( CNN ) -- Tony Stewart says he took the last three weekends off to respect the family of the driver that his race car struck and killed this month , and to deal with his own emotions . Returning to NASCAR racing this weekend , he says , will help him cope . Stewart , who opted out of three races after his car hit Kevin Ward Jr. during a dirt track race on August 9 , spoke briefly to reporters Friday about his decision to race in Sunday 's Oral-B USA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway . `` This has been one of the toughest tragedies I 've ever had to deal with , both professionally and personally . And this is something that will definitely affect my life forever , '' Stewart said at the speedway in his first public appearance since Ward 's death . While the incident hit him hard , Stewart said he knows `` that the pain and the mourning that Kevin Ward 's family and friends are experiencing is something that I ca n't possibly imagine . '' `` ( The time off ) has given me the time to think about life and how easy it is to take it for granted , '' Stewart said . `` I miss my team , my teammates , and I miss being back in the race car . I think that being back in the car this week with my racing family will help me get through this difficult time . '' He declined to take reporters ' questions , saying he needed to respect the investigation into Ward 's death . New York authorities continue to investigate the incident , which happened after Ward crashed and then exited his race car during an Empire Super Sprints series race in New York . Spectator video from that night at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park race shows two cars coming out of a turn , with Stewart 's No . 14 car sliding up the track toward Ward 's No . 13 car . The two cars get close and appear to make contact before Ward 's car hits the wall and spins out . Ward gets out of his crashed car and walks determinedly on the track toward the race cars , which had slowed for a yellow flag . Ward points a finger and appears to be yelling . One car swerves to avoid Ward on the half-mile dirt track . Stewart 's car passes close to Ward , and it appears that its right rear tire hits him . Authorities said that the 20-year-old Ward , a New York sprint car driver , died of `` massive blunt trauma . '' Stewart withdrew from the NASCAR race in New York 's Watkins Glen the day after Ward died . He also missed races in Michigan and Tennessee . Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero said at the time that there was no evidence that a crime had been committed . Stewart said that he wants Ward 's parents and sisters `` to know that every day I 'm thinking about them and praying for them . '' Ward , from Port Leyden , New York , was in his fifth season in the Empire Super Sprints series . He began racing when he was 4 , running go-kart events . When he was 12 , he moved to the faster sprint cars . His father blames Stewart for hitting his son . `` Apparently , Tony Stewart was the only one driving out there who did n't see him , '' the father said , according to Syracuse.com . Brett Frood , executive vice president of Stewart 's racing team , Stewart-Hass , said Friday that Stewart sent the Ward family flowers and a card , and that eventually he will want to spend time with them . `` I do believe that will happen at the appropriate time , '' Frood said . Meanwhile , Stewart will be eligible for this year 's `` Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup '' playoff system if he wins either in Atlanta or next week in Richmond -- the last two races of the regular season -- NASCAR President Mike Helton said . There had been speculation that Stewart would have been ineligible because he missed the last three races . NASCAR had said previously that to qualify , a driver must attempt to qualify for all 26 races leading up to the Chase . But Helton said Friday that NASCAR was waiving that requirement because of the `` unique set of circumstances '' in this case . CNN 's Wayne Sterling contributed to this report .
Racer was driving in a dirt-track race when he hit a competitor who was walking . The driver of the car that struck him then drove away and left his victim to die. `` This has been one of the toughest tragedies I 've ever had to deal with , '' Stewart says . NASCAR will allow Stewart to stay in championship chase .