Behind the Wall: Tony Stewart's Last Full-Time Season

Tony Stewart Tribute

By Richard Tix

Last year before the season began news broke that Jeff Gordon was going to retire after the 2015 season (Jeff Gordon's Last Full-Time Season Tribute). It was a weird feeling for many because in NASCAR, unlike many other professional sports, drivers are around well into there 30's and 40's. Top athletes in the sport don't just come and go in a 10 year career.

With the news of Jeff Gordon, it really hit me because he had been around almost my entire NASCAR viewing lifetime. I grew up watching him as a young rookie take on Earnhardt and now I have written about him numerous times including recapping what he meant to me as a fan.

So, it was just as big of a shock to many that Tony Stewart announced 2016 would be his last season at the Cup level. Not many times do such high profile drivers decide to hang it up in consecutive seasons. In just two years NASCAR will have had drivers with 7 Championships retire.

Tony Stewart has gone through a lot the past few years including struggling at the Cup level with the new Gen-6 car. The past few season have been a weird time in NASCAR, when seeing "Smoke" towards the back of the pack has come more often. It would be nice if the 2016 farewell tour of Tony Stewart included a few more highs compared to the recent lows.

Stewart sits just 2 wins from a glorious 50 career Cup wins, a mark I started asking fans two years when will he hit it? Yet, he hasn't won a single race in two years.

But, even if he doesn't get to 50 these last few years won't be how most remember him. Most will remember the other 48 wins, or his dominance at Joe Gibbs Racing, or him becoming a Owner/Driver with Stewart-Haas Racing, or my favorite moment winning a Cup Championship as an Owner/Driver in 2011.

We know when he leaves he will still be around racing and around NASCAR, but not seeing him on the track will be a strange feeling even after the past few years of mediocrity. It just won't be right to not have such a great Champion on the track every weekend.

Fan's might not want it to happen, but in Stewarts mind it is time to switch it up, "It was a choice that is 100 percent mine, no pressure from anybody," Stewart said "If anything, it's been the opposite, more people trying to talk me out of it. Everyone in their career makes a decision when it's time for a change. I think deep down you know when it's time to do something different and make a change like this."

He may miss the sport as a driver, but fans and NASCAR will miss him just as much, "When I think of Tony Stewart, unmatched passion and a pure love of the sport come to mind," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said in a release. "He has won championships and millions of fans. But he has given back so much more, and that's what I admire most. Today's news was bittersweet for all, but we know Tony will continue to be a big part of our sport in his roles as a team and track owner. On behalf of the entire NASCAR family, I thank Tony for his many years of excellence and competitiveness, and wish him nothing but the best in his final season as a driver in the Sprint Cup Series."

If France has been right about one thing in the past few seasons, it is the fact that Tony Stewrat was in fact unmatched in his love and passion for racing. Some may come close, but because of his human nature Stewart lets his emotion roll right off his sleeve for you to know it.

Tony Stewart may not be behind the wheel every weekend at the Cup level in 2017, but he is trying to look at it from another angle: "I'm not leaving the sport I love. I'm not walking away from something I'm passionate about, I'm just changing roles, which it's like just moving to a different position in a company. I'm not really retiring, I'm just changing positions."

He and Gordon might be done racing in NASCAR after 2017, but both will still be a huge part of the sport and long remembered for there glory years racing. Hopefully fans can enjoy all of his last 36 stops in 2016 and give him a warm send off into just full time Ownership in 2017 with SHR.

NASCAR Behind the Wall wants to congratulate Tony Stewart on a successful career thus far and wish him luck in 2016. Now, lets take a look back through photo's. Also take a look back at most of his Career Paint Schemes on his Profile Page: