KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – There was no final straw, no outside influence, no personal trauma that led Tony Stewart to set an expiration date on his NASCAR career.
Instead, the three-time NASCAR champion simply decided enough was enough.
"I think deep down you know when it's time to do something to make a change," Stewart said Wednesday in announcing he will retire from Sprint Cup racing following the 2016 season to wrap up a storied 18-year career.
If there was any doubt Stewart was at peace with his decision, he proved otherwise with a wide smile and his self-deprecating humor during a news conference that lasted nearly an hour at Stewart-Haas Racing.
He called the decision "100 percent" his choice, said the only pressure he received was from those trying to talk him out of it, and he dismissed the idea that his personal struggles the past three years factored into his choice.
Stewart also tried to ward off any sort of retirement tour in 2016 like the one currently going for four-time series champion Jeff Gordon.
Gordon is feted at nearly every track with gifts to commemorate his career, and he visits with reporters almost week to answer questions about this farewell season. Stewart isn't interested in the same treatment.
"Let's establish this right now: I will not be coming to the media center every week to talk about it," he said. "You can save your gifts. I've got enough rocking chairs at home. I'm not really that kind of guy. I'm content to go race and be around the racing community and the racing family and be around our fans. They can just send me a note from the track president and say, 'Hey, thank you,' and that'll be sufficient for me."
