Tony Stewart to retire soon?

Tony Stewart to retire as a driver soon?

We all fear that day. That day when we get the honor of cheering on our favorite driver for the last time. The day when they finally decide to take their final left turn and hang up their helmet for good. Sure, they have the memories of exciting passes and races won, but does that doesn’t always relieve the pain of not seeing their favorite driver amongst the 43 car field.

One driver who should be considering this option is none other than Indiana native, Tony Stewart. The three time Sprint Cup Champion has already raced 16 full season in The Sprint Cup Series and has never really been the same after his Sprint Car accident at Southern Iowa Speedway, where he broke both the tibia and fibula in his lower right leg.

Since Stewart’s vicious accident in 2013, he has only recorded eight top-five’s, sixteen top-ten’s and zero victories in 69 races. This is a far cry from his championship season in 2011, where smoke managed to capture five wins, nine Top-five’s, and nineteen Top-ten finishes. He was also the first driver to win five Chase races in the same season.

Looking at his performance in 2015, Stewart has finished outside The Top 30 six times and has only recorded one Top-ten finish this season, which came at Bristol Motor Speedway. To make matters worse, Stewart currently sits 26th in the point’s standings and shows little signs of being able to get a win and make The Chase.

While Stewart’s lackluster performance is one reason for him to retire from Sprint Cup racing, his accomplishments in NASCAR is another. Stewart really has nothing else to prove. He’s already won three championships with two different teams, won 48 races, and even set the record for most wins during a rookie season.

He’s also won two championships as a team owner, was the first owner driver in 19 years to win a championship, and is co-owner of one of the most dominant and competitive race teams in NASCAR today. If anything, Stewart would benefit from stepping out of the car, and focusing on how to make his team even more dominant.

While it would be nice to see Stewart win one more race or even one more championship before retirement, he doesn’t seem to possess the capability to do that right now. If 2015 finishes the way that it has began, no Stewart fan wants to watch him run like this just for the sake of him continuing to race. Sure, he might be able to pull out a win at Daytona or Talladega, but that doesn’t warrant him staying in a full time ride anymore.

Sure, Stewart’s resume might have an asterisk on it for not claiming victory in The Daytona 500, and never surpassing Dale Earnhardt on the all-time win list, but with all his career accomplishments in mind, there is no reason why he wouldn’t be able to still make The NASCAR Hall of Fame in a few years.

Honestly, Tony Stewart has changed the sport of NASCAR in a way that few people could ever dream of and will always be remembered for his dominant performance, on track antics, and his success as a team owner. With that being said, those accomplishments become less and less and memorable, if he continues to race as a shell of his former self.
In my opinion, it’s time for Stewart to consider hanging them up. Brian Thornsburg/Beyond The Flag