Jeff Gluck

USA TODAY Sports

The cloud over Tony Stewart will remain for the immediate future after the Ontario County (N.Y.) District Attorney said Tuesday he would take the question of Stewart's involvement in the death of Kevin Ward Jr. to a grand jury.

Stewart struck and killed Ward, 20, during an Aug. 9 sprint car race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York and has been under investigation since.

Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero turned the case over to D.A. Michael Tantillo last week, and Tantillo has decided to let a grand jury decide whether criminal charges will be brought.

"Upon my review of all of the information contained in the entire investigation, I have made the determination that it would be appropriate to submit the evidence to a grand jury, for their determination as to what action should be taken in this matter," Tantillo said in a statement. "Accordingly, the evidence developed in the investigation will be presented to an Ontario County grand jury in the near future."

In the meantime, Stewart will race this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing spokesman Mike Arning confirmed Tuesday.

In a statement, Stewart, a three-time NASCAR champion said:

"I respect the time and effort spent by both the Ontario County District Attorney and the Sheriff's Office in investigating this tragic accident. I look forward to this process being completed, and I will continue to provide my full cooperation." ?

Stewart is co-owner with Gene Haas of the four-car team, which also includes Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick.

NASCAR will allow Stewart to race, as he has done for the past three weeks since returning from a three-race absence in the wake of Ward's death.

"We are aware of the completed investigation and the announced next steps," NASCAR chief communications officer Brett Jewkes said in a statement. "First, our thoughts continue to be with all who have been impacted by this tragedy. We will monitor this process and stay in close contact with Stewart-Haas Racing. It would be inappropriate for NASCAR to comment on this case so we will continue to respect the process and authorities involved."

A spokesman for Mobil 1, one of Stewart's primary sponsors, told USA TODAY Sports that Tuesday's news would not affect their relationship. The company continues to monitor the situation.

Given the secrecy surrounding grand jury proceedings, Tantillo would not give a specific timeframe for when it would meet or when a decision might be released.

"Similarly, because of the confidential nature of these proceedings, I cannot state who will be called as witnesses, or what any witness's expected testimony will be," he said. "When the presentation has been completed and a determination has been made, I will advise the public and the media at that time of the results."

Last Thursday, Povero announced the investigation into Ward's death was finished and all information had been handed over to the district attorney's office, which had been working in step with the investigators.

In a statement, Povero said the "thorough investigation" included "a forensic video enhancement recently received from the New York State Police Laboratory in Albany."

Ward was spun out by Stewart during the dirt car race. He got out of his car under caution to show his displeasure and a couple of drivers avoided hitting him as he walked down the track before he was struck by Stewart's car. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of death later was ruled as blunt force trauma.

At the time of the incident, Povero said Stewart was ''fully cooperative'' and that there was no evidence of criminal intent. However, the investigation continued in the weeks since the incident and Stewart sat out three races to grieve.

Stewart, 43, first met with the media in Atlanta on Aug. 29 ahead of Sprint Cup practice. He took no questions but read a 2-minute, 30-second statement that Arning said had been written by the driver, who is famous for moonlighting in sprint car races in his spare time.

Stewart finished 41st at Atlanta, crashing out early after slamming into the wall twice before coasting into the garage just past the halfway mark. He was never a real threat at Richmond either, cracking the top 10 on a couple of occasions before finishing 15th. Had he won either race, he would have qualified for the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. NASCAR had granted Stewart a waiver to be eligible despite him missing races during the regular season.

Stewart won championships in 2002, 2005 and 2011. He has missed the Chase in 2006, 2013 -- when he suffered a broken leg in a sprint car race accident in Iowa -- and this season.

Contributing: Nate Ryan

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck and Ryan @nateryan

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