Like a lot of people heading into retirement, Tony Stewart is relishing having the free time to do the things he wants. And in the case of the three-time NASCAR champion it’s the opportunity to see events outside of stock-car racing firsthand.
Stewart, who’s been competing in NASCAR’s premier division since 1999, has grown weary of a season that begins in mid-February and concludes in middle November, a schedule that entails 38 races over a 41-week span. He announced last September that he would retire at the end of the current season.
“I’ve dedicated 18 years of my life to this series and it’s done great by me, I’ve made a great living doing it,” Stewart said Friday at Sonoma Raceway. “But at the same time, there are other things in life I want to do other than be at a NASCAR track three days a week for 38 weekends out of 52 weeks a year.
“There were weeks that you would think about, ‘Man, I really want to go to Monaco and see the Monaco Grand Prix or I really want to go to Knoxville, Iowa and be out there for the A-main of the Knoxville Nationals or the Kings Royal at Eldora.’ There are things I want to do that because of our schedule you don’t have time to do it.”
Stewart admits he never thought there would be a day when he’d eagerly look forward to retirement. His feelings began to change, however, after speaking with friends Don Prudhomme, a multi-time NHRA champion, and Ray Evernham, a retired NASCAR crew chief who guided Jeff Gordon to three of his four Cup titles.
The idea of no longer having racing consume his life sounded appealing, Stewart said. That’s because, as a driver, racing is “all you think about,” even while eating breakfast.
“I just can’t imagine that there is not more to life than this,” Stewart said. “I know there is. I know people that talk about it all the time.”
But Stewart isn’t walking away from racing entirely, just NASCAR competition. He’s planning to compete in sprint car events around the country and will continue owning and operating various tracks — including Eldora Speedway, which hosts a Camping World Truck Series race each July.
It is these interests Stewart maintains a passion in — a level of fulfillment he no longer has when it comes to NASCAR.
“I’m ready to go run stuff that makes me happy and driving a Sprint Cup car does not make me happy right now,” Stewart said. “A lot of things have changed. The atmosphere has changed. There is so much stuff in the garage area that has changed that it was time for me to make a change with it.”
