NASCAR's Tony Stewart will retire from Cup racing after '16

NASCAR's Tony Stewart will retire from Cup racing after '16, Saying it was time for a change, three-time NASCAR best Tony Stewart appear Wednesday that he will retire from Dart Cup antagonism afterward the 2016 season.

Smiling and actualization at affluence at the Stewart-Haas Antagonism boutique in North Carolina, Stewart said the accommodation was "100 percent" his choice.There wasn't any burden from anybody," Stewart said. "If anything, it was the opposite. I apperceive humans were aggravating to allocution me out of it. It's a book area everybody in their career makes the accommodation that it's time for a change."

Stewart, who acutely loves clay clue racing, isn't accepting out of the car for good, though.

"I am still traveling to race," he said. "I am not backward from racing, just the Dart Cup Series."

Stewart, who said a year ago he wasn't abiding if he'd anytime run a dart car chase again, adumbrated Wednesday a acknowledgment to his roots is in his future.

"Maybe. Probably," he said if asked if he'll get aback in a dart car.

His planned abandonment is not a surprise. Stewart will be 45 next season, hasn't won a chase in over two years and has been abreast alive on award a almsman for the No. 14 Chevrolet all year.

Clint Bowyer, appear from his arrangement with Michael Waltrip Antagonism because the aggregation is folding at the end of the season, will alter Stewart in the No. 14 in 2017. Bowyer has been searching for a one-year accord for next division as a band-aid while Stewart runs his 18th and final Cup season. SHR aswell fields cars for ascendant alternation best Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick.

The endure three years accept been aggravating for Stewart. He addled and dead dart car disciplinarian Kevin Ward Jr. during a 2014 chase in New York and he absent the final third of the 2013 division with a torn leg suffered in a dart car crash. His affection for NASCAR antagonism has aswell waned in the endure several seasons, in allotment because of an evolving rules amalgamation that he has struggled with. He is currently 25th in the credibility standings and bootless to authorize for the Chase for the Dart Cup championship for the third after year.

Stewart told AP in June that his aplomb was attempt and he was disturbing to acquisition any amusement in accepting in the chase car.

"I anticipate abysmal down, you apperceive if it's time to do something different," Stewart said Wednesday.

Stewart said the baleful adventure with Ward and his improvement from injuries played no role in his decision.

Eddie Gossage, admiral of Texas Motor Speedway and a abutting acquaintance of Stewart's, said the disciplinarian had discussed retirement with him "over the endure six or eight years."

"I anticipate he consistently beheld Cup antagonism as a job that helped him accomplish his affection for antagonism on clay tracks, active world-famous Eldora Speedway or owning the All Brilliant Circuit of Champions Dart Car Series," Gossage said. "I don't apperceive anybody that loves antagonism more. He's a sure-fire, aboriginal election affirmation for the NASCAR Hall of Fame."

Kevin Harvick, who was absorbed to Stewart-Haas Antagonism by Stewart and won his aboriginal Cup appellation endure season, accepted he's still advancing to agreement with Stewart's decision.

"As the apple learns about Tony backward today I accept to accept I've accepted about this for a while and absolutely struggled to put my accoutrements about what I anticipate about it," Harvick acquaint on amusing media. "I've apparent Tony as my driver, my bang-up and my friend. But in the end I wish to see him smile and be blessed in his life. Tony has done a abundant accord for not alone my family, but the action that we all love."

Stewart, who confused from IndyCar to NASCAR and got his breach in 1999 with Joe Gibbs Racing, is the additional brilliant in two years to alarm it quits. Four-time best Jeff Gordon will retire at the end of this season.

Stewart has 48 Cup victories and is a lock for NASCAR's Hall of Fame. He's one of the a lot of accomplished drivers in racing, acceptable in every affectionate of series, from dart cars to a ascendant amplitude in NASCAR area he reeled off at atomic one win in 15 beeline seasons.

But the endure two seasons accept been abounding with affliction and accident on and off the clue for Stewart. While no one would anytime calculation out Stewart from acceptable one added race, he's no best a approved blackmail to acquisition achievement lane. He endure won a Cup chase on June 2, 2013, at Dover International Speedway.

Stewart said he advised backward at the end of this season, but ashore about for the admirers and to try and win his aboriginal Daytona 500.

"The abundant affair is, I'm not traveling anywhere," Stewart said. "NASCAR's apparently traveling to be the a lot of aghast of everybody today because they aren't accepting rid of me. They accept to accord with me as an owner. There's still an befalling to get fined. There's still an befalling to get on probation, just like always."

Bowyer is an eight-time chase champ in the Dart Cup Alternation and accomplished additional in the 2012 championship standings. Bowyer said he would acceptable advertise his aggregation for 2016 after this week.

"Whether it's antagonism him on Sunday or watching my clay backward archetypal teams chase at his acclaimed Eldora Speedway, Tony and I allotment the aforementioned affection for racing," Bowyer said. "That makes this befalling a absolute fit for me. I acknowledge aggregate he's done for me and the action of auto racing. These are big shoes to fill, but, boy, am I anytime searching advanced to accepting abaft the caster of a champion's ride, and accept Tony there with me forth the way."
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