HAMPTON, Ga. -- Tony Stewart took his seat on the podium -- unshaven, his eyes glassy -- and unfolded a sheet of paper. His voice quivered as he read, pausing to maintain his composure as he described the death of a driver he hit as "one of the toughest tragedies Ive ever had to deal with." This was a far cry from the brash driver known around the track as "Smoke." Ninety minutes later, he climbed into his No. 14 car and sped toward the high-banked oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drawing a cheer from the crowd gathered around his garage. He quickly got up to speed, turning laps of nearly 190 mph, a racer back in his element. Ready or not, Stewart is back on the track. Describing himself as heartbroken but eager to heal, Stewart rejoined the race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship surrounded by those he considers a second family -- his team, his crew, his rivals. He missed the last three races, going into seclusion after the sprint car he was driving struck and killed 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr., who had stepped on the track to confront him during a race. Hell get back to work as an investigation continues in upstate New York. Authorities said Friday that the probe into the cause of the crash will last at least another two weeks. No decision has been made about whether Stewart will face charges. "This is something that will definitely affect my life forever," Stewart said. "This is a sadness and a pain I hope no one has to experience in their life. That being said, I know that the pain and mourning that Kevin Wards family and friends are experiencing is something that I cant possibly imagine." He mentioned Wards parents and three sisters by name, saying he wanted them "to know that every day Im thinking about them and praying for them." Stewart took no questions about Wards death because of the ongoing investigation, and said he wasnt sure if he had the emotional strength to answer them anyway. But his timid, halting delivery presented a much different side to a racer whose infamous temper has sparked clashes with the media and fellow drivers. It was business as usual when Stewart switched to his racing suit. He signed autographs. He talked with his crew about the cars setup. He chatted up Kurt Busch. Behind the wheel, Stewart looked as though he had never been away. He advanced to the final round of qualifying before settling for the 12th starting spot in Sunday nights race with a speed of 187.907 mph. One of his teammates at Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick, claimed the pole at 190.398. Stewart went out ahead of Harvick and advised him to take a lower line on the track. "He was definitely a big help," Harvick said. Afterward the two chatted briefly, a conversation Harvick described as "all racing." If Stewart should win in Atlanta, or next weeks race at Richmond, he would qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. While NASCAR requires its drivers to compete in every event to make the playoff, Stewart was granted a waiver that is normally applied to a driver who misses a race for medical reasons. Mike Helton, president of the governing body, said NASCAR made the decision after consulting with third-party experts who "were relevant under these circumstances." He would not elaborate. "We want to join everybody in racing in welcoming Tony back," Helton said. "Hes a great asset to NASCAR. Hes a great champion, a great participant in our sport." There was no word from Wards family on Stewarts return. A woman who answered Friday at the home of Kevin Ward Sr. said the family would not be commenting. During an Aug. 9 sprint-car event in upstate New York, Stewart and Wards cars bumped while racing into a turn, sending Wards car spinning. Ward climbed from his wrecked machine and wandered onto a darkened track in a black racing suit, wanting to make his displeasure known to the three-time NASCAR champion. One car appeared to swerve to avoid Ward, but he was struck by the back right tire of Stewarts car. The 43-year-old Stewart pulled out of the race at nearby Watkins Glen the morning after Ward was killed, and then skipped events at Michigan and Bristol. "Ive taken the last couple of weeks off out of respect for Kevin and his family and also to cope with the accident in my own way," Stewart said. "Its given me the time to think about life and how easy it is to take it for granted. I miss my team, my teammates and I miss being back in the race car, and I think being back in the car this week with my racing family will help me get through this difficult time." Asked if it was fair to make Stewart eligible for the Chase, rival driver Denny Hamlin wavered a bit. "Its a very vague thing," he said. "Its tough to say whats considered medical and not." Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice-president Brett Frood said the driver sent flowers and a card to Wards family around the time of the funeral. He hopes to meet with them at some point. "Hes been very respectful of them and their time to grieve," Frood said. "Its important for Tony to spend time with the family. I do think that will happen at the appropriate time." Stewart said he knows there are plenty of questions surrounding Wards death. Many of those have focused on whether he was trying to frighten a young driver who had the nerve to challenge him over a racing crash. But he emphasized that the best way for him to heal was to put on his helmet. "Being in that car," Harvick said, "cures a lot of problems for a short time." Fake Yeezys .com) - The Winnipeg Jets got over one hurdle by snapping their longest losing streak of the season. Fake Yeezys Outlet . The 19-year-old from Westmount, Que., was edged 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-3 by third-seeded Alize Cornet of France. Cornet broke Bouchard twice in the last set and saved six break points in the three-hour match. http://www.fakeyeezysforsale.com/. Both moves were announced Tuesday. The Titans had waived Matthews on Saturday when they promoted wide receiver Michael Preston from the practice squad. Fake Yeezys Store .C. Lions signed cornerback Dante Marsh to a contract extension on Friay and released receiver Paris Jackson. Fake Yeezys For Sale . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win.PHILADELPHIA -- Too worried about his own draft night, Jake Virtanen didnt hear about his hometown Vancouver Canucks trading Ryan Kesler until late Friday. Of course he paid attention when he saw the Canucks kept the No. 6 pick. "I just tried to shake it off and try not to worry about it," Virtanen said. The next player up after the consensus top five of Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, Sam Bennett and Michael Dal Colle, Virtanen got his "dream come true" when the Canucks used that sixth overall pick on him. "Its pretty surreal for me," the six-foot left-winger said. "Still trying to soak it in. Its an amazing feeling." Virtanen, a native of Abbotsford, B.C., becomes yet another piece of the Trevor Linden/Jim Benning retooling project on the day Kesler was sent to the Anaheim Ducks and defenceman Jason Garrison to the Tampa Bay Lightning. So does Sault Ste. Marie centre Jared McCann, taken with the No. 24 pick the Canucks got as part of the Kesler deal. Unlike centre Nick Bonino and defenceman Luca Sbisa, whom the Canucks got from Anaheim, and Derek Dorsett, acquired from the New York Rangers for a third-round pick, Virtanen seems like a long-term project. Not only could he probably use some more time with the WHLs Calgary Hitmen, but he had shoulder surgery in May and is targeting mid-October to be cleared to take contact.dddddddddddd "If its not mid-October, I think I just want to be 100 per cent healthy," Virtanen said. "Im not going to rush anything. I just want to be healthy and be able to play my best game." Virtanen, a power forward who NHL Central Scoutings Peter Sullivan compares to Jarome Iginla, showed some of his best hockey this past season as a point-a-game player. He was also tied as Canadas leading scorer at the world under-18 championship. All that didnt mean Virtanen went into draft day relaxed and confident. He tossed and turned Thursday night worrying. Virtanen wondered if the shoulder injury would cause him to drop a few spots, but he hoped it wouldnt a big deal. Still, he was anxious about where hed get taken. "I kind of just sat at the hotel just sweating," Virtanen said. "The day was pretty crazy." Not just for him but the Canucks organization given the flurry of trades. Vancouver wrapped up its haul for Kesler by taking McCann, ranked 10th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, with the 24th pick. McCann, a native of Stratford, Ont., had 62 points in 64 games last season and is considered a gifted playmaker. ' ' '