart spent the days immediately afterwards in isolation while he tried to come to terms with the accident.

During that time he came under increasing fire from some segments of fans and media over his potential culpability.

This polarisation, he said, missed the bigger picture.

“To me it’s worthless to pick sides,” he said.

“A young man lost his life, and I don’t care what side you’re on, it doesn’t change that.

“His family’s in mourning. I’m in mourning. My family is in mourning.

“Picking sides isn’t solving or fixing anything. It’s a waste of time to pick sides.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, and we know that.

“But everybody, and I’ve seen this for the last seven weeks now, everybody has made their decision and picked their side off of 100 per cent of the information that they got, which is about 10 per cent of all the information that’s truly out there.”