( CNN ) -- What started as a deeply emotional race for Tony Stewart ended prematurely when a blown tire cut short his return to NASCAR . Stewart came back to competition Sunday for the first time since his car struck and killed another driver on August 9 . The crowd at the Oral-B USA 500 erupted in cheers as Stewart was introduced . But after just 172 of 325 laps at the Atlanta Motor Speedway , his front right tire blew , and Stewart 's car smacked the wall on Turn 2 . In the end , Kasey Kahne won the race and clinched a spot in the `` Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup '' playoff . Matt Kenseth came in second , and Denny Hamlin finished third . But many thoughts were with Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr. , the 20-year-old driver who was killed at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York . Stewart declined to speak to a reporter after Sunday 's race . But he spoke to the media briefly Friday about Ward 's death . `` This has been one of the toughest tragedies I 've ever had to deal with , both professionally and personally , '' Stewart said . `` And this is something that will definitely affect my life forever . '' Ward 's death . Spectator video from the night of Ward 's death 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 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 Ward 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 . Under investigation . New York authorities have been investigating the fatal crash . Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero has said there was no evidence that a crime had been committed . 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 . Stewart said that he wants Ward 's parents and sisters `` to know that every day I 'm thinking about them and praying for them . '' 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 . '' CNN 's Jason Hanna , Steve Almasy and Wayne Sterling contributed to this report .
Stewart 's front right tire blows at a NASCAR race in Atlanta . It was his second race since his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. on Sunday . `` This has been one of the toughest tragedies I 've ever had to deal with , '' Kevin Ward Jr. said . Kasey Kahne won the race at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park on August 9 .