![]() ![]() ![]() His on-track struggles have sapped his confidence and stripped him of that feeling of invincibility he had in more than three decades of racing cars. His personal struggles took a toll on him. The euphoria from a strong finish - and really, strong finishes are all he's shooting for right now, wins are not presently attainable - has worn off by the time he gets to his airplane after a race. He's confided during a handful of interviews with The Associated Press over the past 12 months that his passion is gone. His enjoyment has never been found at a NASCAR race, and this spiral he's been stuck in the last three seasons did nothing more than confirm to Stewart that it's time to go do something else. Fun for Stewart is crisscrossing Ohio during a rare off week in NASCAR to oversee the All-Star Circuit Champions of Sprint Car series he purchased in January. Why? Because fun for Stewart is riding a four-wheeler around Eldora Speedway, the dirt track he owns in Ohio, to make sure the show is going off without a hitch. In other words, Stewart had an exit plan. He kept an eye on the free agent market to determine candidates to succeed him in the No. He understood the timetables put on every contract signed with a sponsor. Stewart years ago figured out the financials to determine how long he needed to race in NASCAR. The reality, though, is that this nightmare Stewart has been living just happened to come as his career was already winding down. He broke his leg in a sprint car crash in 2013 that cost him the final third of the season he struck and killed a young racer, Kevin Ward, during an on-track incident at a dirt track in New York in 2014 and he's not at all competitive this season, mired in the worst slump of his career.Īny of that would be enough to push Stewart, who turns 45 next season, into retirement. They think that because they don't really know Stewart, and don't understand that his decision has very little to do with the personal problems that have plagued his last three years. Foyt, would race deep into his 50s and slowly scale back his schedule. They've always assumed their driver, a modern-day A.J. Stewart's die-hard fans don't want to believe the news. He will detail his decision to get out of the car. So it should be no surprise that Stewart is scheduled Wednesday to announce his retirement from Sprint Cup racing at the end of the 2016 season. The sideshow that accompanies the 38 races a year? A nuisance. NASCAR money pays his bills, has afforded him a lifestyle he never imagined, allowed him to collect toys such as ownership of race tracks and a sprint car series. It's no secret that NASCAR and all its pomp and circumstance have always been the necessary evil in Stewart's storied career. "Can we get some more people in here?" he said to no one in particular. ![]() Stewart, always the last driver to arrive, was agitated as he scoured the room looking for his teammates. Dance music blared from two large speakers at the front of the tent, celebrities and other dignitaries sat in special seats and fans craned their necks for a glimpse of NASCAR's stars. Tony Stewart picked his way through the crowd surrounding a red carpet at Chicagoland Speedway to make his way to the pre-race driver meeting. ![]()
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