I remember the end of last season...after Tony announced his retirement...I was really "feeling" it. Haven't felt much since then though, til tonight. It's certainly hitting me. Idk what tomorrow will bring.
The best thing about Tony...he's never going to quit racing. There is a chance...a very slim chance...that I may see him race or spectate at one of the short tracks I visit. That slim, .000001% chance is a .000001% chance greater than any of the other drivers in the garage. Once they quit, they quit. They buy a nice ranch 30 miles north or west of Charlotte, and they live out their days on a working farm, with a huge ranch, and leave the racing life, save for a few TV or garage appearances sparsed out over the next dozen years. Others stay very involved in the sport- on the pit box, in the booth, or some other suit-and-tie position. Not Tony, I guarantee.
The fact that a Sprint Cup driver could be seen racing...in anything...after retirement... is something I don't think this generation of clean-cut drivers will do. I truly believe Tony Stewart is the last connection between 21st century NASCAR and 20th century NASCAR.