( CNN ) -- Tony Stewart , who has n't raced since his car struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt track race earlier this month , will return to NASCAR racing at Atlanta , his team announced on its Twitter feed . Stewart opted out of three races after his car hit Kevin Ward Jr. , who was walking on the track during an Empire Super Sprints series race August 9 in New York . `` NASCAR has remained in constant contact with his race team , and we will stay very close to this situation as Stewart returns to competition , '' said NASACR Executive Vice President Steve O'Donnell . The race in Atlanta is scheduled for Sunday , with first practice and qualifying set for Friday . New York authorities continue to investigate the Ward incident , according to media reports . 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 . Stewart withdrew from the NASCAR race in Watkins Glen the next day . He also missed races in Michigan and Tennessee . Authorities announced two days later that 20-year-old Ward , a New York sprint car driver , had died of `` massive blunt trauma . '' Ontario County Sheriff Philip C. Povero said at the time that there was no evidence that a crime had been committed . Stewart has only released a statement shortly after Ward 's death . `` There are n't words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. , '' Stewart said August 10 . `` It 's a very emotional time for all involved . ... My thoughts and prayers are with his family , friends and everyone affected by this tragedy . '' 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 . Ward Sr. said the race was the only time he had ever seen his son get out of the car while it was still on the track . NASCAR has instituted a rule that requires its drivers to stay in the car until safety personnel arrive . CNN 's Wayne Sterling contributed to this report .
Racer was driving in a dirt-track race when he hit a competitor who was walking . Kevin Ward Jr. died of his injuries received at NY track . Authorities are investigating . Stewart expected to return to the track Friday during a practice session .